What GOATs didn't you get?

[Vic Mackey]

Well what I get told about Siro is that he was extremely difficult to tackle given his size and his running style. But yes I thought he was at times lazy avoiding the tough work that guys like Pearce thrived in.

There hadn't really been guys of his size as athletic as him previously, so he was something out of the box. Now a days 6'4 ft 110kg back rowers who run like a center are the norm but 25-30 years ago it was unheard of.

 

[Edwahu]

Mal played a whole 5 games out of a 46 game test career away from center and people carry on like he was kept out of position for years. Nobody carries on the same way about Johns playing half his tests at hooker.

 

[Gina Minehart]

Despite the folklore about Close, a teenage Meninga was the best player in Origin 1 for mine.

He was awesome in the 94 GF and that Roo Series in 90 was amazing, especially in the 2nd test, under pressure as Captain and he delivers big time.

Greatest try of all time for mine.

All these guys had their moments, no doubt. Everyone seems to think I'm calling them cats. Not the case

Just saying they aren't as good as people make out.

Sironen is a good call

I respect the arguments for Mal, but would I prefer him over say an ET, Miles or Renouf? No.

 

[gUt]

Well what I get told about Siro is that he was extremely difficult to tackle given his size and his running style. But yes I thought he was at times lazy avoiding the tough work that guys like Pearce thrived in.

He was aggressive as a young Tallis too, one of my favourite all time players is Siro.

 

[gUt]

People forget Mal had not only goal kicking but general play long kicking to go with all his other skills and sheer presence. He'd be the first back picked in the team playing for my life.

 

[RufusRex]

LOL .. such hyperbole

 

[WaznTheGreat]

California Chrome is an overrated milk drinker

 

[mxlegend99]

Ok ignoring the threat title and instead focusing on the heap of Origins comment in the first post, there's 2 players who were seemingly considered GOAT's by the NSW selectors that I (and every other fan) don't quiet understand the reasoning behind.

Kurt Gidley - Yes he killed it for a few seasons at club level. I understand why he was first picked for NSW... but I don't understand how after his first game or two he was ever picked again. He was about as average as any player has ever been at a representative level. He should have played a series at most and the selectors should have decided that he just wasn't cut out for it. Instead he was an automatic selection for NSW and Australia for ages until he missed a few games for injury and spent enough time off the field for both teams to move on.

Mitchell Pearce - He's a gun halfback for the Roosters. At times he's probably even the best halfback running around for NSW (based on club form). But he has been a proven failure in every Origin game he has played. He just isn't at that level. It sucks, but it's true.

Fut for whatever reason he just gets chance after chance to play for NSW while the likes of Terry Campese, Jamie Soward, James Maloney, Josh Reynolds, Peter Wallace, Todd Carney, Jarrod Mullen etc. have been tossed away after a single series despite being no worse then he was in their time on the field. I think Soward, Maloney, Mullen and Carney should have been the top 4 choices for a huge perios of that time with any 2 of them being a better combination than one with Pearce in the team.

This year they even went as far as selecting him at 5/8th to keep him in the team in the hopes that having a halfback partner him would solve things... and needless to say it was an epic failure yet again. Meanwhile the form 5/8th in the competition at that time, the guy who was the best on the field in the City vs Country match was barely even considered for a spot in the team. So many careers have been held back trying to make this guy something that he is not (a rep player).

Neither of these guys is close to being considered as a GOAT. But based on the description in the opening post, I thought these were the ideal sort of players to throw into this thread.

 

[TheFrog]

(snip narrative stating how essential Ricky Stuart was to Canberra)

If it wasn't for Sticky and his kicking game, they would not have won the 1990 Grand Final either.

 

[Stranga]

There is generally a list of greats out there that the RL public fawn over. Let's say guys that play over 15 origins with a few exceptions

But which of these supposed greats did you just think - I don't get the love? To be clear - no doubt they are good players, but you wouldn't have put them on the same pedestal as everyone else did. For me:

Clyde - defensive machine but never thought he was as good as people made out. Injuries probably didn't help him
Stuart - good long kicking game and a cut out pass but didn't influence the game anywhere near as much as people made out
Webcke - reliable and committed, but often got cooked in games
Elias - loved the niggle but never rated his ability to change a game
Meninga - flat track bully for mine, never made an impact when the going was tough
Roach - just didn't get it. Hard as nails but so was everyone else in the 80s and early 90s

:lol:

Next level of stupid matey

 

[nick87]

If it wasn't for Sticky and his kicking game, they would not have won the 1990 Grand Final either.

If Stuart played football in a 40-20 era the raiders might have won 6-7 premierships in his time
Few players in the games history have been as influencial as Ricky Stuart was in changing how he game is played

People unfortunately let their views of him as a person and coach colour their views of him as a player. I've never understood why a brilliant, aggressive attacking player who was ALL about accountability wound up being such a negative, conservative coach who whines so much

It's very strange

 

[JamesRustle]

Marilyn Monroe
Pamela Anderson
Elle McPherson

 

[Gina Minehart]

:lol:

Next level of stupid matey

Yeh you just don't get it

Move on.

 

[Gina Minehart]

Let me put it another way - so you think every player that the media jerked off over deserved it?

 

[Iafeta]

A quick thought on Joey. Top player, but much like Smith, Slater, Thurston, regularly lampooned wth the GOAT tag (seriously, if they're GOATs surely that status isn't interchangeable to each generation?.). Top player, but why did NSW and I believe Austealia have to "fit him in" at hooker if he was the lay down Sally greatest halfback of all time? It's probably more a selection criticism because he was a sensational talent.

 

[Iafeta]

Let me put it another way - so you think every player that the media jerked off over deserved it?

Definitely not. The GOAT tag has been used so often it's looser than Nikki Benz.

 

[Vic Mackey]

A quick thought on Joey. Top player, but much like Smith, Slater, Thurston, regularly lampooned wth the GOAT tag (seriously, if they're GOATs surely that status isn't interchangeable to each generation?.). Top player, but why did NSW and I believe Austealia have to "fit him in" at hooker if he was the lay down Sally greatest halfback of all time? It's probably more a selection criticism because he was a sensational talent.

It was generally because Chris Anderson had a hard on for kinmorely

Also early in his rep career he was named at 9 and toovey at 7 but they played the reverse positions. In the 95 RLWC johns got man of the match in the 9 but didn't touch the ball at Dummy half once.

 

[ram raid]

People forget Mal had not only goal kicking but general play long kicking to go with all his other skills and sheer presence. He'd be the first back picked in the team playing for my life.

Ahhh who could forget the old toe-punts. Good times. :lol:

 

[DiegoNT]

It was generally because Chris Anderson had a hard on for kinmorely

Also early in his rep career he was named at 9 and toovey at 7 but they played the reverse positions. In the 95 RLWC johns got man of the match in the 9 but didn't touch the ball at Dummy half once.

Basically their was a shortage of quality hookers, so they picked 2 halves ( toovey and Johns). Toovey was to play hooker but was thought of as to small for the defensive workload, so Johns played defensively like a hooker (and packed into scrums), then switched to first receiver in attack. Toovey defended like a traditional halfback ( protected in the line), then switched to dummy half duties in attack

 

[typicalfan]

Basically their was a shortage of quality hookers, so they picked 2 halves ( toovey and Johns). Toovey was to play hooker but was thought of as to small for the defensive workload, so Johns played defensively like a hooker (and packed into scrums), then switched to first receiver in attack. Toovey defended like a traditional halfback ( protected in the line), then switched to dummy half duties in attack

Which put an incredible workload on Johns.