The Black Pearl

[bronco_buddy]

Steve Renouf was know as 'The Pearl'.

Wasn't 'the Black Pearl' the boat in 'Pirates of the Carribean"?:lol:

 

[Knight87]

How do you think Ellery Hanley would go, if he was playing today in his prime?

 

[Mr Saab]

How do you think Ellery Hanley would go, if he was playing today in his prime?

He would be a top 5 player

 

[DeeGan]

Where would Hanley rank today?

He would put the "best of Britain" to shame - put it that way. The best players from Great Britain over the past 5-10 years wouldn't be anywhere near him, he would put their "great white hopes" Farrell (now in Union) and Sculthorpe to shame.

Hanley would be challenging for the tag of world's best forward and player in his prime.

 

[Garts]

I was too young to remember his playing ability, all I do remember is him being assisted from the field in the GF.

 

[pennywisealfie]

ive never seen what terry lamb did to ellery hanley, does anyone know of a link to a video of it?

 

[Munky]

That is one highlights reel.

I'm to young to have seen him in his prime but he appears to have everything.

A great step, insane fend, speed and support play.

 

[DeeGan]

That is one highlights reel.

I'm to young to have seen him in his prime but he appears to have everything.

A great step, insane fend, speed and support play.

Everything and then some.

Unlike some of his modern day compatriots who want to lay claim to being a challenger for 'world's best [insert position]', Hanley came to Australia and earnt the respect of all - he was an out and out star.

 

[taste2taste]

Terry Lamb had his measure...

I wonder why the NRL didnt have that incident in their commercial this year.

So much vision of the game winning moments from past GF's but they forgot to include Lamb's play which guaranteed victory for the dogs..... dirty dirty player


That was the year tigers players say Hanley got them to the GF almost on his own, they were the first team ever to make a GF finishing in 5th position (remembering only 5 teams qualified for the finals back then) When Hanley linked up with the tigers for the second half of the season they had a remarkable run of victorys. Every one was cheering for the Tigers in that GF..it would have been the ultimate fairy tale season.

 

[innsaneink]

I wonder why the NRL didnt have that incident in their commercial this year.

So much vision of the game winning moments from past GF's but they forgot to include Lamb's play which guaranteed victory for the dogs..... dirty dirty player


That was the year tigers players say Hanley got them to the GF almost on his own, they were the first team ever to make a GF finishing in 5th position (remembering only 5 teams qualified for the finals back then) When Hanley linked up with the tigers for the second half of the season they had a remarkable run of victorys. Every one was cheering for the Tigers in that GF..it would have been the ultimate fairy tale season.

Dont think there is vision of it, every time I watched that game it goes un-noticed by the cameras and the commentators.

 

[Willow]

would you say that Ellery Hanley was better than Martin Offiah?

Completely different players.
Offiah was a specialist winger, Hanley could play a number of positions from five-eighth to centre to the back row.

Nowadays, Hanley is apparently doing well as coach of Doncaster in the lower division English National League (NL2).

 

[mightybears]

ive never seen what terry lamb did to ellery hanley, does anyone know of a link to a video of it?

I don't think the camera caught it, i was at the 1988 GF and i missed it too.
All i saw was Hanley on the ground-then getting up like he'd been mugged!

 

[mepelthwack]

Ellery would be top 3 players in the world today and in 88 was certainly number 1 player in the world over the 2nd half of the NRL season.

Balmain thrashed Brisbane in the final round in their own battle for fifth spot, before Ellery made the semi-finals his own, dominating in each Balmain victory as they charged to the GF, only to be cruelly and totally illegally taken out early by the biggest act of GF thuggery ever seen, or remembered.

Seeing Ellery running away for a try against the Eels in the mid 90's in his final game (?) for Balmain was truly a magical sight !!

 

[Hanscholo]

Hanley and Renouf. Both were amazing.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Ellery would be top 3 players in the world today and in 88 was certainly number 1 player in the world over the 2nd half of the NRL season.

Balmain thrashed Brisbane in the final round in their own battle for fifth spot, before Ellery made the semi-finals his own, dominating in each Balmain victory as they charged to the GF, only to be cruelly and totally illegally taken out early by the biggest act of GF thuggery ever seen, or remembered.

Seeing Ellery running away for a try against the Eels in the mid 90's in his final game (?) for Balmain was truly a magical sight !!

I remember that game, Ellery was on his last feet as a RL player but still left something for fans to remember him buy, i think it was 97 at Leichardt. The guy was a freak

 

[Knight87]

in what period (years) would you say that Ellery was at his peak and in what position did he play at his best? (like, how was he like as a player, when he came back to Australia for his last years in the mid-1990s, in comparison to when he was in Australia in the late 1980s?) Bearing in mind, that he did play at first-grade level (in both UK and Australia combined) for nearly 20 yrs. my goodness, you'd have to be extremely fit today to play even half that long. Playing to 36 yrs of age isn't for the faint hearted. Only other player in the last 20 yrs who played to that age, that I can think of was Allan Langer.

 

[Mr_Ugly]

would you say that Ellery Hanley was better than Martin Offiah?

Hanley sh!ts over Offiah. Offiah was fast - that's it. He had no defence and did little in attack other than run fast if he got the ball in space - can't remember him ever creating anything. How Offiah played in so many internationals is beyond me.

 

[mepelthwack]

in what period (years) would you say that Ellery was at his peak and in what position did he play at his best? (

I would say he peaked in 1988 in the semi-finals with Balmain and was at the top of his game when Lamb took him out. This should not be understated.

Therefore his best position was 5/8 !!

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

Hanley sh!ts over Offiah. Offiah was fast - that's it. He had no defence and did little in attack other than run fast if he got the ball in space - can't remember him ever creating anything. How Offiah played in so many internationals is beyond me.

lol, talk about underselling a player

If Offiah was merely fast, he would've been Shane Whereat or Lee Oudenryn or Matthew Rieck. There are always plenty of speedsters around who are sh*t.

Offiah wasn't one of them. He was the best try-scorer of the modern era. Speed, balance, footwork, the vision to run the right lines, etc. He was one of the all-time great ball-runners, not just fast.

 

[nqboy]

lol, talk about underselling a player

If Offiah was merely fast, he would've been Shane Whereat or Lee Oudenryn or Matthew Rieck. There are always plenty of speedsters around who are sh*t.

Offiah wasn't one of them. He was the best try-scorer of the modern era. Speed, balance, footwork, the vision to run the right lines, etc. He was one of the all-time great ball-runners, not just fast.

Agree. There's a hell of a lot more to getting the ball across the line than just being fast. One of those players with a nose for a try, he would find a way to plant it across the stripe when no-one else could.