Top 10 centres today

[Padds]

Jamie's been playing outstanding centre rugby for Saints for the last season and a bit.

And i don't think he has played centre since Rnd 1, 2004.

 

[super_coach]

It all depends,on who throwing you the pass to put you into daylight---all good centres,have good half in front of them,its the great ones who can do it on their own.Gaz can create somthing out of nothing,Inglis not far behind,whataiura he is lethal close to the line,but most of the others are depending on the vision of an inside man----Ryan Cross,over rated,injury prone-not in my top 20

 

[Tommy Smith]

It all depends,on who throwing you the pass to put you into daylight---all good centres,have good half in front of them,its the great ones who can do it on their own.Gaz can create somthing out of nothing,Inglis not far behind,whataiura he is lethal close to the line,but most of the others are depending on the vision of an inside man----Ryan Cross,over rated,injury prone-not in my top 20

The vision of the inside me, eh? So considering how good Cross was last year with Brett Finch and no 5/8 throwing him the ball that must make him an all-time great. Oh and he has hardly missed a game through injury since the beginning of 2003.

So if you can name 20 centres better than Crossy i'll jump off the Harbour Bridge. Im not normally one to get defensive but it doesnt take a genius to see that Cross is one of the most dominant centres in the game atm.

 

[PARANoIR]

1. Mark Gasnier
2. Willie Tonga
3. Jamie Lyon
4. Nigel Vagana
5. Shontayne Hape
6. Matt Cooper
7. Timana Tahu
8. Martin Gleeson
9. Justin Hodges
10. Matt King/ Greg Inglis

 

[super_coach]

Cross had a great season last year,scores i dont know maybe 18 meat pies and lets in 50

 

[ledzep]

i'm loving that people aren't really rating Soliola or Cross
by season's end, they'll both be playing rep and have racked up a swag of tries

 

[grungle]

Sia will play for his country before ben smith does.

 

[Johns Magic]

Sia will play for his country before ben smith does.

Being a Kiwi helps.

 

[Johns Magic]

i'm loving that people aren't really rating Soliola or Cross
by season's end, they'll both be playing rep and have racked up a swag of tries

Soliola is very good.

Cross is nothing. Biggest hog in the competition.

 

[Tommy Smith]

Being a Kiwi helps.

Yeah, playing for the run away Tri-nations champions definately does help.

 

[Citizen.Eras3d]

Cross is nothing. Biggest hog in the competition.

What the? Are you refering to one of the other Cross's, perhaps a Cross in Union? It can't be Ryan Cross, no one can be thick enough to have this opinion...

 

[Johns Magic]

Yeah, playing for the run away Tri-nations champions definately does help.

Well done to the Kiwis, they were best on the day, yadda-yadda-yadda.

But everyone knows that on paper, the Aussies kick their arse. I know the game isn't decided on paper, but the point is that it is much harder to make the Aussie side. Don't even try to deny that.

 

[Johns Magic]

What the? Are you refering to one of the other Cross's, perhaps a Cross in Union? It can't be Ryan Cross, no one can be thick enough to have this opinion...

Oh yeah sorry, I was referring to "Powerhouse" Paul Cross, the tighthead prop for Mississipi Mavericks 3rd grade union side over in the U.S. Haven't you seen him? He's an absolute shocker that bloke! :lol:

I'm thick because I disagree with you? Oh the humility!

Watch a match. He has butchered many tries before because he went himself rather than give it to his winger.

Roberts has been nowhere near as effective at the Roosters as he was at the Panthers. Not getting enough ball will do that to you.

 

[fourplay]

When SBW plays centre he is EASILY the best centre in the game.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

But everyone knows that on paper, the Aussies kick their arse

Debatable. An NZ full-strength side (which has never come close to getting on the field in recent years) is better than the Australian team in several areas and features the 2 best young talents in the game imo.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

To prove my point: if Sia did make the Kiwis alongside Whatuira, it would be no mean feat. He would have to overcome Nigel Vagana and Clinton Toopi who have both been touted at one point as arguably the best centre in the world. See what I mean? There's no place for average first-graders in a "paper" Kiwi team.

 

[Johns Magic]

To prove my point: if Sia did make the Kiwis alongside Whatuira, it would be no mean feat. He would have to overcome Nigel Vagana and Clinton Toopi who have both been touted at one point as arguably the best centre in the world. See what I mean? There's no place for average first-graders in a "paper" Kiwi team.

Please don't think that I'm calling the Kiwis side average, because I'm not.

However do you honestly think the likes of Webb, Vatuvei, Meli, Toopi, Faumuina, Webster, Hohaia, Kidwell, Anderson, Faiumu, Solomona, Tony, Guttenbiel, Faumuina or Koopu would get anywhere near the Aussie side?

I don't.

Heck, Andrew Lomu played for the Kiwis.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

I can't believe I stooped to mentioning Toopi, but didn't even mention Shontayne Hape who is CURRENTLY a very fine centre.

Please don't think that I'm calling the Kiwis side average, because I'm not.

However do you honestly think the likes of Webb, Vatuvei, Meli, Toopi, Faumuina, Webster, Hohaia, Kidwell, Anderson, Faiumu, Solomona, Tony, Guttenbiel, Faumuina or Koopu would get anywhere near the Aussie side?

I don't.

Webb- no. But I think it's fair to say that the NRL is full of fine fullbacks at the moment, and he's one of them.

Meli, Toopi, Guttenbeil, Koopu, Kidwell, Anderson- No point mentioning most of these guys. For mine they wouldn't make the top 17 if you were naming a full strength Kiwi side on paper. Some of them would struggle to make a top 30

Webster- No, but what about Vainikolo?

Vatuvei- Would be the next big thing if he was playing for an Australian club. If not the current big thing. Would play for Australia eventually, if not now. Beast.

Hohaia, Faiumu, Tony- Faiumu is a big talent, but all 3 of these guys only get a run because NZ is a little lacking in the halves and at hooker. I admit this is our area of comparative weakness. Although at full-strength at most probably one of these guys would make the bench.

Faumuina- I would love to see what the Aussies would think of him if he was playing for a successful Aussie-based club.

Solomona- No. Dunno if he would make the Kiwi top 17 either. But he certainly isn't the worst to have off the bench.



You're basically running an irrelevant argument here by mostly naming players who wouldn't make the paper Kiwi team anyway. I said that the full strength Kiwis on paper are almost as impressive as Australia, not that we have equal depth.

 

[ledzep]

the NZ forward pack absolutely rapes the australian one

 

[ledzep]

SBW
Pritchard
Puletua
Cayless
Hohaia
Wiki

f*ck
then on the bench, there's the likes of
Anderson, Kidwell, Cayless (N), Asotasi, Galuvao, Faumuina and others who i can't think of ATM