Dream Team

[Wheeled Warrior]

And you would select......

FULLBACK: Ivan Cleary (Had the experience, great D and a golden boot that helped us win many games, I won many bets with this guys Goal Kicking

CENTRE: Brent Tate (Even though we didn't get many games from his time here, he certainly is the best centre we have had in this jersey since our 95 Inception, Has heart, exeperience and is a world beater on his day

CENTRE: Nigel Vagana (Great speed, footwork and certainly knew how to finish - one former show pony i miss from the warriors)

WINGER: Manu Vatuvei (Will go down as the best winger to put on the warriros jersey, he's the beast and no one can stop him on his day)

WINGER: Francis Meli (Devasting with ball in hand knew how to bully the bully just ask Tate)

FIVE EIGHT: James Maloney (Everyone else IMO were average at best, and this guy is only getting better, still the buy of the year)

HALF BACK: Stacey Jones (Can only be him)

HOOKER: PJ Marsh (Played his best footy in the warriors colours)

PROP: Steve Price and Jerry Seu Seu

2ND ROWERS: Ali Lauitiiti (Made Toopi famous, this great athlete had it all until he got a cyst and went over to the ESL , never the same after that, if only he stayed in the NRL) Stephen Kearney, Micky Luck

 

[Meth]

Good team Wheeled Warrior- no bench?

However, I was really only curious as to who you would select in the centres ahead of Toopi. Like I have said, there have been better centres to have played for the Warriors- Kevin Iro, Richard Blackmore, Brent Tate, Dean Bell...but they have not played their best football for the Warriors. The question isn't 'who isn't the best centre'? The question is 'who has played the best at centre for the Warriors'.

Your point about benefiting from Lauititi and Jones is valid, but an aside

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Good team Wheeled Warrior- no bench?

However, I was really only curious as to who you would select in the centres ahead of Toopi. Like I have said, there have been better centres to have played for the Warriors- Kevin Iro, Richard Blackmore, Brent Tate, Dean Bell...but they have not played their best football for the Warriors. The question isn't 'who isn't the best centre'? The question is 'who has played the best at centre for the Warriors'.

Your point about benefiting from Lauititi and Jones is valid, but an aside

Fair enough. I guess Toopi was awesome when playing for us. I mean I used to love the guy when he used to be there when the offload was happening, but my best mate highlighted the fact he is only awesome with the support of jones and ali. that aside i give toopi is credit he just knew when to scab those beauitiful offloads - Great support player

 

[Auckland4ever]

Agree re Toopi, very flawed, but he did form combinations with other players that did a lot to propel us towards the top.

I think its fair to look back and criticize him for being erratic and error prone, but people often bag him because he ran off Ali & Stacey a lot, which I don't really get. To me, this was a strength that he deserves praise for. Although the playmaker may make the opportunity, there is still a degree of skill required in being a good support player and I see the Warriors as being pretty deficient in this area for most of the past six years.

Mateo is being brought over as a playmaker, but given our reluctance to break away from the metronomical gameplan that we take into every match, he'll be a pointless signing unless someone takes on the same role that Toopi did back when the Warriors were a great attacking side and a great side to watch.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Fair enough. I guess Toopi was awesome when playing for us.

That's a pretty bad guess.

 

[Meth]

Toopi's selection in the centres is much like the selection of Tony or Hohaia or whoever at 6- it's pretty telling of our historical poverty in these positions. More frustrating, we have had great centres- but they just haven't played great football for us

 

[One Warrior]

1. Webb
2. Meli
3. Vagana
4. Toopi
5. Vatuvei
6. Alexander (One more year it will be Maloney)
7. Jones
8. Seuseu
9. Marsh
10. Price
11. Lauitiiti
12. Kearney
13. Campion
14. Hohaia
15. Paleaasina
16. Vagana
17. Faumuina

 

[Dr Crane]

a lot of selections would depend on the criteria you'd set for how long someone had to perform to be counted amongst the best warriors ever.

for example, villasanti and toopi would be deadset locks if six weeks of good football was enough to qualify.

 

[Rovelli]

Can't really disagree with the team of the original poster.

Toopi all the way up to 2003 (and one 2005 test against Australia) was awesome; Marsh in his time here (pre the neck injury) was great; Campion made a world of difference in his two years here, etc.

 

[jaseg]

Lance Hohaia
Francis Meli
Nigel Vagana
Clinton Toopi
Manu Vatuvei
James Maloney
Stacey Jones
Steve Price
PJ Marsh
Jerry Seuseu
Ali Lauitiiti
Simon Mannering
Kevin Campion

Ruben Wiki
Awen Guttenbeil
Wairangi Koopu
Matt Ridge


honourable mentions to the likes of Villasanti, Kearney, Tony, Webb, TOOKS, Hoppe, Death, Fa'afili & Bell


edit: YES, Maloney is THAT far ahead of any other pivot (meant in the spirit of just as much a compliment to Maloney as it is an indictment of our previous five-eights)

 

[The Pa Kid]

OK I thought this thread was worth a re-visit. Here is mind 4 years on

1. Greg Alexander
2. Sean Hoppe
3. Dean Bell
4. Richie Blackmore
5. Manu Vatuvei
6. Stacey Jones
7. Shaun Johnson
8. Steve Price(c)
9. PJ Marsh
10. Ben Matalino
11. Simon Mannering
12. Steve Kearney
13. Ali Lauitiiti

14. Lance Hohaia
15. Kevin Campion
16. Jacob Lillyman
17. Hitro Okasene

Coach. Mark Graham

 

[Blair]

...Coach. Mark Graham

You've got Graham as coach. Why do you think he did so poorly during his time in charge?

 

[The Pa Kid]

You've got Graham as coach. Why do you think he did so poorly during his time in charge?

I always felt he was on a hiding to nothing.
The club went through 2 ownership changes during his time and he didn't have the resources or players to work with.
His coaching style appeared disciplined and direct but he also once stood in a boxing ring with Buck Shelford and traded blows! Legend

 

[ozbash]

I always felt he was on a hiding to nothing.
The club went through 2 ownership changes during his time and he didn't have the resources or players to work with.
His coaching style appeared disciplined and direct but he also once stood in a boxing ring with Buck Shelford and traded blows! Legend

:thumb

 

[JJ]

OK I thought this thread was worth a re-visit. Here is mind 4 years on

1. Greg Alexander
2. Sean Hoppe
3. Dean Bell
4. Richie Blackmore
5. Manu Vatuvei
6. Stacey Jones
7. Shaun Johnson
8. Steve Price(c)
9. PJ Marsh
10. Ben Matalino
11. Simon Mannering
12. Steve Kearney
13. Ali Lauitiiti

14. Lance Hohaia
15. Kevin Campion
16. Jacob Lillyman
17. Hitro Okasene

Coach. Mark Graham

Mine would look quite different - it is a subjective thing of course:
1. McKinnon (was brilliant for a bit)
2. Hoppe
3. Tate
4. Cleary
5. Vatuvai
6. Maloney
7. Jones
8. Price (C)
9. Marsh
10. Seuseu
11. Lauitiiti
12. Mannering
13. Luck

14. Alexander
15. Wiki
16. Lillyman
17. Matulino

c Anderson

 

[vvvrulz]

McKinnon before that injury was amazing, best fullback we've had so far.
I'd rate Hohaia 08 and Locke 11 as close seconds.

Hon mention Webb, Alexander was a bit before my time don't really remember how good he was.

 

[JJ]

McKinnon before that injury was amazing, best fullback we've had so far.
I'd rate Hohaia 08 and Locke 11 as close seconds.

Hon mention Webb, Alexander was a bit before my time don't really remember how good he was.

Yep, Mckinnon had a patch where he was like Brett Mullins...

Brandy was past his best when he came here - amazing player, but his best years were at half for Penrith... still, he and Phil Blake showed magic for us at times