The 8th immortal?

[God-King Dean]

Provans, Stirling, Johns, Lockyer.

 

[the_flight_of_the_magpie]

Paul Gallen

 

[Loudstrat]

Couldn't care less to be honest.

The immortals is basically a list of the editors favourite players from when they were kids, in no way resembling a list of the greatest players to ever play the game.

The NRL seriously needs to stop promoting this ridiculous list and start promoting its own Hall of Fame

I agree. The first 4 were right, but they should have been posted as the POST WAR immortals. It has been watered down ever since. Changa only got his because he was deadlocked with Gasnier in the first one. Wally got his from Queensland politics, and Artie got his for the same as this one - "lets have another one"

If it is fair dinkum, the next names added to the list will be in this order:

Dally Messenger
Dave Brown
Ken Irvine
Harold Horder
Andrew Johns

 

[Big Pete]

Meninga.

Johns can wait until Lockyer's eligible and they can get inducted together in a cute little ceremony.

 

[carcharias]

being the size of a truck was an unfair advantage for Mal.

 

[perverse]

Johns drug admissions won't stop him being an immortal any more than it has stopped him having a TV career. no matter what you think of him, he is Rugby League royalty, and will be recognised officially as such (hell, he already has - being named halfback of the century) in due course.

whether he's the next one or not is debatable, but he's certainly one person you can guarantee is on the waiting list. i threw him my vote for this reason, i see him as a sure thing (and, of course, he is one of my heroes).

 

[Loudstrat]

Meninga was sh*t compared to the rest.

Hindy will be immortalised before whinging Mal.

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

Dally Messenger - arguably there hasn't been any player as important to the game in Australia than Dally Messenger

 

[carlosthedwarf]

Anyone other than Johns would be ridiculous. I'd rule out the pre-80s players because I think they'd have been chosen by now.

I'd also assume Lockyer is a walk up start for 9th.

 

[Murf]

I think Peter Sterling is the forgotten man in all these discussions. Excelled at every level of the game and was untouchable as its greatest player for a long time. Is a respected media figure and analyser of the game and is an all round great bloke. It should be him.

 

[Jason Maher]

The Immortals list should become official. The ARLC should buy the rights to the name from whoever currently holds it. It is such a brilliant name, and if it were our official hall of fame, it would be a nice point of difference from other sports. The key is to stretch the definition to include pre-war players, and to maintain the exclusivity of the list by only adding to it occasionally (say, 2 players every 5 years).

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

The only one's on that I didn't see play were Arthur Summons and Norm Provan.

Of that list I'd go for Provan, a touch in front of Summons and Irvine.

 

[bfoord]

For the Immortals to be taken seriously it has to be either Norm Provan or Mal Meninga both of them have done more in their careers that Johns... I have no doubt that Johns will be one one day but not yet.

having said that i wonder if it is a co-incidence that the year Johns becomes eligible they decide that its time to induct another immortal

 

[perverse]

according to the Immortals wiki page, it needs to be at least 5 years post-retirement before a player is declared an immortal. Johns retired about 5 years and a month ago.

 

[madunit]

Andrew Johns is the greatest halfback of all time

No.

There was one player who was voted the games greatest halfback in those "greatest teams ever" lists which used to be done at the start of every decade.

He was named there (from memory) in 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990 and possibly even 2000, yet was dudded in the team of the century based purely on the fact that he played before WWII.

He taught Wayne Bennett a lot of what he knows.

Duncan Thompson.

He changed the game and has been for decades now after he died. Johns will never have a legacy like that.

The fact that only post war players are declared Immortals is a load of BS.

I wouldn't be surprised if it's awarded to Meninga

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

Dally Messenger - arguably there hasn't been any player as important to the game in Australia than Dally Messenger

The immortals are from post-WWII.

If it were from 1908, the list would be very different and much longer.

 

[Big Pete]

It seems pretty coincidental that they announced the naming of the 8th immortal just as Johns became eligible.

Personally I think it's too soon for Joey to receive such an honour but I won't kick up a stink about it.

As Danish says, we should focus more on a Hall of Fame than a list Rothfield, Hadley and Rabs decide.

 

[perverse]

No.

There was one player who was voted the games greatest halfback in those "greatest teams ever" lists which used to be done at the start of every decade.

He was named there (from memory) in 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990 and possibly even 2000, yet was dudded in the team of the century based purely on the fact that he played before WWII.

He taught Wayne Bennett a lot of what he knows.

Duncan Thompson.

He changed the game and has been for decades now after he died. Johns will never have a legacy like that.

The fact that only post war players are declared Immortals is a load of BS.

I wouldn't be surprised if it's awarded to Meninga

just because he was the best for a long time, doesn't mean he was the best that ever played. depends how you measure greatness, i suppose.

 

[madunit]

Dally Messenger - arguably there hasn't been any player as important to the game in Australia than Dally Messenger

Chris McKivat was just as pivotal.

If he hadn't accepted the offer by NSWRL, he may not have brought his Wallabies team mates across to RL, and thus the game may have died through mounting debts.

 

[madunit]

just because he was the best for a long time, doesn't mean he was the best that ever played. depends how you measure greatness, i suppose.

The fact that the skills ideas and tactics he used in the early 1920's were used by Wayne Bennett in 80 years later and still worked is a sign of the man's brilliance.

The fact he played in Norths only premiership winning sides, he played in an Undefeated Norths side in 1921, an Undefeated Toowomba side in the mid 20's which also beat Souths (who were undefeated in 1925) as well as touring test nations England and New Zealand.

No other club team has ever achieved that feat since. He was the man behind it all.

Johns was great but in no way will anything he ever did on the field be used to win grand finals in 80 years time.

he was a gifted player no doubt and he deserves high praise, but he's not the best halfback this game as ever had and he never will be.