Best Player You've Seen and Why

[t-ba]

Hmmm...I missed everything until the early-mid 1990's..so...

Andrew Johns
Darren Lockyer
Glenn Lazarus
Shane Webcke
Brad Fittler
Steve Menzies

 

[Phillips]

Ricky Stuart
Stacey Jones

 

[Quigs]

Old Farts turn,

Greatest player ...... a hard one.

ones I watched,
Changa Langlands,
Bloody Bob Fulton ( Can't forgive him for the 73 GF)
Raper,
Coote..... gee there was a lot of them, ahhh the memories.
Modern day (well nearly)
Wally, Daley, Joey..... and Lockeyer is up there too (that hurt, I dont like the Donkeys)

My all time favorite was the Mighty Tommy Bishop.... just loved the talented dirty niggling little B. He moulded a team of nobodies into a team that went within a whisker of winning the comp (Bloody Bob Fulton) Bishop always lead from the front and I'd hate to play against him if he was 6ft 2. He would of been unstoppable. A heart like a lion.

The greatest of all time is Alex Murphy. A bloody Pom too. His record speaks for itself..... Ive posted why I believe Murphy was the greatest in previous post..... I can't remember watching him, he was just before my time.

Cheers
Quigs

 

[Joshua]

Steve Menzies
Billy Slater

 

[the kirwan kid]

Wally Lewis is the best I've seen. Period. At Origin level there will NEVER be someone who can dominate for such a long time in the one position again. That said, it would have been interesting to see how he would have gone week in, week out in the NSWRL comp had he been down there for a long time earlier in his career. The King supposedly wasn't the best of trainers so who knows what may have happened if he had gone down south. That said, I'd put money on him being a success anywhere in any era!

As far as club players, you couldn't get better clubmen than Langer, Terry Lamb or Kevin Hastings but as far as the best I've seen - here's my list from 1980 on.

Backs.
Lewis followed by the likes of Johns, Lockyer, Sterling, Kenny, Langer, Daley, Fittler, Meninga, Belcher and to a lesser extent Stuart, Ettinghausen, Michael O'Connor, Eric Grothe, Dale Shearer (if he wasn't so injury prone he would have played a lot more than 20-odd and a dozen test matches and was naturally brilliant!)
Forwards.
Lazarus, Steve Walters, Webcke, Roach, Clyde, Pearce, Ray Price, Harrigan.

Lot of NSW players in there huh? I'm a QLDer but those buggers certainly have had some talent to draw on!

 

[Nullajet]

But NONE can compare to Steve Renouf at his best

what a glorified hole runner, who wasn't all that great of a defender????

give me a break...how often did he actually create the try...as opposed to just running through the gaps with his excellent speed.....

ET was the best !!!!!!! I am biased of course

 

[Southern Rooster]

On natural ability, Brett Kenny is the best player I have ever seen. His skills were second to none and hie sleight of hand was superb. He made the best defenders look second rate.

Eric Grothe was also another brilliant footballer and on his day there was no more damaging player in the game.

In the modern era, Lockyer is the best I have seen whilst Fittler had as much natural ability as anyone ho ever played the game, there are times he went missing in big games but he is still an outstanding player and his stature will only grow over time.

I agree Brett Kenny is the best payer I have seen. For the above reasons plus one big one. He is the only player I have seen beat Wally Lewis more than Wally beat him. They played at Origin 12 times against each other at 5/8 it was 8-4 to Bert. 4 premierships where had there been a Churchill Medal he might have got 2 or maybe even 3 medals. A joy to watch and someone that mad Peter Sterling's job a lot easier.

 

[Big Mick]

Brad Fittler - Best i've seen, bit off the past couple of years, but at his best, was lethal.

Greg Alexander - Very underrated halfback, never really got a shot at Rep level, but one of the best i've seen.

Freddy has played a more subdued role so far this year as thats the plan but just wait until the semi's come round. And Freddy had an awesome year last year. He finished second in the Dallym's and led the league in try assists and was second in line break assists. His year was all undone by his shoulder injury IMO.

As for Brandy, Fittler rates him the best halfback he has played with or against. He certainly was very underrated.

I never knew that.

Thats a big rap on brandy, because Fittler has played along side Langer, Stuart and players like that, including Johns.

I always liked brandy, he used to be a champion for us. Can turn a game on its head in an instant. He had great instincts and great skill.

 

[CouldaBeenAnything]

Forwards: Brad Clyde, Lazarus, Menzies. Steve Walters, Webcke, Tallis. Ray Price, Steve Roach.

Backs: Lewis, Kenny, Daley, Stuart, Langer, Sterling, Fittler, Johns.

one form left field as someone who was incredible week in week out, Cliff Lyons. Only had a few big moments in rep football (1990 roo tour mainly), but he was the big reason Manly was able to win in 87 and 96. He played through a huge changing of the guard at Brookvale in the early 90's and was invaluable to the likes of Steve Menzies, Geoff Toovey and Terry Hill when Manly could have either stumbled along for a few years, or become the side that they were 94- 97

 

[Generalissimo Stalin]

fittler - can play any role required and modest about himself and his achievements too.

 

[blaine train]

the thing about langer is he performed even when his forwards aren't performing. you cant sya the same for johns. for me alfie. and the thing about wally is he never did what great player did. he never used to train. he only had to play 3 brilliant games a year and he was in. never played in sydney while when alfie was playing all his rep stuff he was in the big time, exept for 87. he captained four premierships and even in 99 when he was playing ordinary he got picked infront of johns who played hooker

 

[Roosters Grim Reaper]

Changa langlands
Bob Fulton
Arther Beetson
Mick Cronin
Brett Kenny
Peter Sterling(choke)
Freddy Fittler
Eric Grothe
Mal Meniga
laurie Daley
Lard Ass Johns
Kevin Hastings
Steve Renouf
Brett Mullins

You could add a few more Ill stun ya with this one
I rate Wally lewis in SOO but overall he was a fat lazy bludger when he played week in week out football he was hopeless he did nothing in the comp wasnt even cited Ive only rated people who can hold their head up high week in week out.year after year.

 

[blaine train]

You could add a few more Ill stun ya with this one
I rate Wally lewis in SOO but overall he was a fat lazy bludger when he played week in week out football he was hopeless he did nothing in the comp wasnt even cited Ive only rated people who can hold their head up high week in week out.year after year.

exactly. when he played the tough st uf he had nothin. great origin player but he has no career achievements besides that and test matches

 

[Roosters Grim Reaper]

I shouldve Put Alfie langer in my list he too should be rated an immortal.