Is Cameron Smith the best No 9 ever?

[Non Terminator]

Certainly not the best ever. One of the best this decade.

 

[Raider_69]

Walters was the best modern day hooker of all time before Cameron Smith and nothing since Cameron Smith's debut has changed that.

Cameron Smith isn't fit to wipe the arses of any of the names mentioned in this thread thus far

 

[Broncodr01d]

Steve Walters and Danny Buderus are still battling for the 1-2 in my mind. Walters has it for me, Buderus though was a special player and there is a good argument that can be laid for his stake as the number one. A coin flip there.

Cameron Smith is closing and by the time he is done will have a resume that my end the debate purely on sheer weight of achievments. I want to see Smith in a struggling side, something he hasn't done on a week to week basis. That would be interesting.

 

[nomarg]

Walters was the best modern day hooker of all time before Cameron Smith and nothing since Cameron Smith's debut has changed that.

Cameron Smith isn't fit to wipe the arses of any of the names mentioned in this thread thus far

That's my assesment- but swap walters with Benny.......

Steve Walters and Danny Buderus are still battling for the 1-2 in my mind. Walters has it for me, Buderus though was a special player and there is a good argument that can be laid for his stake as the number one. A coin flip there.

Cameron Smith is closing and by the time he is done will have a resume that my end the debate purely on sheer weight of achievments. I want to see Smith in a struggling side, something he hasn't done on a week to week basis. That would be interesting.

Dally M standings 2009



RobbRobbie Farah (Tigers) 24

Michael Ennis (Bulldogs) 19

Cameron Smith (Storm) 13

 

[adamkungl]

Walters was the best modern day hooker of all time before Cameron Smith and nothing since Cameron Smith's debut has changed that.

Cameron Smith isn't fit to wipe the arses of any of the names mentioned in this thread thus far

my thoughts exactly

 

[Noa]

That's my assesment- but swap walters with Benny.......




Dally M standings 2009



RobbRobbie Farah (Tigers) 24

Michael Ennis (Bulldogs) 19

Cameron Smith (Storm) 13

Tell me the players on the Tigers who take points away from Farah on a consistent basis. And Michael Ennis ? Puh-lease.

Anyway once you resort to Dally_m points youve lost the argument.

 

[backdoor]

That's my assesment- but swap walters with Benny.......




Dally M standings 2009



RobbRobbie Farah (Tigers) 24

Michael Ennis (Bulldogs) 19

Cameron Smith (Storm) 13

I am trying to remember a time when the Dally M's had credibility.

 

[nomarg]

Tell me the players on the Tigers who take points away from Farah on a consistent basis. And Michael Ennis ? Puh-lease.

Anyway once you resort to Dally_m points youve lost the argument.

Storm players who polled above 10 points

Inglis
Slater
Cronk
Smith

Tigers

Farah
Benji
Ellis

Imo having better players in your team makes it easier to pick up points- Teams just have to shut down Benji and Robbie and they beat the tigers- For Melbourne its Smith, Cronk,Inglis,Slater

If Smith gets injured Farah will get in a side with some superstars and smith won't get a look in again-ala Bedsy

 

[simostorm]

Yes he is the best hooker ever.. by far.. lol..

 

[Jason Maher]

How could you forget Noel Kelly Jason?

Smith would barely make the top 10 all time hookers. He's been very average since 2007.

Someone above me mentioned Kelly.

 

[Evenflow]

I am trying to remember a time when the Dally M's had credibility.

It hasn't. Ever. That was never more apparent when one Matt Orford took out the medal.

 

[aussies1st]

He doesn't have that best ever feel about him but hes definitely one of the most complete hookers. Got the defence, kicking and passing game. His attacking game is good but that would be the thing that is keeping him out of the best ever when compared to past players.

 

[trudge]

No. Can't beat the mafia: Buderus, Elias, Krilich, Peponis.

 

[fourplay]

If you go by NRL form over the last 5 seasons then Farah is #1.

 

[Stagger eel]

boxhead Walters would chew Smith up and spit him out....he was twice the footballer that Smith will ever be.

 

[Dazzat]

Showing my age, but of all positions the No. 9 is hardest to compare over time. There was a time that the most influential statistic for judging the merit of a hooker was the scrum count. The other stuff - attack and defense - was an added benefit.

But for me, Steve Walters is still the best I've seen.

 

[RL1908]

Showing my age, but of all positions the No. 9 is hardest to compare over time. There was a time that the most influential statistic for judging the merit of a hooker was the scrum count. The other stuff - attack and defense - was an added benefit.

Absolutely spot on observation. Additionally, there are many examples of the dummy-half "specialist" not being the team's hooker e.g. Roy Bull (a prop) was an excellent dummy-half in the 1950s. But not even Bull was at dummy-half as regularly as a modern hooker today. Nor were there anywhere near as many play-the-balls in 80 minutes anyway.

If Smith is to be compared with others, then I would limit it to the era of hookers wearing the No.9 jersey i.e. from the 1989 season onwards. That seems to be a reasonable cut-off date.

I'd still place Steve Walters ahead of anyone else as a No.9 - but by the end of Smith's career, it's hard to not think he will have surpassed Walters.

 

[kia ora storm]

Not the best ever...Toovey and Elias were better IMO.

 

[Raider_69]

Put simply, you cant compare blokes like Kelly to Walters, you've got to seperate them into two different classes

Modern day hookers and Old School hookers. Walters and Ellias were the only two modern day hookers who i think could make a case for having the skills to do the old school job.
Buderus being mentioned in the same sentence as those two for modern day hookers is imo, a disservice to Boxhead and Backdoor. Buderus was good, so too is Smith. Neither can hold a cant to Benny and Steve.

 

[Shire Panther]

put cameron smith in an average team and he would be known as a good first grader.
if he was say penriths hooker for the past 5 years do you honestly think he would be the first choice Australian hooker?

Without doubt:sarcasm: Just ask the selectors that picked 4 of our players for the 4 nations squad.:shock: