Bring back John Fifita
First Grade
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Took interest in this thread. I first started watching league as a kid in the early 80's dominated by Parra, and to this day the best club backline of all time in my opinion, just ahead of the Raiders early 90's, 94 in particular.
As for immortals, my view is that players of the long-retired past should be considered for this above players of the recent past...
So for the players mentioned here, Parra and others..
For me Andrew Johns was a once in a generation player, and one of the best I've seen. But I didn't agree with his induction. Yes he played behind in alternate positions behind other halfbacks in rep football, but it's more that there are others of times before him I feel far more deserving. Johns was a very good halfback in the first half of his career, but played his best football at the back half of his career too, where he was almost unstoppable.
Meninga for me was a deserved inductee. He was an absolute beast, always first picked in the centres for Qld and Australia, captained his club, state and country. He was the number one name in the game in the early 90's. But before him there was Wally.
Lewis was incredible. He was built like a forward, dominated as a 6, and was probably the most inspirational captain on a football field the game has seen - or at east that I have seen. The thing that goes against him is that he played the majority of his career in the BRL, so NSW folk only really saw him in Origin until the Broncos came in the comp, when he was in the back end of his career. But as much as I hated him like all NSW folk did, he WAS the king. The biggest name in the game in his time. And a deserved immortal for mine.
As for the Parra contenders.
Brett Kenny - he would be one of my first cabs off the rank. Was injury prone late in his career as I recall, perhaps played a season or two too long. But before that, this guy was the best player in the NSWRL of the day. In origin he was the standout blue, and the one guy who could be argued that competed with, and possibly dominated The King. I recently watched the 1985 Hull vs Wigan Challenge Cup final at Wembley where he played I opposition to Sterling. He was an absolute weapon, reminding me of just how good he was. Immortal?
I'd say possibly but probably not.
Peter Sterling. Just as good as Kenny. Like a Pie and Sauce these two went together. As good as each other for Parra. But Sterling stood out more on the field due to the long blond hair (aside from when Paul Taylor stole his gig). Similarly in the 85 challenge cup he was a standout, an absolute conductor of the performance for Hull in a losing side. Though my memories are of him and Steve Mortimer competing for the 7 at rep level and Mortimer edging him out most times for reasons whatever. Immortal?
Possibly, but probably not.
Ray Price. A bloke I play park cricket with played League with Price at Wakefield in England. My mate is one of the toughest blokes I know, and he said Price was by far the toughest player he saw. He gave the example of a training session on a cold, rainy evening in the north of England. The session had neared its end and in the days of semi-professionalism most of the guys were cooked and wanted to go home. The coach had other ideas and instructed them to do numerous laps around the field (from memory I think 8), and no-one could leave until the last player completed all laps. For the backs, who were relatively light, this wasn't so hard. For the forwards, it was tough as a 2 dollar steak. My mate was a fullback so he got through ok and one of the first finished. Ray Price finished before him. Most had finished after a while longer but they watched a cup of forwards trudging to the point of stopping. 2 or 3 were completely exhausted with a lap to go... So Price runs over to one of the struggling forwards, picks him up, puts him across his shoulders, and trots the remaining distance around the ground and across the line. The other stragglers started up again and did what they could on their own steam. Price went back for them, and while he didn't carry them, he trotted with them to get them over the line.
As a player, he was the one guy growing up who played his guts out every match, leaving nothing on the field, and unrivalled as the best lock of his time.
As for immortals, my view is that players of the long-retired past should be considered for this above players of the recent past...
So for the players mentioned here, Parra and others..
For me Andrew Johns was a once in a generation player, and one of the best I've seen. But I didn't agree with his induction. Yes he played behind in alternate positions behind other halfbacks in rep football, but it's more that there are others of times before him I feel far more deserving. Johns was a very good halfback in the first half of his career, but played his best football at the back half of his career too, where he was almost unstoppable.
Meninga for me was a deserved inductee. He was an absolute beast, always first picked in the centres for Qld and Australia, captained his club, state and country. He was the number one name in the game in the early 90's. But before him there was Wally.
Lewis was incredible. He was built like a forward, dominated as a 6, and was probably the most inspirational captain on a football field the game has seen - or at east that I have seen. The thing that goes against him is that he played the majority of his career in the BRL, so NSW folk only really saw him in Origin until the Broncos came in the comp, when he was in the back end of his career. But as much as I hated him like all NSW folk did, he WAS the king. The biggest name in the game in his time. And a deserved immortal for mine.
As for the Parra contenders.
Brett Kenny - he would be one of my first cabs off the rank. Was injury prone late in his career as I recall, perhaps played a season or two too long. But before that, this guy was the best player in the NSWRL of the day. In origin he was the standout blue, and the one guy who could be argued that competed with, and possibly dominated The King. I recently watched the 1985 Hull vs Wigan Challenge Cup final at Wembley where he played I opposition to Sterling. He was an absolute weapon, reminding me of just how good he was. Immortal?
I'd say possibly but probably not.
Peter Sterling. Just as good as Kenny. Like a Pie and Sauce these two went together. As good as each other for Parra. But Sterling stood out more on the field due to the long blond hair (aside from when Paul Taylor stole his gig). Similarly in the 85 challenge cup he was a standout, an absolute conductor of the performance for Hull in a losing side. Though my memories are of him and Steve Mortimer competing for the 7 at rep level and Mortimer edging him out most times for reasons whatever. Immortal?
Possibly, but probably not.
Ray Price. A bloke I play park cricket with played League with Price at Wakefield in England. My mate is one of the toughest blokes I know, and he said Price was by far the toughest player he saw. He gave the example of a training session on a cold, rainy evening in the north of England. The session had neared its end and in the days of semi-professionalism most of the guys were cooked and wanted to go home. The coach had other ideas and instructed them to do numerous laps around the field (from memory I think 8), and no-one could leave until the last player completed all laps. For the backs, who were relatively light, this wasn't so hard. For the forwards, it was tough as a 2 dollar steak. My mate was a fullback so he got through ok and one of the first finished. Ray Price finished before him. Most had finished after a while longer but they watched a cup of forwards trudging to the point of stopping. 2 or 3 were completely exhausted with a lap to go... So Price runs over to one of the struggling forwards, picks him up, puts him across his shoulders, and trots the remaining distance around the ground and across the line. The other stragglers started up again and did what they could on their own steam. Price went back for them, and while he didn't carry them, he trotted with them to get them over the line.
As a player, he was the one guy growing up who played his guts out every match, leaving nothing on the field, and unrivalled as the best lock of his time.
I'm telling this story above to those fans of the club here who may not have known this about the guy.
Immortal? Absolutely Yes.
Immortal? Absolutely Yes.
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