Greatest kiwi 17

[Jonty]

Although I’m a Pom I’ve always enjoyed watching and supporting the kiwis against Australia and in my time of being a RL fan 1986-present day this would be my greatest ever kiwis 17.

1. Matthew ridge
2. Sean hoppe
3. Clinton toopi
4. Nigel vagana
5. Manu vatuvei
6. Benji Marshall
7. Stacey jones vc
8. Ruben wiki
9. Robbie paul
10. Quentin pongia
11. Sonny bill williams
12. Mark graham c
13. Hugh Mcgahan
14. Henry paul
15. Joe vagana
16. Ali lauitiiti
17. Stephen Kearney

honourable mentions

tawera nikau, Kevin iro, Jarrod McCracken, Kurt Sorensen, Simon mannering and Richie barnett.

what would yours be?

 

[Beavers Headgear]

RTS and Isaac Luke get a run

 

[Jonty]

RTS and Isaac Luke get a run

Once RTS has hung up his boots he’d get the #1 shirt for sure.

 

[Blair]

Dean Bell, Kevin Tamati, James Leuluai...

 

[Jonty]

Dean Bell, Kevin Tamati, James Leuluai...

All quality if not a little before my time.

 

[England87]

It has to be SJ & Benji in the half's for me.

Johnson is the only kiwi 7 in my 3 decades of watching the game that had a consistent period of *dominating* Australia. The 2014 & 2015 Aussies (who were absolutely stacked) had no answers. His club form at the time was mixed but he had some genuine 9/10 performances including the 2014 Four Nations Final and 2015 Anzac tests.

Stacey was always good, never great.

 

[England87]

Issac Luke, Richard Swain and the Cheese ahead of Robbie Paul surely. The Paul's were very inconsistent in the black jersey

 

[Beavers Headgear]

It has to be SJ & Benji in the half's for me.

Johnson is the only kiwi 7 in my 3 decades of watching the game that had a consistent period of *dominating* Australia. The 2014 & 2015 Aussies (who were absolutely stacked) had no answers. His club form at the time was mixed but he had some genuine 9/10 performances including the 2014 Four Nations Final and 2015 Anzac tests.

Stacey was always good, never great.

Stacey Jones v Australia , 4 wins 13 losses
Shaun Johnson v Australia, 4 wins, 11 losses

Stacey Jones v GB 9 wins 3 losses
Shaun Johnson v England 4 wins, 2 losses

It’s Stacey every day of the week for me, I rate the 2005 Tri Nations win above those others. The late 90s wins may not have been in finals of tournaments, but they were impressive performances as well

It is hard to compare, the mid-late 90s Kiwis sides were just starting to come into being match hardened, season after season NRL players, but the Johnson time they are all hardened and through the NRL systems.

Stacey also doesn’t have a “youse got what you wanted” after losing to the might of Fiji on his record which tips it in his favour for me

 

[Jonty]

Issac Luke, Richard Swain and the Cheese ahead of Robbie Paul surely. The Paul's were very inconsistent in the black jersey

Are you kidding me??

the Paul brothers always ripped into Aussie during the late 90’s.

 

[England87]

Pretty even record for both players there. Keep in mind they played a lot more tests in Staceys day.

That 05 team was magic, I remember Toopi having his Inglis moment and the attack coming mostly from Brent Webb creating for himself and others and doing lots of the kicking in general play.

Stacey was good, not great. Australia in the final were terrible and on one leg. NZ picked more athletic middles, Hape a beast at lock.

Johnson in 14,15 (and Benji in 2010) did dominate mate. If he doesn't play, NZ gets beaten, Check out the try assists and tries Johnson scored in the 4N final and the 2015 Anzac Test.

Stepping outside Inglis like it was touch footy. Lord have mercy it was Joey Johns Origin shit

He is the best Kiwi 7 in the history of rugby league and its not close.

And yeah the Pauls were not all that. Fine Super League players but not against Australia mate. Cheese has won tests against Ozzie where he was by far the best on ground.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Simon Mannering gets to pick where he plays. It has to be in the run-on XIII

 

[Blair]

Coached by Graham Lowe? No, he got sacked. You can't have a sacked coach, so it has to be Kearney.

 

[ozbash]

I think Lowie is the best coach/motivator that I've ever seen... He can walk on water ..Wayne Bennett would be a close 2nd..

Hard to pick a "greatest" team..
Today's game is very different to the game 20 or 30 years ago..

Stacey Jones. WGHB !

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

You just compare eras.
Id have Mark Graham and Kurt Sorenson in any greatest Kiwis team but then who would they leave out, Pongia??
Vagana??

Cant compare

 

[England87]

Sorenson for the Kiwis was a different beast. Has to be in the 17.

 

[Big Marn]

In honour of our old mate Mr Angry, the correct answer at 7 is Stacey Jones.

 

[Jonty]

You just compare eras.
Id have Mark Graham and Kurt Sorenson in any greatest Kiwis team but then who would they leave out, Pongia??
Vagana??

Cant compare

Mark Graham and Quentin pongia are the first names on the team sheet for me.

 

[sup42]

If you start with the once in a generation players, the guys that changed the game across era's then you would have to have Des White as Fullback, Mark Graham at 12, Benji Marshall at five eight, Stacey Jones at 7 and Hugh MaGahan would have to play second row or at 13.

Those are the absolute undisputed legends in those positions that are ranked by most experts as the best New Zealand has ever seen.

Des White is well before my time, ninety forties and fifties but he is in the team of the century, holds lots of records, and anyone from that era talk about him in exactly the same way people talk about Colin Meads, so you cannot leave the guy out imo.

MGahan might not be familiar to all either, but he won the Golden boot (only time the Golden boot was shared, he shared it with Peter Sterling) and MGahan holds the Try scoring record for the Kiwis by any player in a single match (six Try's) he was goal kicking forward and could kick field kicks which resulted in Try's there has not been another forward like him (Sonny Bill would be in that conversation).

I would have Dean Bell at Center, there are few candidates that were as well rounded defensively and ball playing wise to challenge that call.
Ruben Wiki would be my other center.

After that I am happy to debate the merits of the rest, but yeah you have to have the all time legends in an all time Kiwis side.

 

[England87]

In honour of our old mate Mr Angry, the correct answer at 7 is Stacey Jones.

SJ for the Kiwis in 2014 & 2015 was the best player in international rugby league in the NRL era and it wasnt even close. Nobody has eclipsed that level of form over 6 or 7 tests against Tier one teams, not even an Australian.

Disregarding origin and club form, purely in the international arena.

Surely everyone can agree with on that?

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

Greatest Kiwis Team (NRL 1998 - onwards)

01: Brent Webb.
02: Jamayne Isaako.
03: Joseph Manu.
04: Clinton Toopi.
05: Manu Vatuvei.
06: Benji Marshall.
07: Stacey Jones.
08: Jesse Bromwich.
09: Isaac Luke.
10: Ruben Wiki.
11: Simon Mannering.
12: Briton Nikora.
13: Joseph Tapine.

14: Thomas Leuluai.
15: James Fisher-Harris.
16: Moses Leota.
17: Ali Lauiti'iti.

Coach: Brian (Bluey) McClennan

Greatest Kiwis Team (Pre NRL)

01: Matthew Ridge.
02: Kevin Iro.
03: James Leuluai.
04: Dean Bell.
05: Sean Hoppe.
06: Gene Ngamu.
07: Gary Freeman.
08: Kevin Tamati.
09: Howie Tamati.
10: Quentin Pongia.
11: Hugh McGahan.
12: Mark Graham.
13: Tawera Nikau.

14: Jarrod McCracken.
15: Brent Todd.
16: Mel Cooke.
17: Ron Ackland.

Coach: Graham Lowe.