The 'Premier' Premiers...

[Mr Saab]

In my opinion, the Canberra sides of 89/90 & Brisbane of 92 would've overcome most of the more recent Premiers...

those were great sides, but i would lean more towards the Raiders of 1994 and Broncos of 1998.
Those 2 teams were without peer from the past 12 yrs.
Have to remember that the 10m rule was introduced in mid 1993 and changed the game dramatically...therefore it would be unfair to compare the eels of 1986 with the broncos or raiders of the 1990s as the 10m rule changes everything.

 

[League Freak™]

I wouldnt say neither side could defend. The Panthers stuffed the Roosters in the game that mattered.


I think the best lineup Ive ever seen by far was the 1994 Canberra Raiders.

 

[UndertakerMike]

That 1999 Premiership side would go alright against any side.

 

[Raider_69]

those were great sides, but i would lean more towards the Raiders of 1994 and Broncos of 1998.
Those 2 teams were without peer from the past 12 yrs.
Have to remember that the 10m rule was introduced in mid 1993 and changed the game dramatically...therefore it would be unfair to compare the eels of 1986 with the broncos or raiders of the 1990s as the 10m rule changes everything.

agreed, those two teams you mentioned were absolutely amazing, the style in which they dominated their respective season was amazing

Raiders 1994 V Brisbane 1998, now that would have been some match, not much i wouldnt pay for a ticket for that game.

Panthers 03 V Knights 01 would be a decent under card match to get the footy juices flowing too and also 0Manly 96 V Roosters 02 would be good for some brutal defencive efforts.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

In a hypothetical match-up, which of the Premiers of the last 5 years would come out on top, & in which order?

2004
Bulldogs
2003
Penrith
2002
Syd Roosters
2001
Newcastle
2000
Brisbane


My picks are;

1. Brisbane 2000
2. Bulldogs 2004
3. Roosters 2002
4. Newcastle 2001
5. Penrith 2003

& if your memory stretches back that far, how about the last 10 years?
1999
Melbourne
1998
Brisbane
1997 SL
Brisbane
1997 ARL
Newcastle
1996
Manly-Waringah
1995
Sydney Bulldogs

I'm not including the 94 Raiders as good as they were coz its the last 10 years - and brokendigit has not gone back that far.

1. 2002 Roosters
2. 1996 Sea Eagles
3. 2000 Broncos
4. 2004 Bulldogs
5. 2001 Knights

Even though the Roosters only hit top gear about 9 rounds out from the semis in 02, they were the side that no-one could beat - they were playing awesome. Similarly, no one could get Manly in 96 (even the humble Dragons in the GF) and were by far the dominant side all season. Of all the sides in the last 10 years, these two were never gonna get beaten for the title IMO. I could only separate these two by "who'd win in a matchup of the two". For mine, Roosters....just.

 

[Mr Saab]

Canberra 1994

mullins
nadruku
meninga
wiki
negas
daley
stuart
croker
fruner
clyde
pongia
walters
osborne/Lomax (lomax suspended for the GF)

Brisbane 1998

Lockyer
Sailor
Renouf
D Smith
Devere/Hancock (hancock injured thumb and started from bench in GF)
walters
langer
TC/Ryan (Ryan suspended for GF)
Tallis
Thorn
Webcke
Lee
Gee

 

[Raider_69]

i think the backlines and halves just about cancell each other out. So it comes down to forward packs (and maybe alittle biased) but i think the raiders pack, particually back row and hooker have it over their brisbane counter parts

 

[Mr Saab]

well being "biased" i would say the broncos pack are too big too strong for the raiders of 1994

TC playing well
Tallis in his prime
Thorn in his prime
Webcke a bull at 23 yrs of age
Gee a no nonsense player and take no prisoners attitude.

the only position canberra really dominate in over the broncos is hooker.

 

[perverse]

well being "biased" i would say the broncos pack are too big too strong for the raiders of 1994

TC playing well
Tallis in his prime
Thorn in his prime
Webcke a bull at 23 yrs of age
Gee a no nonsense player and take no prisoners attitude.

the only position canberra really dominate in over the broncos is hooker.

looks like the only subject i really disagree with you is anything in regards to joey.. lol
i think that broncos team does have an edge in the forwards. then again the raiders have an extra forward in the centres :lol:
hard to say really... canberra definately have the better hooker though.

 

[Mr Saab]

yes perverse...i am a reasonable person when the subject isnt joey johns!

 

[Raider_69]

front row is a no contest to the broncos, no doubt
As with the hooker position for canberra
but a back row of a raging Brad Clyde, Hard working toiler of a Jason Croker in his prime and David Furner cause some havok on the fringes. I think it just with those three combined, it just narrowly shades the broncos back row... also we had two extra forwards in Wiki and Mengina out in the centres :lol:
f**k me if that isnt one of the most feirce and intimidating centre pairing in recent history

 

[Mr Saab]

wiki wasnt as big back then as he is today. He was a lean 90kg centre.
Renouf would have caused him problems.
As for Mal, well, Mal is Mal and has no peer. Having said that, Smith was a very good defensive centre back in those days.
Brisbanes forwards would have steam rolled over the raiders boys ;-)

 

[anjado]

1.Brisbane 2000
2.Penrith 2003
3.Bulldogs 2004
4.Roosters 2002
5.Knights 2001

increadibly hard to pick
i went with the first 2 because they were minor premiers
even though i support Penrith
the broncos dominated in 2000 more then Penrith did in 2003
which is why i chose them

 

[Raiders Plight]

Of the last 5 years i would say the 2004 bulldogs just for their monstrous forward pack and bench. They scored a sh*t load of points too, but Mason, O'meley, Williams, Ryan and Price were unstoppable. Sherwin had the most dangerous kicking game in the comp too.

The 2001 knights were awesome in the grand final but they had a less than great defensive record during the season.

I'm not going to go into the rest, all worthy premiers though.

 

[Raider_69]

wiki wasnt as big back then as he is today. He was a lean 90kg centre.
Renouf would have caused him problems.
As for Mal, well, Mal is Mal and has no peer. Having said that, Smith was a very good defensive centre back in those days.
Brisbanes forwards would have steam rolled over the raiders boys ;-)

Dreaming Sabb, but even if that were the case Stuart and Daley would have been putting Big Mal, Noa, Mullins and Flash over for meat pies all day!
Renouf would of been lucky to get out of the game alive with the way wiki and meninga hit ;-)

 

[Mr Saab]

you said it yourself that the front row (props) is a no contest to the broncos!
Langer would have caused the defence nightmares with his runs and short kicking game.
Langer would have made Mullins look like scott wilson in the 1994 GF and sheens would have punted him and put in albert fulavai!!

 

[Raider_69]

your kidding yourself sabb :lol:
94 Raiders would have put the shameful broncos to the sword, Mullins, Big Mal, Nagas and Noa would have had a feild day on the end of Sticky and Daleys kicking games, they would have made Lockyer look pederstian! And thats some sort of achivement ;-)

 

[RiotAct]

comparing teams from different eras is pointless

 

[perverse]

comparing teams from different eras is pointless

fun though

 

[Mad Dogg]

1. Broncos 2000
2. Bulldogs 2004
3. Roosters 2002

*daylight*

4. Penrith 2003
5. Newcastle 2001

I don't really rate the Penrith and Newcastle sides that much. No doubt they would good sides, but they didn't have the all-round team that the other three did. If Parra had finished the job in 2001 they'd be up there with them, but it didn't happen...