Best parra jnr you saw as a Junior

[Gronk]

I was at SFS vs Souths early 90's and saw Dave Penna tear Souths a new one. 5 tries in presidents cup and Im pretty sure that he got a bench spot for that effort in reserves and scored a double in that game.

 

[Bazal]

Danny Sullivan
Jamie Lyon
Kris Inu
Tim Smith
Jarryd Hayne

Special mention to Marmin Barba...I don't watch anything like the lower grades I used to, being stuck with a job and rent and such down in CanBra now, but from what I have seen he looks like he may get a mention in these lists in the future. Hope he kicks on, a lot here haven't!

There were a lot of incredibly talented blokes in the lower grades as well. Always, always rated Blake Green but he never really kicked on at NRL level. Is doing so in a big way in the ESL though, last I checked he was leading halves for try assists and behind only Brett Hodgson in total, so good on him.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

without a doubt tim smith and feleti mateo, people say woods, penna etc, but these two together in the lower grades were the best ive ever seen.

And lawler wasnt that great either in the lower grades, just the best out of a horrible horrible bunch

 

[Parra Pride]

Morts.

 

[Haynzy]

Reddy at South Adelaide Bulldogs.

 

[Tank30]

Fred Borg and a young hooker name Luke Marinkovic were two of the best I have seen. Neither really kicked on though...

 

[Parra Guru]

Jarryd Hayne
Jacob Loko
Marmin Barba

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Danny Sullivan
Jamie Lyon
Kris Inu
Tim Smith
Jarryd Hayne

Special mention to Marmin Barba...I don't watch anything like the lower grades I used to, being stuck with a job and rent and such down in CanBra now, but from what I have seen he looks like he may get a mention in these lists in the future. Hope he kicks on, a lot here haven't!

There were a lot of incredibly talented blokes in the lower grades as well. Always, always rated Blake Green but he never really kicked on at NRL level. Is doing so in a big way in the ESL though, last I checked he was leading halves for try assists and behind only Brett Hodgson in total, so good on him.

Blake Green is a prime example of how coaching can f**k a career;

-At the eels the guy is a gun junior halfback but we try to turn him into a 5/8
- He goes to the sharks and they play him at hooker and 5/8 but never give more then a few games in row in the starting 13, using him of the bench a lot
- Then he goes to the bulldogs and he spends time at lock - FMD.

If a NRL side had just given him a spot as a starting 7 and gave him 50 or so NRL games, he could have been anything in the NRL. Look at Pearce, Sandow, Lui, all kids given some consistent time in the NRL position instead been put into several positions.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

Gavin Catanach was a favourite of mine, had lots of skills for a front rower. Was sad to seen him leave in the early 90's to go to the tigers and then he disappeared

 

[benkustosgrandmother]

Suprised nobody has mentioned but the best young talent i have seen was a young Willie Tonga killing it in reserve grade.

I remember saying to my old man he would play for Australia.

I just remember him scoring heaps and being a real handful.

 

[Kornstar]

Consistently good were players like Hayne, Inu, Tim Smith, Green, KK, Hauraki, Delaney, Mateo and more.

Potential, Tony Williams, that kid could have been and still could be anything if he applies himself 100%.

David Williams was also unstoppable on his day, was very sad to see him go.

 

[Suitman]

ERIC GROTHE SNR.

I'm going back to 78 - 79, when Mr Eric Grothe was carving up in the Under 23's when he was 18.
At the old Cumberland, when the Eels started their resurgence in the mid to late 70's, and there were no night games, Cumberland used to be half-3/4's full during the Under 23's.
Eric became a massive crowd favourite as early as that, and scored the same scintillating tries in those grades at that young age as he went on to do during all his years in first grade. He progressed very quickly through reserve grade to make the First Grade team in 1980, I think. He was a freak, in the under 23's, and very very quickly became a massive crowd favourite.
I've seen all the others mentioned come through the grades, but I seriously do not recall anywhere near the excitement for any of them, that rivalled Eric's progress through the grades.
The only others that would come remotely close would be Mick Delroy and Danny Crncovic or even Brian Jackson or David Woods.

Suity

 

[Foz]

Peter Sterling.

 

[crocodile]

Many good names there. Happy to see Eric Snr and Brett Kenny get a mention. Debateable whether Sterlo can be called one of our Juniors. Nobody's mentioned Tim Mannah yet so I will.

 

[Parra Guru]

Or Hindy!!! Maybe it's just cause it feels like he's been in first grade forever!

 

[Casper The Ghost]

ERIC GROTHE SNR.

I'm going back to 78 - 79, when Mr Eric Grothe was carving up in the Under 23's when he was 18.
At the old Cumberland, when the Eels started their resurgence in the mid to late 70's, and there were no night games, Cumberland used to be half-3/4's full during the Under 23's.
Eric became a massive crowd favourite as early as that, and scored the same scintillating tries in those grades at that young age as he went on to do during all his years in first grade. He progressed very quickly through reserve grade to make the First Grade team in 1980, I think. He was a freak, in the under 23's, and very very quickly became a massive crowd favourite.
I've seen all the others mentioned come through the grades, but I seriously do not recall anywhere near the excitement for any of them, that rivalled Eric's progress through the grades.
The only others that would come remotely close would be Mick Delroy and Danny Crncovic or even Brian Jackson or David Woods.

Suity

Agreed, powerful explosive wingers, centers and fullbacks with lightning speed are so exciting to watch, bursting through tackles scoring long distance tries or bumping off many players on their way to scoring.
It would be hard to go past Eric Grothe Snr - Still one of my most favourite Eels.
As a winger, a true immortal of the game - a huge crowd favourite.
He was so well liked by almost everyone. A very clean player.

 

[btaag]

Kalaveti Naisoro......


Props to the person who mentioned Mark Meredith. Amazed he disappeared so quickly.

 

[crocodile]

Agreed, powerful explosive wingers, centers and fullbacks with lightning speed are so exciting to watch, bursting through tackles scoring long distance tries or bumping off many players on their way to scoring.
It would be hard to go past Eric Grothe Snr - Still one of my most favourite Eels.
As a winger, a true immortal of the game - a huge crowd favourite.
He was so well liked by almost everyone. A very clean player.

Except for Chris Close. Sorry, didn't see the almost.

 

[forward pass]

Three of the best I saw (and by that I mean I thought they would go on to be superstars)

Danny Crnkovich
Brian Jackson
David Penna

 

[The Eels Shed]

Willie Tonga