RLW: Best player over the last 30 years?

[LRC]

And Fittler played allot of footy against the unlited interchange rules where their were less tired defenders who were rotated continually just to mark him...yet he still stood out more often than not..no other player player of that era stood out asmuch besides joey who potentially the greatest.
No coincidence that when the interchange rule changed again...Fittler took it uo a gear in the last 3 years of his football.

 

[Munky]

Mr 33% (Fittler) won 2/6 grand finals and took 3 matches to have a 'fairy tale' Origin finish.

Not good enough for the best player in 3 decades. One of his premierships came when he was in a star studded Panthers side.

Even though Johns has the same amount of premierships he dominated the GFs he played in. Fittler was anomynous in 3/4 he played for the Roosters (well considering his rating in the game.)

Lockyers defence is an issue but his best years came at fullback and he was brilliant there.

I never saw enough of Stuart and Langer. Lewis was way before my time.

I'm not going to vote in the poll since I can really only choose Johns or Lockyer.

It's a shame we don't have a player who has such a dominant record that we can't argue.

 

[Slackboy72]

The list given above seems to be for people who can't remember back 30 years. There are a lot of great players omitted from the RLW and this forums thinking.

 

[Marshall_magic]

OTHER - Sterlo.

 

[Whats Doing]

Johns because he had all the skills and was amazingly concistent in most matches played whether it was at half or hooker.

Then Lockyer who has been brilliant at both fullback (his best position) and 5/8 but had defensive weaknesses which has improved over the years.

Then Meninga who was dominant whether it was representative or club football.

I dont' rate Lewis as high as although hi was brilliant in some of the SOO. he was given some of the MOM awards when clearly there were better players. He was also not that consistent in club football. He was not one of the fittest footballers going around which probably contributed to his inconsistency especially in club football.

From a forwards perpsective, I agree that Lazzo would be up there, with Ben Kennedy and Bedsy not far behind who were all inspirational footballers.

 

[Charlie124]

Laurie Spina

 

[DeeGan]

The list given above seems to be for people who can't remember back 30 years. There are a lot of great players omitted from the RLW and this forums thinking.

I tend to agree and took the liberty of adding Langer, though I wasn't going to list twenty/thirty players. As mentioned Sterling would be in this debate somewhere.

As opposed to being overly critical, how about adding your 2c and shed light on some players some who are younger than you can read about.

 

[Prodigiousman]

Where's the love for Laurie Daley.

Catalyst behind the NSW dominance of the early to mid 1990s in Origin, 3 Premierships, 4 Grand Finals, Australian skipper.

To be honest he's up there with Lewis and Johns as the Top 3 I've seen since the mid-1980s. Lockyer, Sterling, Langer, Fittler, Meninga in the next bracket but this is all opinion.

Will be interesting to see the criteria they go with.

 

[Canard]

Lewis was the greatest player Ive ever seen, he DOMINATED origin for 10 years, Origin is easily the gold standard of league and dominate that is something else.

Lewis was amazing for Valleys, Wynumm and the Broncos, by the time he was at the Seagulls he was getting on a bit, but you could still see the genius.

Fittler was wildly inconsistent at club level, and even Johns was pretty up and down at Origin bar his amazing "Lewis" like combeback game, which even as a Queenslander was incredible to watch.

 

[Slackboy72]

Well apart from the forwards I mentioned before there's also:
Sterling
Kenny
Cliff Lyons
Kerry Boustead
Eric Grothe
Steve Edge
Steve Rogers
Michael O'Connor
Terry Lamb (maybe ???)
Benny Elias
Steve Roach

Again the list is too playmaker centric. No playmaker ever played a match winning game without the forwards giving them field position or the backs to give them options. Hell I would even consider Minichello in the list as I can't recall many fullbacks who have performed their job as well as he has. The playmakers get the plaudits because their job stands out more than others. But as before my best is still Glen Lazarus.

 

[dallymessenger]

johns is the best RL player ever.

couldnt give a stuff about his off field problems.

time and again hes shown what he can do.

1997 and 2001 GF.

plus the origin a few yrs back where he destroyed a strong queensland side on his own.

 

[Raider_69]

why fittler is in that list ahead of daley is beyond me but i digress.

Lewis, followed by Sterlo, Daley and Johns... trying to split those 3 is tough... Clyde, Walters, Fittler, Langer, Lockyer etc not far behind them

 

[Slackboy72]

Where's the love for Laurie Daley.

I guess everyone here hates him for that haircut he had last year on Fox. :lol:

But seriously, he and Stuart changed the way the game was played so yeah, add him and Sticky in.

Lewis was the greatest player Ive ever seen, he DOMINATED origin for 10 years

Lewis, as pointed out before, is let down by his club record. Fittler however made the rooters a force where previously they had been weak.

 

[Walt Flanigan]

Mal Meninga.

He didn't even have to do anything on the football field. His mere presence was an advantage.

 

[dallymessenger]

freddy was OK i suppose, never a player i liked that much but he was talented.

still think joey has him on toast.

if lewis had come over to manly earlier in his career and showed he repeat his origin form in the ARL, hed get the gong.

johns has been strong in the nrl for over a decade, plus going well in origin and for oz.

the number of Dally Ms he won, and wouldve won if not jor suspension or injury plus other awards.

 

[_Johnsy]

Johns for me by a good 1/2 length over walter. Johns will always have the most dominant origin performance ever, with massive questions hanging over him before the game. Simply the best big game player ever.

 

[GotheTITANS]

Andrew Johns for a number of reasons. But 2 outsatnding reasons that set him apart from the rest is his goal kicking and the nack he had of improving the players around him 10 fold.

 

[pennywisealfie]

wtf are you all talking about with lewis' "poor club record". he won numerous premierships, just because you are too ignorant to acknowledge his career in brisbane doesnt make him any less of a player. granted that u cant rate him high coz u havent seen enough of him, fair enough, but u cant say hes had a sh*t club career, coz he hasnt.

I voted for alfie, he was the best ive ever seen, and for the person who picked johns and then said that alfie got shown up by stuart, all i gotta say about johns is brett kimmorley.

 

[Parra]

The correct answer is Brett Kenny

 

[Rutager]

Steve Mortimer.