I reckon he was. At least equal to the best. And he was a great leader. Ron Coote and Beetson played in the same teams and are both immortals.
I don't.
I think he was a great player and a crowd favourite because he was such a bullacking player, but in my opinion both Daley and Stuart were way more talented. Also if injuries hadn't cruelled him, I think Clyde would have been up there too.
I also think Meninga benefited greatly by playing in an era of relatively much smaller players in general. If he were to have played in say the first two decades of this century where giants were the norm and the wrestle was paramount, then he would not have been as affective as he was.
But Players like Daley and Stuart in particular had true skillful pedigree that would still standout in any era.
Norm Provan was by all reports another said immortal that greatly benefited from the great players around him too. Evan though I never saw him play many who have, said that, as good as his record was at was at club level(10 premierships) he never really shone or excelled at rep level including for Australia. In my book you need to be the man at all levels to be an immortal and judging should not be swayed be any other factors.
