Yes, he's had his downsides, but as we farewell Gower from the NRL, lets put this behind us and remember the following:-
* His ability to stun opposition defences when running at the line. They were frightened by him. He made them indecisive and doubt themselves. Very few players have the ability to screw other players minds. He did.
* His deft kicks and regathers.
*His ability to pass a ball to any player in the attacking line no matter where they were.They were usually pinpoint too. He was flick-passing at will before Benji was out of primary school.
*His blistering speed off the mark. His dummy half running was sublime and often he threw a good pass as a chaser.
*His ability to exploit weakness in other sides. He'd see the hole a minute before it opened. Uncanny.
*His ability to lift the side. There were occasions where he just about single-handedly won games. Ive seen a few live.
*His breathtaking loyalty to the Panthers and their fans in the face of huge offers.
*His respect for the jersey of his state and country
*His work for the club off-field and the hundreds of appearances for charity, the sick, infirm and disabled.
*the support and guidance he has offererd his teammates
*His loyalty to his coaches
*His willingness to play even with serious injury
* His wonderful defence, even the biggest players feared one of his "specials."
*His kicks in play almost always found their mark.
*His committment to training and to following instructions from coaches
*He was always looking for second phase play. He hated dying with the ball. That was unnatural to him.
There were times, not so long ago where it was clear to me that he was in that rare breed of the super-elite football players. Theres only a handful in the game at any one time. I recall at one point, I thought he was the best player in the game....easily.
I have never seen Craig Gower cheat or play an unfair game. He played clean and tough.
I didnt see him as often as other people here but what I did see I always admired.
Its a loss to the NRL not just the Panthers.
He is one of the greatest Panthers ever, if not, the greatest and we will all speak of him in years to come.
At the end of his era, this is an occasion for some kindness and being positive.
Yes Ive had issues with him over other matters, sometimes I fool around on LU, but this time, I want people to know, that I stand by this tribute.
And as good as he was, he was always pretty humble about his talents. Thats says a lot about his character.
Thank you Craig Gower for your contribution to the game.
It is a better game for your having played it.
Craig Gower was one of the finest footballers ever, he could play rugby league.
lol: ) mark.
