Contributions to the 'greatest ever' thread

[thickos]

Howdy all....

I'm sure all of you are well aware of the 'Greatest Ever' Raiders Team Thread we're currently all voting on. For those who have read it so far, Prodigiousman has been doing a top job with the 'official' text. (Mate - I haven't dug up any Nadruku stats, sorry )

Just wondering if any of you would like to contribute a 'personal' perspective on one of the players listed in the team thus far I will add it to the player bio and reference the author. Feel free to post them in this thread and I will quote them.

Edabomb considering you found me the Noa pic, I thought you might be the man for the job for him 8)

So far the team stands at

Belcher
Nadruku
Meninga
Jackson
Ferguson
Daley
Stuart
Clyde
....

 

[Chippo Raiders]

Mal Meninga- I started out a Balmain supporter when I was 3 years old, my idol was Benny Elias, however the 1989 GF changed all that, I had watched an almighty team in its beginning winning the greatest GF of them all. Meninga quickly became my ultimate idol for Rugby League....an absolute champion in every sense of the word, so much so I actually supported Queensland up until 1994.

I always had resided in Sydney though, I was a supporter of a Club I could never really meet due to the distance. The family went down to Canberra for a weekend when I was eight, we had parked near a park and were walking on the footpath probably as I thought to stretch the legs, I spotted a 4WD parking but thought nothing of it. I watched the guy exit the car and slowly lumber toward me......it was Big Mal himself....I was speechless and I impressed him with my knowledge of the game for such a young age, it was a planned set up, but then something not planned....looked across the road.....it was Laurie Daley on a late morning jog, Mal spotted him and asked him to come over.....thats my best memory of Mal Meninga along with the 94 GF

 

[thickos]

*bump*

geez dont all rush guys.

I need text for Ruben Wiki - hrundi do you have a copy of your tribute to him???

I've added Chippo's for Mal - if any of you want to write a blurb for a player feel free.

 

[Prodigiousman]

Got this arvo off Thickos - will email you at the very least Noa.

 

[thickos]

Cheers Prodigiousman! :mrgreen:

 

[B.L.L.G]

**EDIT - you can't get past me mate, no polluting of Raiders related threads !**

 

[DJ Raida]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

TAKE THAT FATCAT!

 

[hrundi99]

Players, no, people like Ruben Wiki don't come along very often.

A true gentlemen off the field, yet an extremely tough (but fair) player on
it, Wiki still displays humility and even shyness whenever we see him interviewed post-match. His dedication to his team mates is clear in the way he usually deflects any personal glory or man-of-the-match recognition onto it being a team effort. Often enough this is simple sport cliche, but when someone like Wiki says it, you believe him.

Any Raiders fan (or Kiwi fan for that matter) will tell you that he has a certain aura about him. I've heard countless stories of people meeting him and walking away feeling as though they've just made a new friend.

After cheering him on for years, I only recently had an opportunity to meet him, albeit briefly, after the Raiders vs Sharks game at Canberra Stadium. I wanted to have a yarn with him, but he was surrounded by supporters, kids and adults alike, and I realised it wouldn't be appropriate. I instead shook his hand, thanked him for his years of service and wished him the best. He responded by saying "well hopefully it isn't over yet", to which I agreed.

I'm an emotional person at the best of times, and I'm not ashamed to admit to turning around and walking away nearly on the verge of tears. Why? I'm not sure. His aura had something to do with it. Even though I'm older than him I guess I still "look up" to him. Was it because I had the strong sense that he WOULD be leaving the club at the end of the year? Maybe.

You could teach a semester of a Psychology course just on what it means to follow a sports team passionately, and I think that was a big part of it. I've followed this team from it's inception, and I feel blessed that the club has had a number of champion men playing for them (Meninga, Daley, Clyde, etc). The type of players you'll never forget, and not just for their blistering runs or their great tackles or passes.

I can already see my future grandchildren having their eyes glaze over as I regale them with stories of watching these champions play. Players who put genuine pride in their team's jersey and make you proud to support them and perfectly willing to shell out your hard-earned to let everyone else know that you do.

Players like Ruben Wiki.

How do I feel about Ruben going to play for the Warriors? Though it will be
a little disquieting to see him tackle or break a tackle of a player wearing a lime green jersey, I wish him all the best. It's pretty obvious that he could have earned genuinely big dollars in the UK, it was more important that he go home, and help his family through this difficult time. He's repaying his Mum for all those big meals she's cooked for visiting Raiders teams. I bet he can get better kava there too.

 

[Chippo Raiders]

Ruben Wiki is our best in a passionate sense since Big Mal......and there were none before the Big fella so I rate Wiki and Mal at the top for Raiders players we should look up to

 

[Kris_man]

Ruben Wiki: bon voyage. i still can't believe you signed with the Warriors. i still think you're a great bloke, but i don't know if i can consider you a great Raider anymore.

 

[Tidus_Raider]

Ruben: come back

 

[greeneyed]

But Wiki hasn't made the team yet....

 

[edabomb]

I'm not much of a writer Thick, and I was only young when Noa was running round so I only remember a few things. Someone else here will be able to write a better piece.

I was thinking though, for the photos in the main thread I could scan all the players rookie cards. I wanna show off my card collection and I think it would give a far nicer look than the current photos!!!!!

 

[greeneyed]

I don't much like the current photos either ed.... sounds like a great idea... get to it!

 

[Prodigiousman]

Ed! then send me the player stats for the players - hgt, wgt, dob, etc.

THickos - check your uni addy - Noa is in the inbox.

 

[edabomb]

Those are just examples, I'll straighten them up for a final scan. Whats the opinion??

I'll get as many stats as I can for you Prod, might struggle with the older crew.l

 

[Steven Gerrard]

Noa Nadruka? :|

 

[Kris_man]

awesome stuff Ed, i'be got just about every Raiders footy card from 92-96 (including the gold/signature cards). those early ones of Belcher and Ferguson are awesome , back when footy cards were affordable to kids. $5 a pack, like it is now, is a joke.

 

[greeneyed]

They look fantastic ed.... let's do it....

 

[Raider Azz]

I have the entire set of the '94 Masters series.