Changa said:
Mundine was seen as a liablity in defence and probably rightly so...poor tackling technique and ineffective at stopping bigger men's offloads. Tended to slap at the ball quite often which would be a huge problem now days with the 2-man stripping rule. However as an attacking 5/8 he had it all, strong running game and footwork, creativity, vision and precision in everything he did. His short kicking game was also second to none. He was not an organiser nor was he often a 1st choice field kicker, but I suppose having Goldthorpe outside him he did'nt have to be. As a 5/8 camped in the opponents halves there was no 5/8 id rather have to create tries.
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I think you pointed out in your own post why Mundine is rated below the other top 5/8ths, rugby league is a multi facted game. No doubt Mundine's running game was great, he had a pretty good short kicking game, but that was about it.
Mundine was not as well rounded as the likes of fittler or daley, and both those guys had good running games. But unlike Mundine both were very good defenders, in fact Daley in particular was at times a punishing defender (memorably smashed andrew gee off a tap in origin). Mundine could only be classed as a solid defender at best, and at times a horrible defender. That is the biggest reason Mundine is not in the same class. You cannot be a great attacking player and weak defencive player to be ranked among the best.
His lack of all round quality means he ranks below the best 5/8ths of his era (daley and fittler), good player but not great. He didn't make rep sides because he wasn't good enough. Same category as the likes of kevie walters, mathew johns.
