Former NRL players with dodgy tackling techniques in 2024

[Big Marn]

for all the grubbiness of Slater, Smith and others - Boyd was just a violent dirty motherf**ker... the footage of what he did to Brohman speaks for itself... dude could play, but even in the wild west his episodes were disgraceful

Having said all that and I agree 100% about Boyd, he got 12 months for the elbow, and 15 months for the eye gouge. Would players get that in todays comp? I dont think so.

 

[JJ]

Having said all that and I agree 100% about Boyd, he got 12 months for the elbow, and 15 months for the eye gouge. Would players get that in todays comp? I dont think so.

It was out of control back then - if you watch the footage of the elbow, we just wouldn't see it these days - he very deliberately led with it, aimed at the head - it was deliberate, brutal, ugly, etc... even then out of the norm. I'd hope a deliberately violent act like that would be treated similarly, but who knows, week-to-week they can't seem to make consistent rulings

 

[Beavers Headgear]

If you ever get the chance, have a look at the 1973 GF between Manly and Cronulla. I have a DVD of it and wow, it’s just unbelievable what used to go on, that game considered the most violent of all time

Is also a good documentary called The Fibros and the Silvertails that shows some brutal stuff

 

[JJ]

If you ever get the chance, have a look at the 1973 GF between Manly and Cronulla. I have a DVD of it and wow, it’s just unbelievable what used to go on, that game considered the most violent of all time

Is also a good documentary called The Fibros and the Silvertails that shows some brutal stuff

Lot of bad blood between those two clubs (Manly and Wests), you lot pilfered a lot of talent from them

 

[Blair]

It was out of control back then - if you watch the footage of the elbow, we just wouldn't see it these days - he very deliberately led with it, aimed at the head - it was deliberate, brutal, ugly, etc... even then out of the norm. I'd hope a deliberately violent act like that would be treated similarly, but who knows, week-to-week they can't seem to make consistent rulings

When they first met in the 1980 series Kevin Tamati fixed the 'Les Boyd problem' pretty good. I think they became friends after that.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Just listening to Rothfield on a podcast who was part of the panel

There were 15 of them on the panel, they were all given a list of 30 names, and after reading through the info and a bit of speaking about it, they all voted with a 5-4-3-2-1 and the top on points spat out the names we have ended up with

He said he didn’t vote for Boyd personally, but Roy Masters got up and spoke highly of him, and his test record in that era was amazing. And said it ain’t a best and fairest award, and pointed at Noel Kelly who was sent off 17 times

 

[JJ]

Just listening to Rothfield on a podcast who was part of the panel

There were 15 of them on the panel, they were all given a list of 30 names, and after reading through the info and a bit of speaking about it, they all voted with a 5-4-3-2-1 and the top on points spat out the names we have ended up with

He said he didn’t vote for Boyd personally, but Roy Masters got up and spoke highly of him, and his test record in that era was amazing. And said it ain’t a best and fairest award, and pointed at Noel Kelly who was sent off 17 times

I get that, but just looking at list online with checking eligibility criteria…. Just for forwards, I don’t think Bob Lindner is there, nor Garry Larson, John Cartwright, Ian Roberts, Paul Harragan, Steve Roach, Paul Sironen, Peter Kelly, Peter Tunks, Greg Dowling, Paul Dunn, just from 5 mins thought

 

[Scott]

I get that, but just looking at list online with checking eligibility criteria…. Just for forwards, I don’t think Bob Lindner is there, nor Garry Larson, John Cartwright, Ian Roberts, Paul Harragan, Steve Roach, Paul Sironen, Peter Kelly, Peter Tunks, Greg Dowling, Paul Dunn, just from 5 mins thought

Steve Roach is in the HOF. I'm surprised Greg Alexander isn't in it.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Having said all that and I agree 100% about Boyd, he got 12 months for the elbow, and 15 months for the eye gouge. Would players get that in todays comp? I dont think so.

I agree that I don't think he would get those suspensions today - that was a very specific era where Jim Comans was in charge of the judiciary and trying to clean things up. I'm not sticking up for Boyd, who was a filthy player, but the lengths of the sentences dished out were pretty arbitrary and without precedent. That probably wouldn't fly in the modern judiciary where despite apparent inconsistencies, they are constrained by a sort of pseudo-legal logic.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

As to whether he should be in the hall of fame....anyone who plays 17 tests for Australia obviously must've been a very good player. However, the fact his career in Australia and his rep career effectively ended at age 26, and he only played 140-odd first grade games, would have to count against him. There must be a number of guys with comparable CVs who won't get in, so it seems a bit odd to induct him.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Just to go on a tangent on that point - one player who is already in the hall of fame and who I often hear mentioned in discussions about ATG players is Brad Clyde. Clyde never played a representative game in a non-split competition after the age of 24 and really only played 3 full seasons of club footy in his prime (1989, 1994, 1995).

I don't mean this as an unprompted attack on an elite player, just always found it interesting this rarely gets mentioned when Clyde gets brought up despite his curtailed rep career and prime in general being very prominent features of his overall career arc.

 

[JJ]

As to whether he should be in the hall of fame....anyone who plays 17 tests for Australia obviously must've been a very good player. However, the fact his career in Australia and his rep career effectively ended at age 26, and he only played 140-odd first grade games, would have to count against him. There must be a number of guys with comparable CVs who won't get in, so it seems a bit odd to induct him.

yeah, no question he was a fine player - but many with better/comparable cvs that aren't there - bizarre imo

 

[JJ]

Just to go on a tangent on that point - one player who is already in the hall of fame and who I often hear mentioned in discussions about ATG players is Brad Clyde. Clyde never played a representative game in a non-split competition after the age of 24 and really only played 3 full seasons of club footy in his prime (1989, 1994, 1995).

I don't mean this as an unprompted attack on an elite player, just always found it interesting this rarely gets mentioned when Clyde gets brought up despite his curtailed rep career and prime in general being very prominent features of his overall career arc.

He was incredible prior to the injuries though - as I noted above, I think Lindner has been a little hard done by, club career was a little all over the place from memory, but a monster for Qld and Straya. I only had a quick flick through, but if indeed Lindner and Sironen aren't there and Boyd now is, well ...