loosehead 1998 article: The Worst St George team of all time"

[Old Timer]

Graeme Wynn was a gun

Not as good as his brother but still a very handy footy player when at his best.
Does not deserve to be on the list.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

Since receiving The Premiers' Collection featuring the Dragons' last four premiership wins as a birthday present in February, Graeme Wynn should have been MOTM in the 1979 grand final (not Steve Morris).

 

[jay mac]

Johnny Fifita was consistently terrible, but one of the worst i've seen pull on a Red V was Paul Doolan. The few years around the Craig Young coaching era were a real low point in the St George club's history (although i think we got back there recently).

These individual performances deserve honourable mentions in this thread:

Ben Creagh - Round 22, 2003 only (FG debut)
Kurt Mann - Rounds 1 & 2, 2016
Anthony Mundine - 50th minute, 1999 GF
Nathan Brown / Lance Thompson - off the 20m tap 32nd minute, Round 5, 2000

 

[hewi]

Bit offended about Peter Gills name , thought he was a very underrated player.

 

[gregstar]

Johnny Fifita was consistently terrible,....

I agree - hands fafita was awful catching a pass.

but his first year in 1985 when he debuted late season, he was wonderful.

If there was ever a player we missed in the grand final that year, fafita was the one.
he was injured in the major semi during which he was the most damaging forward up to that moment.

o'grady off the bench instead of starting would have been a better pack in the big one.

 

[Slippery Morris]

The article is referring to a particular year of the team not individual players. Some gin players in that team but also so pretty ordinary ones as well.

One thing about Saints, they always seem to have a good backrow no matter what year you look at. THis years team will go down as 1 of the best maybe just ahead of Gourley/Barnhill or Treacy and Bartrim.

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

The great Hassan Saleh...I remember seeing him make a break up the side line...run into another Saints player and then lose the ball.

I also remember watching Fifita when I was young. The whole crowd used to get scared when he touched the ball because they were worried he'd drop the ball (and he generally did).

Lee Murphy...Another who would get smashed by the opposition and lose the ball.

So many other shit players....so many memories...

 

[Smack]

Jeez you guys are very harsh, I thought I was bad!

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

Jeez you guys are very harsh, I thought I was bad!

If you ask these players...they'll probably admit that they were shit.

 

[Old Timer]

The great Hassan Saleh...I remember seeing him make a break up the side line...run into another Saints player and then lose the ball.

I also remember watching Fifita when I was young. The whole crowd used to get scared when he touched the ball because they were worried he'd drop the ball (and he generally did).

Lee Murphy...Another who would get smashed by the opposition and lose the ball.

So many other shit players....so many memories...

Fifita won a man of the match award at KJO so is ineligible IMO.
I remember the subsequent interview with Rex Mossop on his show and I have to say it was pretty one sided.
Lots of questions to start with met with lots of grunts and groans and all of a sudden a quick cut to a commercial break followed by the passing competition.

 

[Old Timer]

This thread is a bit harsh really as they all did make it to 1st grade, no easy task in itself
I remember when people said Stan Gorton was shit but he scored 22 tries one year to head the try scorers for the season.
Stanley sure could scoot along after doing his shimmy shimmy shake before he decided to just run.

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

This thread is a bit harsh really as they all did make it to 1st grade, no easy task in itself
I remember when people said Stan Gorton was shit but he scored 22 tries one year to head the try scorers for the season.
Stanley sure could scoot along after doing his shimmy shimmy shake before he decided to just run.

Both Stanleys could have been great players...too bad they were made out of glass.

 

[denis preston]

Both Stanleys could have been great players...too bad they were made out of glass.

???

 

[denis preston]

This thread is a bit harsh really as they all did make it to 1st grade, no easy task in itself
I remember when people said Stan Gorton was shit but he scored 22 tries one year to head the try scorers for the season.
Stanley sure could scoot along after doing his shimmy shimmy shake before he decided to just run.

Stan I think topped the try scoring 2 years ? This was the era where Chang played Centre and Stan surely benefited from it. I was at Kogarah one day and witnessed two identical tries from 70 metres out.Chang sidesteps his opponent draws the winger and passes to Stan unmarked and Stans feet did the rest.Scored 4 tries one day against Norths from Billy Smith & Chang's magic and got Frank Hyde's Seiko watch for player of the match ! Wasn't athletic , very average defender, under the high ball ( who knows they didn't do this those days ! ) but could run and deserved his place so Scrap him from this list !!

 

[Old Timer]

Stan I think topped the try scoring 2 years ? This was the era where Chang played Centre and Stan surely benefited from it. I was at Kogarah one day and witnessed two identical tries from 70 metres out.Chang sidesteps his opponent draws the winger and passes to Stan unmarked and Stans feet did the rest.Scored 4 tries one day against Norths from Billy Smith & Chang's magic and got Frank Hyde's Seiko watch for player of the match ! Wasn't athletic , very average defender, under the high ball ( who knows they didn't do this those days ! ) but could run and deserved his place so Scrap him from this list !!

I personally loved Stan and remember the try at the Sports Ground (Sunday match) where he had the ball as the full-time siren went of and he had to dodge a kid / kids running on the field as he streaked away to score.

 

[denis preston]

I personally loved Stan and remember the try at the Sports Ground (Sunday match) where he had the ball as the full-time siren went of and he had to dodge a kid / kids running on the field as he streaked away to score.

Sorry , the corner posts are more important than Stan's try in a kids mind !

He was a bit uncoordinated wasn't he. With his jet black Blycreamed hair and horse voice he used to cop some friendly derision from us supporters. Came and went back to Nth Queensland ?

 

[Old Timer]

Sorry , the corner posts are more important than Stan's try in a kids mind !

He was a bit uncoordinated wasn't he. With his jet black Blycreamed hair and horse voice he used to cop some friendly derision from us supporters. Came and went back to Nth Queensland ?

Cairns boy originally.
Just looked him up and was sad to find out that he passed away in 2013 aged 67.
Noted him as the leading try scorer for 1968 and that his career was plagued with injuries (used to have the Cardigan Bay strapping on his right knee I think)
Your right about the corner posts and on the few occasions I ever looked like getting one there was always a bigger, faster kid but ultimately it would be torn to shreds as the chasing pack caught up to them.
Also there was nothing as good as patting your hero's on the back and giving them your autograph book to sign and the stark realisation half your hero's didn't have too many teeth.
The heavy jersey full of sweat and blood and kid's thumping them on the back saying well done and nearly everyone of those players would give you the time of day and say thanks back to you and even shake your hand.
The game and the players of today IMO are a pitiful example of the things that made this game great back then.

 

[R&WTILLIDIE]

???

It means they kept breaking down easily

 

[Old Timer]

It means they kept breaking down easily

We all know that but the conversation was actually about Stanley John Gorton the legendary winger of the 60's who coincidently had an eye candy wife (thus the ???? from D P) and it was not about the unfortunately fragile porcelain dolls Chase and Kyle Stanley.

 

[Old Timer]

Bit offended about Peter Gills name , thought he was a very underrated player.

I agree and he would have gone much better in a better team.
We were pretty ordinary in those days with no real stand outs.