Galvin

[Nutz]

He was such a f**king Karen.

Made notes and whinged when Benji didn’t throw him into the wrestling sandpit with Royce and Sam.

That said, the boys gave it to him at training.

And we probably over-reacted.

But footy is an emotional game.

Soap opera with some sport thrown in to distract us.

The type of crap you mentioned TSP would see the guy either dropped to reserves or get a smack in the mouth, or both years ago. No lies, it happened.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

The type of crap you mentioned TSP would see the guy either dropped to reserves or get a smack in the mouth, or both years ago. No lies, it happened.

#teamfirst

His lack of respect for Benji and the team was really a lack of respect for himself.

 

[Tigerm]

#teamfirst

His lack of respect for Benji and the team was really a lack of respect for himself.

I mentioned this earlier, in the dressing room after the game against the dogs, I think it was.
They were all singing the song and Galvin was walking around the shed on his own?

 

[Nutz]

I mentioned this earlier, in the dressing room after the game against the dogs, I think it was.
They were all singing the song and Galvin was walking around the shed on his own?

Being born again, I feel for the guy.
I'm sure you don't want me to bring up the apprenticeship scheme again so I won't.
However.......,.........

 

[Nutz]

@RedVee, TSP and Tm, who is the best half you've ever seen, you can't say Billy Smith or Adrew Johns.
Prerequisites:
Pound for pound toughness and heart
Could pass both L/R
Fast
Sidestep
Grubber in goal
Chip and chase
Support player
Tackles great
Team man, community man
Bombs
Goal kicker
High up the list in tries per season
Cut out passes
Off the hip passes
Of course I could keep going but this is enough.
Now no googling etc. I guarantee you'll struggle because there aren't too many halfs that could do all these things, they were usually excellent at two or three things.
I loved Mick Neil but his heart far out weighed his attributes.

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

@RedVee, TSP and Tm, who is the best half you've ever seen in the last 30 years, you can't say Billy Smith or Adrew Johns.
Prerequisites:
Pound for pound toughness and heart
Could pass both L/R
Fast
Sidestep
Grubber in goal
Chip and chase
Support player
Tackles great
Team man, community man
Bombs
Goal kicker
High up the list in tries per season
Cut out passes
Off the hip passes
Of course I could keep going but this is enough.
Now no googling etc. I guarantee you'll struggle because there aren't too many halfs that could do all these things, they were usually excellent at two ir three things.
I loved Mick Neil but his heart far out weighed his attributes.

Steve Mortimer, the prince of darkness.

 

[Nutz]

Steve Mortimer, the prince of darkness.

That's pretty good mate cause it was straight off the top of your head. How does he fair with the list. A couple missing but yeh, a great player. I've got a couple but let's see if anyone else responds. I'll bump it next week to get tiger, wa, pt and the regulars to give their opinion.
However, it's a hard task naming the great players that have all the traits.
If there were no restraints I would have said Billy Smith and Andrew Johns but there's one guy that stands out for me....who is it @Tigerm, guys?

 

[Nutz]

I should have said Best Half ever. Billy Smith of course played in the 60's.
Rumour has it he was the first player to punt kick a footy on the moon.
I wonder how far it went?

 

[The Silverdale Phantom]

Andrew John’s has said he was on the drugs for much of his career so I’m a bit iffy.

Steve Mortimer was the ultimate, in my humble view.

 

[Tigerm]

@RedVee, TSP and Tm, who is the best half you've ever seen, you can't say Billy Smith or Adrew Johns.
Prerequisites:
Pound for pound toughness and heart
Could pass both L/R
Fast
Sidestep
Grubber in goal
Chip and chase
Support player
Tackles great
Team man, community man
Bombs
Goal kicker
High up the list in tries per season
Cut out passes
Off the hip passes
Of course I could keep going but this is enough.
Now no googling etc. I guarantee you'll struggle because there aren't too many halfs that could do all these things, they were usually excellent at two ir three things.
I loved Mick Neil but his heart far out weighed his attributes.

Davey Bolton (spelling) back in the day, tough as teak.
The pommy Tommy Bishop always comes to mind.
Scott Prince

 

[Nutz]

Davey Bolton (spelling) back in the day, tough as teak.
The pommy Tommy Bishop always comes to mind.
Scott Prince

Good choices. Ehen he scored the winning try in 69 all our family and friends went absolutely nuts. I didn't start following Balmain till a couple of rds before the finals because dad kept it quiet about Norm and Peter being my cousins. From that grand final up to now I'm a tragic Tiger supporter.
So I really can't honestly say I remember him as one of the best as I was only 12. Same goes gor Bishop.
I remember Bishop from filmstrips as being nippy around the ruck and tough as...Am I right mate?
Prince, great all rounder and would probably have ticked that list.

 

[Nutz]

Andrew John’s has said he was on the drugs for much of his career so I’m a bit iffy.

Steve Mortimer was the ultimate, in my humble view.

That alone scrubs a couple off that list.
In my day there were a lot of great players doing dumb and terrible things but no mobile phones and no social media to catch them out.

 

[Tigerm]

If you get a chance, listen to Mays podcast with Benji (I posted it on the coaches thread), well worth a listen.

 

[Tigerm]

Good choices. Ehen he scored the winning try in 69 all our family and friends went absolutely nuts. I didn't start following Balmain till a couple of rds before the finals because dad kept it quiet about Norm and Peter being my cousins. From that grand final up to now I'm a tragic Tiger supporter.
So I really can't honestly say I remember him as one of the best as I was only 12. Same goes gor Bishop.
I remember Bishop from filmstrips as being nippy around the ruck and tough as...Am I right mate?
Prince, great all rounder and would probably have ticked thst list.

Bolton was just a smart player for the time and tough bugger, probably one of the reasons for our success imo, but it was a long time ago.
Bishop stands out in my mind, because he was just so cocky and could back it up.
Prince was said to be the smarts and driving force of the club, when he was here.
I just don't see a lot of standouts today, maybe because they all play similar, though I do like the Raiders half, Fogerty.

 

[Tigerm]

That alone scrubs a couple off that list.
In my day there were a lot of great players doing dumb and terrible things but no mobile phones and no social media to catch them out.

Young blokes with lots of money = trouble, generally, still to this day.

 

[RedVee]

@RedVee, TSP and Tm, who is the best half you've ever seen, you can't say Billy Smith or Adrew Johns.
Prerequisites:
Pound for pound toughness and heart
Could pass both L/R
Fast
Sidestep
Grubber in goal
Chip and chase
Support player
Tackles great
Team man, community man
Bombs
Goal kicker
High up the list in tries per season
Cut out passes
Off the hip passes
Of course I could keep going but this is enough.
Now no googling etc. I guarantee you'll struggle because there aren't too many halfs that could do all these things, they were usually excellent at two ir three things.
I loved Mick Neil but his heart far out weighed his attributes.

Hmmm, that’s tough if I can’t pick Billy.

Current players, Moses and Cleary. Add Deardon if you are including 6’s.

Ex-players? I really liked Stuart as a halfback, Cronk also as an organiser 1/2. A guy like Alf Langer is as good as anyone from the 90s on. Sterling of course.
I could get behind Steve Mortimer but the guys I’ve mentioned just above are right with him except maybe on that exceptional little dash of solo magic.

Funny thing on Billy Smith though, which I’ll turn back on to you @Nutz and the other guys… I got asked by some younger guys how to describe how Billy played using current or recent halfbacks (that the other guys knew of) as references. Bloody hard to do, I guess the game has changed so much.

(My 3 greatest ever players are: Chang, Billy & Artie - all Immortals in my book).

 

[Nutz]

Hmmm, that’s tough if I can’t pick Billy.

Current players, Moses and Cleary. Add Deardon if you are including 6’s.

Ex-players? I really liked Stuart as a halfback, Cronk also as an organiser 1/2. A guy like Alf Langer is as good as anyone from the 90s on. Sterling of course.
I could get behind Steve Mortimer but the guys I’ve mentioned just above are right with him except maybe on that exceptional little dash of solo magic.

Funny thing on Billy Smith though, which I’ll turn back on to you @Nutz and the other guys… I got asked by some younger guys how to describe how Billy played using current or recent halfbacks (that the other guys knew of) as references. Bloody hard to do, I guess the game has changed so much.

(My 3 greatest ever players are: Chang, Billy & Artie - all Immortals in my book).

As a young boy, my late brother, who was a Saints nut and knew about Norm but noone told me, took me to a handful of games and all I can remember is whenever Changer mvade a break, Smith was in support to score, very much like like a Terry Lamb.

 

[RedVee]

As a young boy, my late brother, who was a Saints nut and knew about Norm but noone told me, took me to a handful of games and all I can remember is whenever Changer mvade a break, Smith was in support to score, very much like like a Terry Lamb.

Could make a break himself or put someone else through. Could tackle front rowers (Tommy style) or make a Raper/Coote style cover tackle, had the ball on a string with his kicking game including potting field goals.

For Australia won 2 Harry Sunderland Medals, played 18 Tests and 8 World Cup games captaining in one.

When I was a kid (after the great teams had finished) people would say “St George is a 2 man team” (meaning Smith & Langlands) and my Dad would get steamed up about it. Looking back I would just say, but what a pair of players they were!

 

[RedVee]

Bolton was just a smart player for the time and tough bugger, probably one of the reasons for our success imo, but it was a long time ago.
Bishop stands out in my mind, because he was just so cocky and could back it up.
Prince was said to be the smarts and driving force of the club, when he was here.
I just don't see a lot of standouts today, maybe because they all play similar, though I do like the Raiders half, Fogerty.

I remember in the 73 GF Bishop running in and riling up John O’Neil, then darting around behind Cliff Watson for protection! Probably laughing as well

 

[Nutz]

I remember in the 73 GF Bishop running in and riling up John O’Neil, then darting around behind Cliff Watson for protection! Probably laughing as well

What a terrier