Lewis vs Kenny

[innerwestrabbit]

Kenny was a vey good defender with a great technique. Not the inspirational big hits that a Lewis or a Daley could pull off. He played center on 86 kangaroo tour and his defense was oustanding. He may not have had a kicking game, he did not need one with Sterlo on the same team. But he was the best running 5/8 and his linking with outside backs was second to none. Lockyer would be a player who I reckon with ball in hand was the most similar to kenny. I still rate Kenny on that front a better player, but not much in it though!

 

[Brutus]

Lewis was the better player by a fair margin.

He was better at dictating terms.

 

[firechild]

Lewis would have been better if he'd followed through with his agreement to play for Manly. He might not have retired without a premiership but at the same time, Manly may well have missed out on the services of Cliff Lyons over the following 15 years.

 

[MightyBronco]

Loudtwat's head must be exploding with the voting results. How can a Queenslander be considered by this forum better that an Eels player from the legendary 80's!!!! Unbelievable!


That said, i always liked watching Kenny play. The fact he is in this discussion is proof he was a hell of a player. But he just quite wasnt as good as Lewis. Origin and Test football shows that.

 

[Brutus]

Lewis would have been better if he'd followed through with his agreement to play for Manly. He might not have retired without a premiership but at the same time, Manly may well have missed out on the services of Cliff Lyons over the following 15 years.

Wally won 3 first grade premierships.

 

[firechild]

BRL premierships.

 

[innerwestrabbit]

I won't argue that Lewis was not the better player, it was mainly due to his leadership qualities and yes he had that ability to read a game like a great half back as well. But it's not by a great margin, head to head at origin level when both opposed at 5/8 advantage Kenny. At test level it's not possible to tell as Australia flogged everyone when both were fixtures in the team barring injury of course. the best Aussie team contained both of them IMO period. Let's not forget Lewis had the luxury of having Meninga and Miles running of him. Both bigger than any forward in the game at the time who both were very fast and skillful. Kenny had some good outside back as well, but I would take those two over any centre combo I have seen by the length and stretch of the grand canyon

 

[Loudstrat]

Fair points. Although at club level Berts centres were pretty damn good.

Bert had Price and Sterlo inside, and Cronin and Ella outside, with Grothe outside that. Arguably no pivot ever had more class around him in a club jumper. His partnership with Zip in particular was awesome.

Lewis had Murray and Langer - both test men. Langer especially provides a great link with Wally. It must be said Wally never won a MOM award without Murray, Langer or Sterling beside him (I cannot recall Wally playing with Turvey). Kenny won the Lance Todd with......Mike Ford.

Lewis would have been better if he'd followed through with his agreement to play for Manly. He might not have retired without a premiership but at the same time, Manly may well have missed out on the services of Cliff Lyons over the following 15 years.

Cliffy was magic in the 87 gf. But Wally was going there from 88 onwards I believe. Manly came 4th with Cliffy in 88, Brisbane with the Wally/Alf partnership missed the finals. In 89 manly were sh*t, yet Brisbane were smashed by Cronulla lol in a playoff for 5th in 89. Brisbane made their first finals appearance in 1990, with Wally sidelined with a broken arm. That said, they went out in straight sets. The Broncos never won a semi final until Kevin Walters was pivot - and then they won the comp.

From that evidence the jury is out as to whether Wally would have improved things at Manly

Loudtwat's head must be exploding with the voting results. How can a Queenslander be considered by this forum better that an Eels player from the legendary 80's!!!! Unbelievable!

Well this site is full of Queenslanders you twat!

That said, i always liked watching Kenny play. The fact he is in this discussion is proof he was a hell of a player. But he just quite wasnt as good as Lewis. Origin and Test football shows that.

Origin and test football go to Kenny. NSW won the Lewis v Kenny Origins something like 2-1. The 1982 Kangaroo tour, Kenny played all 5 tests. Lewis played none.

 

[firechild]

I thought it was 1987 but you could be right. TBH, in retrospect, Lewis probably had more to gain from the deal than Manly did.

 

[Loudstrat]

I only mention 88 because apparently he only changed his mind when the Broncos threw bigger $ at him to become their first 5/8. Could have been 87?

 

[firechild]

No, it was the QRL that blocked it, not Brisbane. There was something about the QRL having to match Manly's offer to keep him in QLD. There was 2 parts to the contract Manly offered him and the QRL matched the football component (no idea what the other component was?) and he was forced to stay. He was furious as he'd desperately wanted to get out of the BRL. It meant that thr Broncos were his best option to play in the Winfield Cup since he was forced to stay in QLD.

 

[innerwestrabbit]

At club level, the parra back line was incredible, your right, price, sterling, Kenny, grothe, Ella and cronin not too shabby at alll. I have to admit the Kenny and miles centre pairing at test levels was bloody good as well. I,m sure the Rogers and Cronin centre combo was a great one as well, not old enough to remember it though

 

[Canard]

Him throwing water around was origin folklore!

Did you ever see Lewis play?????????

Yes mate, including seeing him play live a number of times.

Lewis plays down his toughness these days and is quite modest about his exploits (as is Kenny) but he was a tough bugger.

I remember seeing him packing down at hooker one night for the Coast against noted "hardman" Joe Thomas, and Thomas having to be assisted from the field with blood coming from his mouth and in Disneyland.

Similiary when Brendan Tutu was giving the Aussies some heat in NZ, he smashed Darryl Williams and sat Tutu on his arse on a number of occasions.

Origin and test football go to Kenny. NSW won the Lewis v Kenny Origins something like 2-1. The 1982 Kangaroo tour, Kenny played all 5 tests. Lewis played none.

So biased selection policies is now a justification for where you stand in the all time great ranks?

 

[innerwestrabbit]

I think it's unfair to look at players than to now, as injury treatment and the fact players train full time allows players to play to there potential for a longer period than back in the 80's. When Kenny had done his knee he lost his speed, aided by the fact that Parra were well and truly on the decline as team by the late 80's . By the time Lewis played in the Sydney comp he was still a great player but on the decline, I think injuries got to him as well. But the unfair judgement for broncos player either positive or negative is that they have always had either a really good side or a great one, and they have never had a dud coach. Parra as an example of which Kenny was a part of through there golden run only had Jack for three years

 

[Brutus]

Wally had an excellent first year in the NSWRL, scoring 15 tries and winning Dally M five-eighth of the year.

At the end of that year he broke his arm in the World Cup Final at Eden Park and really struggled with injury from then on.

 

[carcharias]

lewis .

Kenny was part of a great team and a great player.

Lewis was greater .
Only one is called the king...and for good reason.

 

[Alex28]

Kenny had the better club career, but at rep level Lewis was fair and away better, and ultimately that is what people remember.

 

[Mr Saab]

Lockyer is better than Johns...oh wait....that thread was in 2005

 

[KiamaSaint]

Kenny's record at club level is better and he may have had the wood over Lewis when they were both playing, but it is Lewis for me as well.

I hated him, the way he controlled the game with his kicks for touch were awesome. I think Artie had a lot to do with the Queensland mentality but guys like Lewis and Mal have contributed so much to that jersey decades after they have retired. IMO you can't say the thing about the Waters brothers, Tallis or some of the other great Origins players. None have done as much for and Origin as the great man.

 

[gUt]

Regarding Wally's kicking game one thing people may remember is that Lang Park used to have a "crown" built in to help it drain... it gradually sloped away from the centre down the length of the park. Lewis was the master at exploiting this and having the ball turn towards tuch as it ran.