Best Eastern Suburbs/Sydney Roosters team in 100 years

[Albert Rosenfeld]

This 2013 team is superb from top to bottom. Class across the park.

Its main rival for best ever Eastern Suburbs / Sydney Roosters team is the Grand Final winning team of 1975. Only advantages of that side were the Immortal Arthur Beetson, and centre combination of John Brass and Mark Harris. Apart from Big Artie, the current Roosters pack is superior.

The team of 2013 is certainly stronger than the team of 2002.

 

[Lambretta]

Nah - the one with Dally M in it was much better.

 

[Albert Rosenfeld]

Nah - the one with Dally M in it was much better.

Can you name the members of that team?

Did you ever see that team play?

Are you aware that Sonny Bill Williams is faster over 100 metres than the wingers in that side?

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

Can you name the members of that team?

Did you ever see that team play?

Are you aware that Sonny Bill Williams is faster over 100 metres than the wingers in that side?

Are you aware that you create as many threads as Tom Waterhouse creates adds?

 

[no name]

Not sure if this team is the best Roosters side ever, but if you added Craig Gower, they would have it in the bag.

 

[Parra Pride]

The best league side I've ever seen are the 2003 Panthers, Craig Gower steered them around the park masterfully.

 

[TheDalek079]

What about our side from the 30s? How do you beat a team that's unbeaten in two consecutive seasons?

 

[thorson1987]

What about our side from the 30s? How do you beat a team that's unbeaten in two consecutive seasons?

They were only undefeated because they didn't have to play against a side with Craig Gower in it.

 

[Brutus]

This 2013 team is superb from top to bottom. Class across the park.

Its main rival for best ever Eastern Suburbs / Sydney Roosters team is the Grand Final winning team of 1975. Only advantages of that side were the Immortal Arthur Beetson, and centre combination of John Brass and Mark Harris. Apart from Big Artie, the current Roosters pack is superior.

The team of 2013 is certainly stronger than the team of 2002.

Needs more Beecraft, Protheroe, Mark 'Maxi' Wheeler, David Michael, Sam Obst, Wayne Challis, Les Cleal and Jimmy Smith.

 

[Albert Rosenfeld]

What about our side from the 30s? How do you beat a team that's unbeaten in two consecutive seasons?

Problem is that players from that era were not as athletically advanced as players are today. They weren't even full time players. But physically people were behind the standards of today. Just look at speed for example. Players today like all athletes, are much faster. The wingers today would blitz the wingers of the 1930s. No 1930s half back would have been remotely as fast as Shaun Johnson, or even Mitchell Pearce. Add to that advanced conditioning and strength programs. Teams from the 1930s could not have carried out the big hit tackling of today, nor could they have withstood it. So it is hard to say that the best team players from the 1930s could compete with even lower ranked teams from today.

You even go back more recently to the 1960s and that still applies. Apart from Reg Gasnier and Graeme Langlands, there were no players with the dazzling attacking skills of today. On the wings you had Ken Irvine as the number 1. He was just very fast for his day. But he would not have kept pace with several contemporary wingers. Moreover he had none of the acrobatic skills of a contemporary speedster like Kevin Gordon, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck or Kevin Mead. In the forwards only three players were of contemporary standard: Arthur Beetson, Ron Coote and Bob McCarthy. All played into the 1970s, when the players started to become full time, and we saw more advanced performances across the park.

 

[woodyk2]

75 side takes some beating. And yes I saw them play.

 

[newman]

I was watching Twin Peaks last night and low and behold a strange character named ALBERT ROSENFIELD shows up. A crack FBI forensics expert with a hostile attitude to social niceties.

 

[Albert Rosenfeld]

75 side takes some beating. And yes I saw them play.

So did I. In fact I was at the ground often, including the grand final. Plus I have the video tape of the grand final.

Big Artie was the greatest prop forward ever. He would have been first choice prop in any team. John Brass would have been in the current team for his silky passing skills (in place of SKD). And twinkle toes Russell Fairfax would have been full back in place of Mini. But apart from those three I would take the current team.

 

[Albert Rosenfeld]

I was watching Twin Peaks last night and low and behold a strange character named ALBERT ROSENFIELD shows up. A crack FBI forensics expert with a hostile attitude to social niceties.

They based that character on me, and I am getting royalties.

 

[woodyk2]

So did I. In fact I was at the ground often, including the grand final. Plus I have the video tape of the grand final.

I remember Jonny Mayes scoring before halftime and Russell Fairfax not playing. I was gutted as he was my favourite player. Langlands saying something like ''no way we will lose this''. Nans toast and milkshakes. Pop swearing as he was a dragons supporter.

 

[TheDalek079]

Problem is that players from that era were not as athletically advanced as players are today. They weren't even full time players. But physically people were behind the standards of today. Just look at speed for example. Players today like all athletes, are much faster. The wingers today would blitz the wingers of the 1930s. No 1930s half back would have been remotely as fast as Shaun Johnson, or even Mitchell Pearce. Add to that advanced conditioning and strength programs. Teams from the 1930s could not have carried out the big hit tackling of today, nor could they have withstood it. So it is hard to say that the best team players from the 1930s could compete with even lower ranked teams from today.

You even go back more recently to the 1960s and that still applies. Apart from Reg Gasnier and Graeme Langlands, there were no players with the dazzling attacking skills of today. On the wings you had Ken Irvine as the number 1. He was just very fast for his day. But he would not have kept pace with several contemporary wingers. Moreover he had none of the acrobatic skills of a contemporary speedster like Kevin Gordon, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck or Kevin Mead. In the forwards only three players were of contemporary standard: Arthur Beetson, Ron Coote and Bob McCarthy. All played into the 1970s, when the players started to become full time, and we saw more advanced performances across the park.

Using that argument, the players of today are more athletic than those of the past so the current Parramatta team is the greatest in their history

 

[madunit]

The 1935 side is always a benchmark in my view. They didn't just win the comp, they dominated it. Only the 1959 dragons side was as good. No side since has come close to those 2.

and only the 1925 Toowoomba side prior to those two is in the same league.

 

[Von]

Maybe wait until after the GF to even have a discussion about this.
A bit premature.

Nice pic though.

 

[madunit]

Problem is that players from that era were not as athletically advanced as players are today. They weren't even full time players. But physically people were behind the standards of today. Just look at speed for example. Players today like all athletes, are much faster. The wingers today would blitz the wingers of the 1930s. No 1930s half back would have been remotely as fast as Shaun Johnson, or even Mitchell Pearce. Add to that advanced conditioning and strength programs. Teams from the 1930s could not have carried out the big hit tackling of today, nor could they have withstood it. So it is hard to say that the best team players from the 1930s could compete with even lower ranked teams from today.

You even go back more recently to the 1960s and that still applies. Apart from Reg Gasnier and Graeme Langlands, there were no players with the dazzling attacking skills of today. On the wings you had Ken Irvine as the number 1. He was just very fast for his day. But he would not have kept pace with several contemporary wingers. Moreover he had none of the acrobatic skills of a contemporary speedster like Kevin Gordon, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck or Kevin Mead. In the forwards only three players were of contemporary standard: Arthur Beetson, Ron Coote and Bob McCarthy. All played into the 1970s, when the players started to become full time, and we saw more advanced performances across the park.

Simply put, if you want to compare eras then the only way you can is via results & the opposition quality. You also need to remember the rule changes. I doubt many players today would be as effective if they had to take part in 30 odd competitive scrums per game, no interchange even with injuries. Theres way too many variables & thus way too much guesswork & assumptions meaning too much uncertainty.

You're an idiot if you want to compare past players with those today, because you would eventually come to the conclusion that Players like Nathan Merritt & Ben Pomeroy are better than Harold Horder and Dave Brown.

And thats nonsense.

 

[dice]

If I had to choose a team out of the 2002 and 2013 squads there wouldn't be many 2013 players that would make the team. Maybe:

Jennings in for Hegarty
Maloney in for Craig Wing
Friend in for Bonetti
JWH in for Lomu

SBW and Cordner have to be there somewhere but geez who do you dump out of Fitzgibbon/Morley/Fletcher/Flannery/Crocker?