Best second rower in the game...

[Sir Biffo]

Watch some Dragons games from last year, Creagh was playing like a prop at times. On the edges he is devastating and has a great ability to get his right arm free for offloads. In defense he is a hard hitter with great technique

I know, I'm a Dragons supporter ;-)

There's a thread here that I posted in saying how wasted he was being used to take a charge off a tap.

He shouldn't be used as a bloke to take hitups up the guts, he loses nearly all of his effectiveness. O'Donnell, Gallen etc are far better options for that.

 

[Godz Illa]

Creagh is playing very well but tbh he doesn't do much for me

He doesn't have that aura of unstoppability (lol surely that's not a word?) that, say, Ali Lauiti'iti or SBW (to name my 2 favourite second-rowers of all-time, in fairness) had when they really had their minds on the job. When I think of a wide-running second-rower I think of guys like that, who could treat opposing defenders like rag dolls and outsprint wingers.

I think Creagh is a much more consistent and switched-on player, but not as much of a talent.

I even think he pales into comparison to Gallen and Watmough in terms of pure ball-carrying talent- these guys (shortish and chunky) are less impressive specimens physically, but have massive ball-carrying talent- both are incredibly fast (people don't seem to realise that Gallen is one of the fastest forwards in the comp over 40m) and Gallen in particular is uncannily strong- one of the hardest guys in the comp to tackle imo.

I'm not saying Creagh can't overcome these "limitations" with superior consistency and discipline, just that he has a ceiling imo, because his talent level is only above average as opposed to outstanding.

Creagh may not skittle defenders like ragdolls but he can carry them like... ragdolls. The winning try against the Warriors this year is a good example of that, plus the winning try against Cronulla back in round 3.

He's also easily better defensively than Lauiti'iti and Watmough, and arguably better than Gallen and SBW. The ceiling is a little higher

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

lol Mike I was sweating on a reply from you, same as when I said something about Mundine that fell short of adulation. At least someone is reading my posts

 

[Godz Illa]

Read your posts? Dude I even copy pasted Lauiti'iti to get the spelling right

 

[doggone]

I rate Ben Creagh highly but I would take Harrison or Hindmarsh over him

Got to be joking.

 

[mxlegend99]

I love the Panthers backrow at the moment, but if if there was one player i could add to our forward pack it would be Ben Creagh. Would allow the Panthers to use Frank Pritchard for impact and give us the following forward pack:

8. Frank Puletua
9. Paul Aiton
10. Petero Civoniceva (c)
11. Ben Creagh
12. Trent Waterhouse
13. Luke Lewis

14. Frank Pritchard
15. Matt Bell
16. ??????
17. Masada Iosefa

We'd be one great forward shy of a nearly perfect forward pack. We have several blokes with great potential, but so far none of them have come close to reaching it.

 

[RoMo]

Not one mention of Corey Payne
Shows you boys and girls know f**k all

 

[Phil McGrawhan]

Thats a bit harsh. His 6 hitups for 20 yards is unmatched in the NRL

Beaten easily by Sam Thiaday last week
ONE hit up for ONE metre.

 

[Munky]

Tony Puletua and Adrian Morley in their 03 form were above any of the 2nd rowers today.

Puletua acted as a prop inside his own half and was a weapon within the opponents.

1) He is not a NSWelshman

I think you'll find that Pritchard actually is....

 

[LESStar58]

Creagh for mine

Cant think of anybody close to him at the moment, on form

Agreed. Let me down in Origin 1 as he was my smokey for FTS!

 

[boonboon]

as a tigers fan i hate the bloke for leaving but O'donnell is the best in the game

 

[scottttt]

I think you'll find that Pritchard actually is....

he is a kiwi

 

[Munky]

he is a kiwi

He's a born NSW.

 

[Meth]

Blah Blah Blah

He's a Kiwi

Mason is a New South Welshman- we don't try to claim him as a Kiwi, and we didn't when his form was worth claiming either

 

[playdaball]

Jacob Lillyman - best 2nd rower?

 

[mxlegend99]

Blah Blah Blah

He's a Kiwi

Mason is a New South Welshman- we don't try to claim him as a Kiwi, and we didn't when his form was worth claiming either

Frank Pritchard was still born in NSW.

He's more of a Welshman than many other players in both the NSW and QLD sides IMO. That's not to say he isn't a kiwi and shouldn't be playing for them. IMO he should be eligible for both.

 

[manly40gimps0]

After last nights effort. Andrew Ryan by a country mile.