The Best of the Rest

[nqboy]

Remember the 80s when the best of the Poms and the Kiwis would have challenged Australia's might? Remember Mark Graham, Hugh McGahan, Joe Lydon, Martin Offiah, Ellery Hanley, Andy Platt, Kevin Ward and so on?

What side would the Best of the Rest field today? I just don't see those great players around anymore.

I'll give you Sculthorpe, Fielden and Morley from the Poms, RA, Jones, SBW, Lauititi and Wiki from the Kiwis. Any others?

 

[Red Bear]

Richard Horne is meant to be good.
Vagana and Senior wouldnt be a bad center pairing, and Vainakolo aint half bad.

 

[ozboy]

Your right, all the great players GB once had are now gone and never been replaced, though the NZ test team is probably at its strongest ever in terms of depth and star player quantity considering the likes of Jones and Toopi are out.

If i was to name a best of the rest team, this would be it:
1-Vagana (has to be in there somewhere)
2-Utai
3-Senior
4-Toopi
5-Vainikolo
6-McGuire
7-Jones
8-Rauhihi
9-Newton
10-Wiki
11-Puletua
12-Morley
13-Williams

14-Fielden
15-Farrell
16-Sculthorpe
17-Galavau

 

[LaCuna Coil]

I'm still not overly sure that'd beat the strongest Australian team

 

[ozboy]

I'm still not overly sure that'd beat the strongest Australian team

They wouldnt win, but at least they would be competitive.

 

[dimitri]

didnt nz beat aus last year???

 

[LaCuna Coil]

It's now October 2004, so that's pretty irrelevant.

 

[ozboy]

didnt nz beat aus last year???

Didnt Aus beat NZ this year ?
Before last year wasnt NZs last victory in 99?
Wasnt last years team the worst Kangaroos team ever?
Didnt Aus comprehensively beat NZ in the world cup final?
Didnt Aus put 50 odd points on them a couple of years ago?

 

[bartman]

No point talking about these two - Richard Horne is injured, and Stacey Jones has retired from internationals. Current Kiwi pack looks good, and when you mix the GB and NZ sides together, you've got the quality to give Australia a run.

Australia's current class really comes through in the halves for mine, and has all the way back through to the 80s, despite the stars mentioned.

 

[Roc-A-Fella]

didnt nz beat aus last year???

Didnt Aus beat NZ this year ?
Before last year wasnt NZs last victory in 99?
Wasnt last years team the worst Kangaroos team ever?
Didnt Aus comprehensively beat NZ in the world cup final?
Didnt Aus put 50 odd points on them a couple of years ago?

I reckon this years team is up there as one of the worst

 

[thuganomics]

What was last years side

 

[Nugby]

Remember, the "Improbables"?, the team no-one thought could beat the English side, but Kimmorley, for once in his life, lead his team to victory. We were screwed last year for internationals thanks to injuries.

 

[ozboy]

didnt nz beat aus last year???

Didnt Aus beat NZ this year ?
Before last year wasnt NZs last victory in 99?
Wasnt last years team the worst Kangaroos team ever?
Didnt Aus comprehensively beat NZ in the world cup final?
Didnt Aus put 50 odd points on them a couple of years ago?

I reckon this years team is up there as one of the worst

The forward pack is good, but the backline is not of the same standard that has graced us for the last 30 odd years, thouh in saying that it is a much better team than last year.

 

[Corbin]

yeh i havent seen a full strenght team aussie team, esspecially now quality players have retired from rep footy...