Gus Gould

[dogslife]

Also not as good as a kid called Galvin according to some person who hadn't met him until about a week ago by accident.

Swing and a miss pal

 

[gerg]

I was in high school when Parra won their first 3 premierships. So yes, I watched that era.

Sorry, but a few offloads and the occasional decent pass doesn't mean better skills than the key playmakers of the 80's. Asserting that Haas has more ball playing ability than Sterlo (who is too modest for his own good) is just risible.

The point I was trying to make is that it's extremely difficult to compare play makers from different eras. For example if you put a Sterling, Kenny, Lewis etc up against the modern defensive structures and fitter more professional teams, maybe they don't look like the incredible ball players that we all remember with our rose coloured glasses. A lot of people complain about the lack of ball playing these days and throw into the conversation how awesome the ball playing was 40 years ago but it's not a fair comparison.

My poor wife - I remember drunkenly making her watch the 89 grand final about 10 years ago. Comparing that game - the pinnacle game of 1989 and often referred to as the greatest grand final of all time. Comparing the quality of that game to a high quality game in the current year is like watching a completely different sport.

The reason the ball players back then looked freaking amazing was largely because the defence was shit. Now I'm not saying that the Sterlings, Kennys and Lewis' wouldn't be successful in the current game but the same commentary would occur - the same comparison would be made, and it would be wrong and it would be unfair. If those three players were playing in 2025 people would say that their ball playing isn't as good as the ball playing from 40 years ago.

 

[Wb1234]

Then clubs have guys like Blake solly trying to compete with him

 

[T-Boon]

The point I was trying to make is that it's extremely difficult to compare play makers from different eras. For example if you put a Sterling, Kenny, Lewis etc up against the modern defensive structures and fitter more professional teams, maybe they don't look like the incredible ball players that we all remember with our rose coloured glasses. A lot of people complain about the lack of ball playing these days and throw into the conversation how awesome the ball playing was 40 years ago but it's not a fair comparison.

My poor wife - I remember drunkenly making her watch the 89 grand final about 10 years ago. Comparing that game - the pinnacle game of 1989 and often referred to as the greatest grand final of all time. Comparing the quality of that game to a high quality game in the current year is like watching a completely different sport.

The reason the ball players back then looked freaking amazing was largely because the defence was shit. Now I'm not saying that the Sterlings, Kennys and Lewis' wouldn't be successful in the current game but the same commentary would occur - the same comparison would be made, and it would be wrong and it would be unfair. If those three players were playing in 2025 people would say that their ball playing isn't as good as the ball playing from 40 years ago.

Defense has obviously gotten a lot "better" (though more boring) but attack has also gotten worse in the sense that they are very risk averse and obsessed with getting to the kick and only attacking the defense with very structured/safe attacking plays in very restricted circumstances.
Attack has also gotten worse because they don't spend much time on it compared to the amount of time they spend on defense. When they actually do open up the attack the defense doesn't look anywhere near as good such as when the Tigers started moving the ball around in the second had a few weeks ago.
The halves are not very creative and don't have good vision - but they tackle better than in the 80/90s.
It is a coaching mentality and rule problem.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Defense has obviously gotten a lot "better" (though more boring) but attack has also gotten worse in the sense that they are very risk averse and obsessed with getting to the kick and only attacking the defense with very structured/safe attacking plays in very restricted circumstances.
Attack has also gotten worse because they don't spend much time on it compared to the amount of time they spend on defense. When they actually do open up the attack the defense doesn't look anywhere near as good such as when the Tigers started moving the ball around in the second had a few weeks ago.
The halves are not very creative and don't have good vision - but they tackle better than in the 80/90s.
It is a coaching mentality and rule problem.

I've mentioned this before but some players have little idea of how to do a draw and pass. I know one club that had a former third grade player from the 1970s come down to NRL training at a club to teach the first graders the principles of how to do a "draw and pass".

 

[SBD82]

It’s a lot easier to be skillful when you know you’re protected.

Cameron Smith would’ve had the shit punched out of him the first time he tried one of his wrestling moves. Would’ve played about 40 first grade games before retiring.

Thurston would’ve had his ears pulled off the first time he tried to dummy and run. Wouldn’t have made it past U20’s.

Cleary would’ve had an elbow put on his sizeable chin the first time he kicked near the defensive line. If he survived he’d be a lot deeper next time.

DCE would’ve had his neck broken in a spear tackle. Not during a game - would’ve been his own teammates when he came into the sheds and started talking with his fancy mouth.

Yeo would have been elbowed in the head every time he tried to dig into the line and play out the back.

Luai would’ve been known as everyone’s favourite punching bag.

JFH would’ve gone ok. Leniu’s career would’ve been short but fun to watch. The Dragons might’ve let Martin and Edwards play reserve grade.

 

[kurt faulk]

It’s a lot easier to be skillful when you know you’re protected.

Cameron Smith would’ve had the shit punched out of him the first time he tried one of his wrestling moves. Would’ve played about 40 first grade games before retiring.

Thurston would’ve had his ears pulled off the first time he tried to dummy and run. Wouldn’t have made it past U20’s.

Cleary would’ve had an elbow put on his sizeable chin the first time he kicked near the defensive line. If he survived he’d be a lot deeper next time.

DCE would’ve had his neck broken in a spear tackle. Not during a game - would’ve been his own teammates when he came into the sheds and started talking with his fancy mouth.

Yeo would have been elbowed in the head every time he tried to dig into the line and play out the back.

Luai would’ve been known as everyone’s favourite punching bag.

JFH would’ve gone ok. Leniu’s career would’ve been short but fun to watch. The Dragons might’ve let Martin and Edwards play reserve grade.

While I agree with that, look at the game and crowds back then and look at them now. The game was trending towards a slow death until they took all the thugs out of the game and made it desirable for parents to allow their kids to play the sport.

.

 

[yobbo84]

It’s a lot easier to be skillful when you know you’re protected.

Cameron Smith would’ve had the shit punched out of him the first time he tried one of his wrestling moves. Would’ve played about 40 first grade games before retiring.

Thurston would’ve had his ears pulled off the first time he tried to dummy and run. Wouldn’t have made it past U20’s.

Cleary would’ve had an elbow put on his sizeable chin the first time he kicked near the defensive line. If he survived he’d be a lot deeper next time.

DCE would’ve had his neck broken in a spear tackle. Not during a game - would’ve been his own teammates when he came into the sheds and started talking with his fancy mouth.

Yeo would have been elbowed in the head every time he tried to dig into the line and play out the back.

Luai would’ve been known as everyone’s favourite punching bag.

JFH would’ve gone ok. Leniu’s career would’ve been short but fun to watch. The Dragons might’ve let Martin and Edwards play reserve grade.

... and Sam Burgess, NRL hall-of-famer, would've been Sam Burgess, NRL hall-of-famer.

 

[Trifili13]

You also had teams only 3m or 5m apart in the 50s and 60s compared to 10m these days so the game is completely different.

 

[SBD82]

While I agree with that, look at the game and crowds back then and look at them now. The game was trending towards a slow death until they took all the thugs out of the game and made it desirable for parents to allow their kids to play the sport.

.

Oh yeah. 100%. Wasn’t a comment on which one was better. That’s a whole different conversation.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

Today's forwards? Ball skills?!!!!

Guys like Arthur Beetson make today';s forwards look like a team of under 6 players. Many of today's NRL players, both forwards and backs don't even know how to do a draw and pass.

Remember when Brenton Lawrence would get in the clear and just run directly at the fullback without looking left or right at his support players? Hilarious.

 

[10$ Ferret]

... and Sam Burgess, NRL hall-of-famer, would've been Sam Burgess, NRL hall-of-famer.

only as the best player of the opposition's testicles. He, as one of the dirtiest players in the game, like many mentioned would have had the crap beaten out of him, the only difference he would have bashed back a little

 

[Warrimoo3]

Today's forwards? Ball skills?!!!!

Guys like Arthur Beetson make today';s forwards look like a team of under 6 players. Many of today's NRL players, both forwards and backs don't even know how to do a draw and pass.

Great players from the past would stand out in any era. Guys like Price, Kenny,Sterling etc would easily be million dollar plus players today. Going back to the 1970s it was generally a lot harder to unlock defences as the distance between attackers and defenders was a lot less.

In terms of toughness , the game that stands out most for me is the 1970 World Cup final. The Poms were held in awe back then and were renowned for their ball playing ability. I still remember the kick off to that match. They went short and absolutely smashed the Australian ball carriers.

The intensity was off the scale for the whole match , including plenty of foul play. Was definitely more “intense” than the 1973 grand final. Interestingly Ron Turner was the Aussie hooker with Elwyn Walters on the bench. The former had a running feud with Mal Reilly after he cleaned up Mal in the 1973 grand final. I don’t recall the brawl after the full time siren though.

 

[Warrimoo3]

Sterling was a wonderful player. 3 or 4 moves ahead of the opposition. I saw his first game against Manly in the finals in 1978. Played fullback. Was in the papers all week in the lead up to the match being still at school . First time he touched the ball on a kick return and was picked up and carted back 15 metres by Tom Mooney and Simon Booth from memory. Had a decent game though.

Ray Price was something else. He had this running style, best seen front on, where he would bend in an S shape. Big motor and tough as teak. Great support player too.

 

[Warrimoo3]

Gus was a very good ball player in his day and a useful goalkicker with the chocolate soldiers. When I say ball player I mean a proper ball player who could put a teammate into a gap . Not this watered down meaning today where a player catches the ball, takes a few steps, then shovels it on without engaging the defence. Probably would have been worth 600k plus in today’s market.

 

[Saxon]

Gus was a very good ball player in his day and a useful goalkicker with the chocolate soldiers. When I say ball player I mean a proper ball player who could put a teammate into a gap . Not this watered down meaning today where a player catches the ball, takes a few steps, then shovels it on without engaging the defence. Probably would have been worth 600k plus in today’s market.

Just ask him, he'll tell you.