Billy Slater - greatest ever fullback?

[NrlVader]

He has always played behind a great teams.

Overated.

 

[POPEYE]

Anyone who tires of the bullshit should go to a library and borrow 'Billy Slater' by John Ellicott . . . read and learn what it takes to become the greatest ever Rugby League Fullback

 

[ed-grimley]

Anyone who tires of the bullshit should go to a library and borrow 'Billy Slater' by John Ellicott . . . read and learn what it takes to become the greatest ever Rugby League Fullback

What's a library?

 

[TiggaPlease]

Anyone who tires of the bullshit should go to a library and borrow 'Billy Slater' by John Ellicott . . . read and learn what it takes to become the greatest ever Rugby League Fullback

Let me guess - It recommends basing your career around scoring most of your tries from an offside position and going in to try saving tackles feet first?

Grubby player. Overrated.

 

[Cloudsurfer]

He has always played behind a great teams.

Overated.

He has always played A PART in great teams, not played behind....
Teams are great not because of just one player but what every player brings to the team. That's why it's called a great TEAM.
Whether you like it or not, Slater brought great fullback play, everything that goes with that & more besides.

 

[davi]

Melbourne Storm insist Billy Slater will return next year with full health.


"AFTER two years of injury hell, Billy Slater is ready to explode in 2017.

The buzz coming out of the Storm camp in the countdown to Christmas is the 33-year-old fullback is as fit and, importantly, just as fast as he has been for years.

There was speculation in NRL circles this week that the Storm superstar had suffered a setback in pre-season training that may place his comeback from shoulder surgery in jeopardy.


Melbourne’s longtime football manager Frank Ponissi knocked that right on the head when he told The Daily Telegraph that Slater remained on target to have his first full contact session in

the opening hitout of the new year on January 5.


“He is not in absolutely full contact yet but he is doing all the running and the skills,” Ponissi said.

“Physically, he is just in great nick. As good as I have seen him in for probably the last five years. He hasn’t lost any of his zip and he is in great spirits.”

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...n/news-story/1440be8add9147f6140a009f6c6b6e1d

 

[DiegoNT]

Whether slater is great because he has played in great teams, or those teams are great because of slater is a bit of a chicken and egg situation. It's impossible to answer.
To put a bit of perspective on it, by the time he made his australian debut, his storm colleagues Smith, inglis, Cronk, king, folau, hoffman, johnson, croker and kafausi had already played for australia. By the time he had made the maroons fullback spot his in 09 queensland had already won 3 origins in a row.
I think the sign of a great players is when they retire it takes ages to replace them. Sterlo retired over 20 years ago and eels have never had anyone fill his shoes. Joey at the knights, broncos have never been the same after Lockyer retired, roosters hit a few lull years after freddy retired. Storm have already found a replacement before slater retired. Have the storm really skipped a beat in his absence. Arguably with Munster at the back storm have been the strongest they've ever been over the last 18 months.
As for 'easily the best modern fullback' i think even that is debatable. Between 06-08 stewart gave him a real good run, you could argue stewart was better in that period. Karmicheal Hunt also had the Queensland fullback spot sown up and was a roo regular. 09-12 was definitely slaters best period. But even then hayne and barba won dally m medals in that time. Often wondered what would have happened if hayne and Slater swapped teams. Hayne and slater only faced off in a full origin series once, and hayne won ( almost single handedly at that).
In 13 and 14 there was a slight decline, errors creeped into his game especially under the high ball. There was talk about inglis replacing him at fullback in rep games at that time. Inglis run of form between 12-14 is as good as anyone's in the history off the game. In 15-16 he has become the forgetten man, as storm, qld and australia continue to dominate.

I think he is one of the great fullbacks, but the whole 'definitely the greatest of all time' is really debatable imo

 

[ed-grimley]

Greatest ever? How could we ever know, especially if you were born after 1990?

 

[carcharias]

Slater at his peak was one of ...if not the best attacking fullback I've seen.

So fast and could read the game so well

Peach was sublime
Snake
Mullins
Blacklock was great to watch

But slater was probably better

Barba had two bloody good years

 

[POPEYE]

Greatest ever? How could we ever know, especially if you were born after 1990?

It's not easy ol' mate, along with Rabs and Roy Masters I've been trying to study the game for over 55 years without being biased, we agree Slater is the best #1 we've seen even making allowances for the way the game has changed

The thing about 3 soc's agreeing is that we've been privileged to see all the contenders in limited tackle football and coming up with Slater wasn't the best of it . . . the best part is refreshing the memories of so many greats

 

[ed-grimley]

It's not easy ol' mate, along with Rabs and Roy Masters I've been trying to study the game for over 55 years without being biased, we agree Slater is the best #1 we've seen even making allowances for the way the game has changed

The thing about 3 soc's agreeing is that we've been privileged to see all the contenders in limited tackle football and coming up with Slater wasn't the best of it . . . the best part is refreshing the memories of so many greats

When the likes of Fairfax, Mullins and Belcher (for example) don't even rate a mention you have to wonder.

 

[Captain Apollo]

My late Father, who passed away in late 2006, still rated Clive Churchill as the best fullback, if not the best player, he had ever seen as he was a devoted league man. Clive is not one of the original immortals for no reason.

I'm no Souths supporter, but even I know Chuchill was one hell of a good player.

 

[POPEYE]

When the likes of Fairfax, Mullins and Belcher (for example) don't even rate a mention you have to wonder.

Far too many runners-up to Slater to go into detail, the ability to score tries is not what separates Billy from the rest . . . his standout ability to prevent tries and arrange the defence of his team mates is unsurpassable

 

[Cloudsurfer]

Far too many runners-up to Slater to go into detail, the ability to score tries is not what separates Billy from the rest . . . his standout ability to prevent tries and arrange the defence of his team mates is unsurpassable

Absolutely separates him from the rest in the modern game.

 

[Canard]

I think the sign of a great players is when they retire it takes ages to replace them. Sterlo retired over 20 years ago and eels have never had anyone fill his shoes. Joey at the knights, broncos have never been the same after Lockyer retired, roosters hit a few lull years after freddy retired. Storm have already found a replacement before slater

This criteria is flawed, because one club can attract/recruit talent better then another.

 

[AJB1102]

There are average guys who look real good because they play in a great team. Billy wasn't one of them.

Billy was a guy who was integral to making a team of average guys look great.

Being a ball-playing FB, almost a 2nd 5/8th - Locky started it but Billy really perfected it. His combo with the 1 and 9 to set up tries and try-scoring plays was second to none. On top of that some of the stuff he did in the air or through lightning pace/footwork was just awesome. Some tossers want argue "offside" with some of the highlights but their worthless opinion aside they were counted as tries and bloody entertaining. Slater is the reason we have guys like Tedesco.

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

wud av Darius Boyd ahead of B Slater.

 

[mozza91]

The guy is a massive grub and a cheat but......... Yeah he's a merkin.

 

[ed-grimley]

Far too many runners-up to Slater to go into detail, the ability to score tries is not what separates Billy from the rest . . . his standout ability to prevent tries and arrange the defence of his team mates is unsurpassable

Memories from last century are becoming hazier and hazier.

 

[Hutty1986]

Far too many runners-up to Slater to go into detail, the ability to score tries is not what separates Billy from the rest . . . his standout ability to prevent tries and arrange the defence of his team mates is unsurpassable

Good point pops. His work off the ball is just incredible. As a blues fan it was a worry seeing Slater's kick returns knowing (in his prime) he could break away at any second. Then again, as a blues fan i know now that any qlderp player can, and has, carved up the shitty blues for the past decade.