Hall of Fame and Immortals

[Tiger5150]

All night I was thinking this. And for that matter,God knows how Johns got in.

Nah for mine Johns is the best player Ive seen in the last 45 or so years. I'd have Fitler way ahead of Lockyer though.

 

[Captain Apollo]

Any links to males speech/ the OG statement about that?

Meninga's speech on being granted Immortal status - https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/08/01/13th-immortal---mal-meninga/

 

[Rhino_NQ]

isn't this usually when someone goes on about mal only being good because he ran at skinny centres and wingers etc

 

[Life's Good]

When has Locky ever been linked to recreational drug addiction?

 

[Mr Angry]

Always thought Gene Miles a better player than Mal.

Guessing coaching and team results comes into it now rather than simply being the outstanding individual player of an era.

 

[umina panther]

It does if it helps you deal with the stress and emotional toil of playing. Ever heard people say the game is as much mental as physical? He confessed he used illegal and banned substances to help him unwind and deal with the pressure of playing. If that’s not performance enhancing don’t know what is it. Great player though, shame he was a pinger.

geniused even for you

 

[TheFrog]

This is a side that won 11 straight. They're bound to have some decent players don't you think?

The period is regarded as a golden era. It wasn't. It was a period of stagnation for the game. Al;l the best players wanted to play for the most successful team and there was no mechanism to prevent it.

 

[Tommy Smith]

I thought recreational drugs ruled players out?

Boy have I got some bad news for you...

Locky at times would have had more in his system than Janis Joplin or Amy Winehouse.

Anyone who hasn't heard the stories has been living under a rock.

And guess what? I don't give a f**k. It's only a crime because the government are anti personal freedom pigs.

 

[SBD82]

The period is regarded as a golden era. It wasn't. It was a period of stagnation for the game. Al;l the best players wanted to play for the most successful team and there was no mechanism to prevent it.

So they had all the best players and the most successful team.

Kind of goes against your theory that they have too many immortals doesn't it?

 

[Tommy Smith]

Nah for mine Johns is the best player Ive seen in the last 45 or so years. I'd have Fitler way ahead of Lockyer though.

God bless you, Sir.

I must be living in a weird parallel universe where it's now taken as fact that Lockyer was better than Freddy.

Did I miss something? How was Freddy overlooked.

He was an absolute genius. Freak ball runner, freak long passing game, beast defender, world class in three positions, two Premierships, most capped Blue, led Australia many times. And was carving them up whilst still in high school.

But not even seriously considered. No seriously what did I miss? It can't be my Roosters bias alone surely.

 

[Mr Angry]

geniused even for you

I can only imagine the media pressure on the players of the 60s

 

[Tommy Smith]

Always thought Gene Miles a better player than Mal.

Guessing coaching and team results comes into it now rather than simply being the outstanding individual player of an era.

I've heard a few good judges who reckon Sludge is the best centre they've ever seen, too.

 

[TheFrog]

So they had all the best players and the most successful team.

Kind of goes against your theory that they have too many immortals doesn't it?

Everyone wanted to play for them. You could have put Will Smith into a side like this and he'd probably be the next immortal. Norm Provan as a forward was no better than 100 others, but an inspirational captain who had a fantastic side under him. I would have gone for Peter Sterling personally.

Allowing one club to monopolise the competition for over a decade was bad for the game, and it will never be allowed to happen again.

 

[SBD82]

Everyone wanted to play for them. You could have put Will Smith into a side like this and he'd probably be the next immortal. Norm Provan as a forward was no better than 100 others, but an inspirational captain who had a fantastic side under him. I would have gone for Peter Sterling personally.

Allowing one club to monopolise the competition for over a decade was bad for the game, and it will never be allowed to happen again.

I know it's hyperbole, but they haven't made immortals out of the Will Smiths of the side. 5 out of a side that won 11 in a row is not an absurd number.

As to your other point, it probably was bad for the game, and I think the game would suffer if a modern team was as dominant, but this is about individual players, and in that regard Norm Provan is a worthy choice, even were what you're saying about him true.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

The period is regarded as a golden era. It wasn't. It was a period of stagnation for the game. Al;l the best players wanted to play for the most successful team and there was no mechanism to prevent it.

And this cancels them out how?

 

[Mr Angry]

I know it's hyperbole, but they haven't made immortals out of the Will Smiths of the side. 5 out of a side that won 11 in a row is not an absurd number.

As to your other point, it probably was bad for the game, and I think the game would suffer if a modern team was as dominant, but this is about individual players, and in that regard Norm Provan is a worthy choice, even were what you're saying about him true.

So why was he not picked originally?

The answer: The individual stand out players were. Gasiner, Raper, Churchill and Fulton. Game changing players.

 

[Springs09]

God bless you, Sir.

I must be living in a weird parallel universe where it's now taken as fact that Lockyer was better than Freddy.

Did I miss something? How was Freddy overlooked.

He was an absolute genius. Freak ball runner, freak long passing game, beast defender, world class in three positions, two Premierships, most capped Blue, led Australia many times. And was carving them up whilst still in high school.

But not even seriously considered. No seriously what did I miss? It can't be my Roosters bias alone surely.

I don't understand how Lockyer has overtaken Fittler or Daley, Langer, Sterling, Kenny etc.

In my opinion he was never as good a 5/8 as Fittler, Daley or Thurston, and wasn't as good a fullback as Slater.

Players such as Sterlo and others from the 80s seem to have been forgotten about, which is strange considering how dominant the Australian team was at that time.

Hopefully the thread can continue with conversations about players and not about geniused drug arguments.

 

[TheFrog]

And this cancels them out how?

Because in other eras, like the 70s and 80s the best players were more spread out and they don't dominate the immortals list.

The overall talent wasn't better in the 50s and 60s, its just that the best of them all played for St George.

 

[Springs09]

So why was he not picked originally?

The answer: The individual stand out players were. Gasiner, Raper, Churchill and Fulton. Game changing players.

Langlands and Beetson weren't picked originally either.

 

[Tiger5150]

God bless you, Sir.

I must be living in a weird parallel universe where it's now taken as fact that Lockyer was better than Freddy.

Did I miss something? How was Freddy overlooked.

He was an absolute genius. Freak ball runner, freak long passing game, beast defender, world class in three positions, two Premierships, most capped Blue, led Australia many times. And was carving them up whilst still in high school.

But not even seriously considered. No seriously what did I miss? It can't be my Roosters bias alone surely.

.Im with you on this for sure. Freddy was a freak. You cant be an immortal with defence as weak as Lockyer.