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St.George's Greatest Ever Side

B

Benny

First Grade
Messages
9,500
In a fantasy competition and people decided to name best ever side - this is what I came up with for St.George:

This is my Greatest Ever St.George Dragons Line-Up:

1. Graeme Langlands
2. Johnny King
3. Mark Coyne
4. Reg Gasnier
5. Eddie Lumsden
6. Brian Clay
7. Billy Smith
8. Craig Young
9. Ken Kearney
10. Kevin Ryan
11. Norma Provan
12. Rod Reddy
13. Johnny Raper

14. Ian Walsh
15. Harry Bath
16. Billy Wilson
17. Noel Pidding
 
Mr Red

Mr Red

First Grade
Messages
6,193
Norma Provan?
i think Norm would be dissapointed he didn't get a run in the side due to his sister getting in there... :)
i always hate trying to compare players over different generations but i think your side is pretty close to the mark...

someone like Nathan Blacklock would have to go close given his freakish ability to sniff out a try from nothing...

Frank Burge?
Herb Narvo?
 
Scott Gourley's Lovechild

Scott Gourley's Lovechild

Referee
Messages
23,985
1. Graeme Langlands
2. Johnny King
3. Reg Gasnier
4. Mark Coyne
5. Noel Pidding
6. Brian Clay
7. Billy Smith
8. Kevin Ryan
9. Ken Kearney
10. Billy Wilson
11. Norm Provan
12. Elton Rasmussen
13. Johnny Raper

14. Kevin Ryan
15. Barry Beath
16. Rod Reddy
17. Steve Morris

Coach: Harry Bath
 
Willow

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
111,014
Mr Angry said:
I would have Mark Gasnier over Mark Coyne.

Norm needs the (c) too.
Click to expand...

I always give it Kearney. With so many skippers in the side, you need a tough bastard up front to keep them in line.

Centre partner to Reg is the hardest choice for me as well. Hard to ignore Jack Lindwall, Matt McCoy, Michael O'Connor, Mark Coyne, Mark Gasnier (when fit) and Matt Cooper has a beaut record as well. I'm sure I've missed a few. But I picked Herb Gilbert Snr. Our first captain in first grade and a player who had a huge influence on the club and the game. Rated as one of the best centres in the first half of the 20th century.

The 'A' team
1. Graeme Langlands
2. Johnny King
3. Herb Gilbert Snr
4. Reg Gasnier
5. Nathan Blacklock
6. Brian Clay
7. Billy Smith
8. Craig Young
9. Ken Kearney (c)
10. Kevin Ryan
11. Norm Provan
12. Rod Reddy
13. Johnny Raper

14. Gorden Tallis
15. Frank Burge
16. Billy Wilson
17. Harry Bath

Vs

The 'B' Team
1. Ted Goodwin
2. Noel Pidding
3. Mark Coyne
4. Jack Lindwall
5. Eddie Lumsden
6. Phil Hawthorne
7. Bob Bugden
8. Luke Bailey
9. Ian Walsh
10. Jason Ryles
11. Graeme Wynn
12. Neville Smith
13. Aub Kelly

14. Barry Beath
15. Brad Mackay
16. Robert Stone
17. Monty Porter

Watching from the grandstand:
Arthur Justice, Clarrie Tye, Albie McAndrew, Ernie Lapham, Harry Kadwell, Len Kelly, Dick Huddart, Wally Fullerton-Smith, Steve Edge, Herb Narvo, Ricky Walford, Steve Morris, Steve Rogers, Michael O'Connor, Anthony Mundine, Arnold Traynor, Norman Hawke, Trent Barrett, Matt McCoy, Mark Gasnier, Matt Cooper, Nathan Brown, Lance Thompson, Doug Fleming and Ron Roberts.
 
Last edited:
B

Benny

First Grade
Messages
9,500
Willow what has happened to the History site as I notice sort of stopped in 2008...a lot of great stuff - particularly from Centenary in 2008 hasn't been included.

Just some information I got from site for my side to give people in my competition a history lesson:

3 Immortals (Gasnier, Raper and Langlands) + Provan (who should be an Immortal).

6 Australian Captains (Kearney, Gasnier, Walsh, Raper, Langlands and Smith).

4 Players in Team of the Century (Raper, Langlands, Gasnier and Provan)

11 Players in Greatest 100 Players of All Time (Bath, Clay, Gasnier, Kearney, King, Langlands, Lumsden, Provan, Raper, Smith and Walsh)

7 Clive Churchill Medal Winners (Provan x 3, Clay, Walsh, Langlands, Ryan, Raper and Young)

I am sure alot of these players also captained their State.

16 of 17 players played for Australia (Harry Bath is the best player in the history of the game never to play for Australia - due to long stint in English Rugby League though I think played 4 seasons in Sydney competition for 4 Premierships, also coached St.George to Premierships in 77 and 79).

11 Club Captains and 3 Premiership winning Captain/Coaches (Kearney, Provan and Walsh).
 
Willow

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
111,014
Benny said:
Willow what has happened to the History site as I notice sort of stopped in 2008...a lot of great stuff - particularly from Centenary in 2008 hasn't been included.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's not forgotten. I plan to have it back on track this year.

Had the same conversation with R2K quite recently. His history site has stalled as well. We were discussing the juggling act in trying to find time for labours of love between family work, and downtime.
 
B

Benny

First Grade
Messages
9,500
Willow said:
Yeah, it's not forgotten. I plan to have it back on track this year.

Had the same conversation with R2K quite recently. His history site has stalled as well. We were discussing the juggling act in trying to find time for labours of love between family work, and downtime.
Click to expand...

Mate there is plenty of Saints tragics on here who love and are so proud of our history who would be happy to help out - me included.

Maybe a sub forum or a sticky and people can add stuff to help you out...I could easily go and find all the Centenary stuff etc.

With Bennett moved on from his post - any chance of getting the club to utilise your history as best resource out there (they'd be crazy not to).
 
Drew-Sta

Drew-Sta

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
24,781
The club doesn't want to embrace our history, Benny. It's more interested in the 'Dragons' as a brand. In any case, there's documented cases where the club has gotten statistics incorrect, been shown the error in their data and yet continue to allow the mistake to stand.

Doust et al have little interest in promoting our past, as is often seen in the terrible 'Away' jersey.

Keeping on topic:

1. Langlands
2. King
3. R. Gasnier
4. M. Gasnier
5. Blacklock
6. Clay
7. Smith
8. Raper
9. Bath
10. Provan
11. Ryan
12. Walsh
13. Young

14. Bailey
15. Stone
16. Huddart
17. Morris

To me, as strong a side as any in the history of Rugby League and picked with the intend of competing in today's game. The bench compliments the Top 13, with Bailey and Stone coming on to replace Young and Ryan when needed. Dick Huddart brings a huge amount of impact off the bench when Harry Bath gets tired and good ole Norm will play the 80 minutes.

Ian Walsh is, to my opinion, the better technical hooker out of him and Kearney, and would probably survive today's game.

Slippery could play 1-7 and act as utility hooker should the need arise.

I wasn't going to pick M. Gas, but despite it all he is one of the most brilliant players I've ever seen when on the field and having his head switched on. The prospect of having Gas Snr set up Johnny King on the left only to then have Gas Jnr set up Tingha on the right is, to me, just an amazing opportunity any pivot would want.

With Billy Smith at half, you need someone with good ball distribution and I think Clay has the ability to do this.

Of all the recent year losses, Bull Bailey is the one that I miss the most. I almost tear up thinking what we could have done with Weyman and Bailey under Bennett.
 
Saint Jack

Saint Jack

Juniors
Messages
161
Almost impossible - with different eras - but here goes ... ;-)

1. Graeme Langlands
2. Johnny King
3. Mark Gasnier
4. Reg Gasnier
5. Michael O'Connor
6. Phil Hawthorne
7. Billy Smith
8. Craig Young
9. Ken Kearney (c)
10. Kevin Ryan
11. Norm Provan
12. Rod Reddy
13. Johnny Raper

14. Teddy Goodwin
15. Graeme Wynn
16. Billy Wilson
17. Harry Bath

To think I left Huddart, Morris, Porter and Clay etc etc out ... :oops:
 
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