SJ.

[JJ]

Adam Blair was a dynamic player for Melbourne.

He was very good, dynamic? Maybe, Bellamy certainly got the best out of him

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Adam Blair was a dynamic player for Melbourne.

Hahaha this is the thing that should catapult Bellamy into the hall of fame

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

I will say that I believe Bluey got an absolutely raw deal from the players in that side. As you say, we actually played pretty well - round 1 we matched Manly (the premiers), Round 2 battered Parra, we were actually in the 8 as late as round 19. Lost three close games to Brisbane, Newcastle and Manly, then gave up and started getting belted by 40+

Bluey could coach, but they did him dirty by not allowing him to be an assistant first. Then the players knew they could lay down and stop playing, and blame it on him as an inexperienced coach in the NRL.

I remember our defense was lacking, but that attack was pretty slick. Love Bluey.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I remember our defense was lacking, but that attack was pretty slick. Love Bluey.

Oddly I reckon a Bluey plus Kearney pairing actually could’ve worked.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

He was very good, dynamic? Maybe, Bellamy certainly got the best out of him

Can’t stand the guy, but he was robbed of the Churchill in 09 in the cheating side

 

[JJ]

Can’t stand the guy, but he was robbed of the Churchill in 09 in the cheating side

lemme guess, Slater? Just had to turn up for unconditional praise

 

[Beavers Headgear]

lemme guess, Slater? Just had to turn up for unconditional praise

Correct, everyone in the stands laughed when Slater was announced

 

[JJ]

Correct, everyone in the stands laughed when Slater was announced

Thou shalt not question the performance, skill or character of Billy who redefined the play of fullbacks. This is the way.

 

[JJ]

In all seriousness, I do get tired of the whole ‘he redefined how the position is’ bollocks…. Someone suggested Steve Walters the other day, great player, but surely Elias is the better candidate for that label if it must be used. Great players are great players, but fullbacks were doing things Slater did before he arrived, he was just better at most…. But just without giving it much though, Mullins was probably a more dangerous runner (so was Inglis and at one point it was suggested he should be Storm fullback), Lockyer a better more dangerous ball player, many were better defenders, and many were great communicators on defence etc etc

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Yeah I never understood how Slater "redefined the position" because stylistically, he was primarily a ball-runner. Before Slater came along, you had Lockyer playing fullback who was obviously a vastly better playmaker than Slater. What exactly did Slater redefine about fullback play? He was neither the most skillful nor the most explosively athletic. I always found his constant effort and fitness impressive, not any sort of unique skillset he brought to the position.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

I probably get accused of being biased lol, but 2008 Brett Stewart was ahead of Slater in selection for rep teams (pulled out of World Cup squad), and outside of kick returns, had Billy covered in every area. He was already doing the ball playing creative stuff that saw Slater fawned over years before Billy started doing it. 2009 & 2010 knee injuries put him on the back foot and he never got the recognition deserved after that. 163 tries in 233 games is phenomenal even with the injuries catching up to him at the end

2007 and 2008 Grand Finals, 2009 and 2010 played 6 games total through injury, 2011 Premiership, 2013 Grand Final shows his influence and over that period he won over 75% of games he played in

 

[JJ]

Slater had the longevity I guess, but redefined nothing - also, it didn't last long, but I doubt there's been better than peak Hayne - line up peak Hayne, Stewart, Tom T, Tedesco, Slater and anyone else, and I'm not picking Slater tbh

As an aside @Beavers Headgear - Stewart or Tom? FWIW I think Tom is the better player, but at club level Stewart was terrific

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Slater had the longevity I guess, but redefined nothing - also, it didn't last long, but I doubt there's been better than peak Hayne - line up peak Hayne, Stewart, Tom T, Tedesco, Slater and anyone else, and I'm not picking Slater tbh

As an aside @Beavers Headgear - Stewart or Tom? FWIW I think Tom is the better player, but at club level Stewart was terrific

Was actually having this chat with someone the other day, Stewart for me, but another 3-4 years at this level and Tom gets him. He is bloody lucky to have Stewart there coaching him

pick a side from 1990 onwards and Tom can play wing or centre in the same side. All the old timers say they don’t compare to Eadie though. Ridge isn’t a bad number 4 option either, been pretty lucky

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

I reckon Tom T is on the verge of becoming underrated, or rather what his career could have been without injuries is becoming underrated. I'm not sure anyone is really better than a fit Tom T, it's just that you only get half a season at a time and he's playing injured for half of that.