RLW: Best player over the last 30 years?

[nqboy]

Just got RLW and realised it applies to everyone who played in the NRL in that time. How could Mark Graham and Ellery Hanley miss that list?

With admitted Qld bias:
1. Lewis
2. Johns
3. Meninga
4. Sterling

The next lot are grouped together in no particular order:
5. Lockyer
6. Fittler
7. Daley
8. Lazarus - The rock on which six premierships were built.
9. Clyde - Took Price's perpetual motion and added power and drive in attack and defence.
10. Kenny - Silky smooth. Effortless.
11. Langer - Possibly should be higher, but it's hard to argue with those above.
12. Rogers - At centre, 5/8 and lock, he never had the benefit of great teammates.

As are the next lot:
13. Walters - Tractor by name and nature.
14. Graham - Better than any Australian opponents that the media idolised in his era.
15. Webcke - Proof that hard work can overcome a lack of outrageous talent.
16. Tallis - Raging Bull was a great moniker
17. Miles - I've had him higher for years. One of my favourites.
18. Hanley - May have ranked higher had he stayed here longer
19. Cronin - 4 premiership as the elder stateman of Parra's golden generation.
20. Ray Price - Another who showed what could be done with more heart than anything.
21. Mortimer - An attacking genius, an inspirational leader and a fine cover defender.

And these blokes make up the numbers:
22. Jack - I only saw Eadie near the end. Jack was a good hole runner but revolutionised the game by rolling players on their back as they seemed certain to score.
23. Harragon - Inspirational passion
24. Elias - Revolutionised the game with inventive dummy half play
25. Lamb - Not a great talent but a heart as big as Phar Lap's helped him bridge the gap.
26. Civoniceva - A quiet achiever. Consistent over a long period in the toughest position in the game..
27. Menzies - Zorba talked me into it.
28. Ettingshausen - At FB, centre or on the Rep wing, his longevity and sustained brilliance gets him a gig.
29. Lindner - One of my favourites, though I don't expect many will agree.
30. Roberts - Could have been even better if not hampered by so many injuries.

 

[nqboy]

That was hard work.

 

[Johns Magic]

I think Kennedy must go close to making the top 30.

 

[eels_fan_01]

I think Kennedy must go close to making the top 30.

Agreed.

 

[mongoose]

That was hard work.

no room for Stuart?

 

[Red Bear]

The list is joke. Rugby League Week is a joke. Lewis is the best footballer I’ve ever seen. Langer was the most dominate footballer of the 90’s and only at best, should have Sterling and Johns above him on a top 30 list.

langer dominant football of the 90's? Nup. Stuart was a better player for a start.

I personally think the best few footballers have to be good all round players, i dont think a player like lockyer or even old trippy langer should be top 5 when their defence is questionable at best, compared to say the likes of some others who played in similar positions such as johns fittle lewis etc.

The top 5 i have seen (95--->)

Johns
Fittler
Lazerus
Clyde
Daley

 

[nqboy]

Kennedy was hard to leave out. Stuart less so, but still difficult.

 

[Marshall_magic]

What about Stacy Jones and Ruben Wiki?

 

[Dazraider]

Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley , Both had the defense as well and even though Lewis also had the defense he could not match the brilliance of these two.
id rate them 10 and lewis 9.5
after that the next best has to be Meninga

 

[Raider_69]

Am i to assume that the watlers you named is Steve, nqboy?

Not a bad list, but i cant believe you dont think Stuart isnt in the top 30 players of the last 30 years...

 

[Green Machine]

langer dominant football of the 90's? Nup. Stuart was a better player for a start.

Stuart was dominate from 93-95. Langer did every year

I personally think the best few footballers have to be good all round players, i dont think a player like lockyer or even old trippy langer should be top 5 when their defence is questionable at best, compared to say the likes of some others who played in similar positions such as johns fittle lewis etc.

I thought Langer was OK in defence for such a small guy. His Cumberland Throw was borderline at times

The top 5 i have seen (95--->)

Johns
Fittler
Lazerus
Clyde
Daley

They’re all pretty good, but Clyde did not play much footy from 95 onwards due to injury. His best footy was pre 95

 

[_Johnsy]

The list is joke. Rugby League Week is a joke. Lewis is the best footballer I’ve ever seen. Langer was the most dominate footballer of the 90’s and only at best, should have Sterling and Johns above him on a top 30 list.

Yeah, because they dont have the same list as you. :lol: :lol:

 

[Green Machine]

Yeah, because they dont have the same list as you. :lol: :lol:

Sorry Johnys, I didn’t realise you were a Geyer fan,

 

[Mr Saab]

Sorry Johnys, I didn’t realise you were a Geyer fan,

Or a Tony Adams fan

 

[_Johnsy]

Mate I am not. Saying the list is a joke shows your complete inability to respect anothers opinion.

I dont agree with some of the choices, I also think some of yours are ridiculous, but that's your opinion. I dont call yours a joke, why. Because to you they are valid. Try not to get too upset over someone elses choices. This type of list will always create contrversy and allegations of bias, just as you have shown in your posts.

 

[Canard]

I think Kennedy must go close to making the top 30.

Always used to rate Kennedy, but that f*cking dive in Origin has forever tainted his career for me.

 

[nqboy]

Always used to rate Kennedy, but that f*cking dive in Origin has forever tainted his career for me.

Might have been that that made the difference for me too

 

[nqboy]

Am i to assume that the watlers you named is Steve, nqboy?

Tractor by name and nature 68.

Not a bad list, but i cant believe you dont think Stuart isnt in the top 30 players of the last 30 years...

No argument here but try it for yourself to see how hard it is. Post your list and I'll point out a few ommissions that deserved to be in it.

 

[nqboy]

What about Stacy Jones and Ruben Wiki?

The Jones boy was in a group of halves that didn't quite make my list, Stuart, Alexander etc. Given that I had so many 5/8s, I wanted to guard against giving all the accolades to the glamours and reward a few of the blokes that dug the well. Wiki, yeah, but was he better than Lazarus, Webcke, Harragon and Civoniceva?

 

[nqboy]

I started by scratching out the obvious donkeys (Berrigan etc). That eliminated about 1/3. Then I thought I'd pick a touring squad, two of everything and four reserves. My wingers were Grothe, Sailor, ET and O'Connor. Then I cut most of those because, as the saying goes, wingers are just blokes who like to hang around with footballers and the only reason they score so many tries is that they're marked by other wingers. Good players all, I just didn't rate them as vital to their team as other positions.