What GOATs didn't you get?

[Gina Minehart]

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

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Clyde was a gun. Just glided across the ground, hit holes magnificently, good ball player. What Boyd Cordner and Josh Jackson wish they were.

Stuart, as much as I feel like vomiting was a top-class halfback in a premiership side.

Webcke I could go with you on, had great durability and heart but wasn't overly skilled...but then again having heart, loyalty and professionalism are skills. Just gave his all every time and created a legacy out of that.

 

[Stevie B tiger69]

Stuart was a very good half.Canberra won a couple of premierships on the back of his long kicking game.Had all the skills and was a solid defender.

 

[nrlnrl]

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

interesting discussion, but the thread name is misleading. GOAT is Greatest Of All Time.

 

[greg]

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

Can't agree. All those mentioned are deserving of the accolades.

 

[Gina Minehart]

Not saying they don't deserve accolades...but were they as good as the media/public made them out to be

 

[Gina Minehart]

Clyde was a gun. Just glided across the ground, hit holes magnificently, good ball player. What Boyd Cordner and Josh Jackson wish they were.

Stuart, as much as I feel like vomiting was a top-class halfback in a premiership side.

Webcke I could go with you on, had great durability and heart but wasn't overly skilled...but then again having heart, loyalty and professionalism are skills. Just gave his all every time and created a legacy out of that.

Did he do it consistently though? I just don't remember Clyde standing out too often. Granted he had 1-2 really good years...but so did Ewen McGrady

 

[DiegoNT]

I kind of don't get the meninga hype
I was young when he retired and his been hyped as one of the greats, i love watching the old classic matches, grand finals, origins, tests etc and the whole time i watch waiting for Meninga to do something and it never happens. Whenever its a game that features both meninga and miles its always Gene Miles who standouts and has the better games. By the time you get to the games in the early 90s guys like fittler daley and McGregor are running rings around him. Obviously I wasn't around at the time so I'm probably going to be proven wrong but its seems in the 80s that miles and kenny were better in the centres and in the early 90s it qas fittler and daley

 

[JJ]

Meninga's longevity set him apart, not much doubt that Miles and Kenny were preferred

Clyde was awesome, but injuries slowed him

 

[nick87]

:lol: What a post

Every single player named there, EVERY ONE was an absolute f**king gun and one of the very best ever in their positions

 

[jk13]

your off ya head gina. stick to raping the earth

 

[Hutty1986]

Is this merkin taking the piss?

 

[MrAnonymous]

Never go full genius merkin.

 

[some11]

Locky didn't have enough hair.

Cave this shit.

 

[Lambretta]

Is this merkin taking the piss?

Urine extraction - if there was as much money in it as Uranium extraction, she'd be there in a flash

 

[Captain Apollo]

Stuart - good long kicking game and a cut out pass but didn't influence the game anywhere near as much as people made out

Really? Stuart displaced Ivan Henjak as the starting halfback by mid-season of his second year at Canberra, and helped them make and win the Grand Final.

An example of how influential he was is shown by the 1993 and 1994 seasons. In Round 21 of 1993 (the second last game of the regular season), Canberra were leading the competition ladder. During a 68-0 whipping of the Parramatta Eels, Stuart broke his leg. Canberra, with only Stuart unavailable, didn't win a game again that season. They wound up finishing 3rd after losing the following week 32-8 to eventual Minor Premiers Canterbury, before losing 31-10 to 2nd place St George in the first week of the finals and then knocked out 30-12 by eventual premiers Brisbane.

1994 back from his broken leg, Stuart helped guide Canberra to a 3rd place finish. They then went on and won the comp. It was pretty much the same lineup as 1993.

Also you need to go watch the 2nd test between Australia and England in 1990. Stuart was instrumental in us winning the game and the series. In fact he displaced Allan Langer as starting halfback on tour.

 

[Captain Apollo]

I kind of don't get the meninga hype
I was young when he retired and his been hyped as one of the greats, i love watching the old classic matches, grand finals, origins, tests etc and the whole time i watch waiting for Meninga to do something and it never happens. Whenever its a game that features both meninga and miles its always Gene Miles who standouts and has the better games. By the time you get to the games in the early 90s guys like fittler daley and McGregor are running rings around him. Obviously I wasn't around at the time so I'm probably going to be proven wrong but its seems in the 80s that miles and kenny were better in the centres and in the early 90s it qas fittler and daley

Miles and Kenny in the centres? That only happened on occasion when Wally Lewis played five eight for Australia, and those occasions were very infrequent. Brett Kenny played most of his football at five eight for Parramatta and NSW, and in fact he displaced Lewis as starting five eight on the 1982 Kangaroo tour.

If you want a game where Meninga showed how good he was, see if you can find any footage of the Raiders v Roosters game from Bruce Stadium in Round 5 of 1990. It was the Roosters heaviest defeat in the club's history and the cornerstone was Mal Meninga that day scoring 5 tries and kicking 9 goals. He trampled over just about every Rooster's player that day and rag dolled a few in defence.

 

[DiegoNT]

Miles and Kenny in the centres? That only happened on occasion when Wally Lewis played five eight for Australia, and those occasions were very infrequent. Brett Kenny played most of his football at five eight for Parramatta and NSW, and in fact he displaced Lewis as starting five eight on the 1982 Kangaroo tour.

If you want a game where Meninga showed how good he was, see if you can find any footage of the Raiders v Roosters game from Bruce Stadium in Round 5 of 1990. It was the Roosters heaviest defeat in the club's history and the cornerstone was Mal Meninga that day scoring 5 tries and kicking 9 goals. He trampled over just about every Rooster's player that day and rag dolled a few in defence.

So ignore all the origins and tests and grand finals were he is outplayed by guys like miles, kenny and daley and look at a game were he ran riot against a pretty average east side in a regular season game?

 

[JJ]

Miles and Kenny in the centres? That only happened on occasion when Wally Lewis played five eight for Australia, and those occasions were very infrequent. Brett Kenny played most of his football at five eight for Parramatta and NSW, and in fact he displaced Lewis as starting five eight on the 1982 Kangaroo tour.

If you want a game where Meninga showed how good he was, see if you can find any footage of the Raiders v Roosters game from Bruce Stadium in Round 5 of 1990. It was the Roosters heaviest defeat in the club's history and the cornerstone was Mal Meninga that day scoring 5 tries and kicking 9 goals. He trampled over just about every Rooster's player that day and rag dolled a few in defence.

Pretty sure Brett Kenny was the first centre selected for Australia, aside from the series he displaced Wally - they HAD to both be in the team, he only played 17 tests, at a guess 14 of them would have been at centre, and Miles would probably have been the partner more than Meninga.

 

[Edwahu]

I was out at Stuart didn't influence the game.