firechild
First Grade
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Tim Mannah is an absolute plodder. If he wasn't rated at all, he'd be overrated.Andrew McCullough
Tim Mannah
Chad Townsend
Mitchell Aubusson
Blake Green
Tim Mannah is an absolute plodder. If he wasn't rated at all, he'd be overrated.Andrew McCullough
Tim Mannah
Chad Townsend
Mitchell Aubusson
Blake Green
It would almost be as bad as Darren Albert, Jason Moodie, Jamie Ainscough & Steve Turner being selected.
You can’t go past Nathan ‘the selectors are wacists’ Merritt
Why? The selectors did until he was washed up. It's amazing how he was entirely at fault and little was made of Maloney's impression of a turnstile.
You really missed a mick devere type winger to staple the backline togetherHaha yeah we had some real bludgers on the wing for a long time there. Can add Quinn and Monaghan to that list as well. People bring up Uate as well but he did have a good series in 2011 and looked like a long term prospect. Gordon could’ve played more if he didn’t spend 2011 and 2012 injured.
Good point re B. Moz. Dropped the likely match winner in his first few games, wasn't nearly involved enough and was a shadow of the bloke who would go on to be in the top few wingers in the world for a large chunk of his career. I think it was game 3 in 2012 when he really came of age, he finally broke his try scoring drought and really played to his potential in the sky blue after that. His efforts in game 1 in the 2014 series are a part of origin folklore, and for good reason.I was tempted to bring up Uate, but his biggest blunder was failing to live up to expectations. It wasn't Akuila's Origin form that saw him punted, it was his efforts at club level that spooked selectors and caused them go with Brett Morris instead. Morris is actually an interesting parrallel because he was arguably worse during his initial stint for NSW. However, he kept plying his trade at club form, got himself another opportunity and he's now one of the best wingers of his generation. Uate never had that redemption and even though he could have easily returned in the Origin scene the next year, he was nowhere to be seen.
Anyways...
When I think of underrated players, I look at it from a historical perspective. Who are the players that history will forget? The players who didn't get the opportunity to play in a grand final, State of Origin or play for one of the big three international teams. Under that criteria I'd go...
Luke Davico
Kevin Gordon
Wade McKinnon
Luke Stuart
Taniela Tuiaki
Age was Davico's biggest barrier. He falls into a similar category as John Skandalis where he was always thereabouts and when it came time for his turn, he was looked over for all these young forwards. His best opportunity would have been the 2002 series at 29, but he suffered a serious injury which ruled him out for the majority of the season.
Gordon and Tuiaki never received the plaudits they should have. Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game and both players were cut down before they really got to make their mark. In their day though, both were regarded as the best wingers in the competition and their efforts close to the line made them an easy options for the Titans and Tigers respectively.
McKinnon was something of a late bloomer but in the mid-00s he was one of the strongest runners in the competition and was right up there with Anthony Minichiello as far as kick returns are concerned. Like Gordon & Tuiaki he suffered an ACL injury during the prime of his career that inhibited him and he came through a ridiculous generation of fullbacks. History will remember Billy Slater as one of the greatest fullbacks of all-time, but there was a time where he was arguably behind Bowen, McKinnon & Stewart as crazy as that sounds. For my money, McKinnon would have been right up there in 2005 and 2007 as one of the best players in the NRL.
Luke Stuart is always one of those players I keep forgetting about, but I'm constantly reminded how consistently good he was for a struggling Souths side. He came through such a thankless period for the club and no matter what was always pitching in and grafting out good performances. His retirement came right before Souths really turned a corner and it's easy to forget the contributions he made to dig them out of being perennial wooden spooners. His replacement Ben Lowe is another where I'm constantly reminded of his existence and how decent he was in the backrow for Souths during their premiership hunt.
With Uate it was his weakness under the high ball that was exploited in Origin by Cronk. His running game was brilliant across his 1st series, probably the best back NSW had that series and that's having to contend with Jarryd Hayne. I remember that series so well, he was up against Darius Boyd who was the Australian winger at that time and gave him a bath. The year after he just fell apart in Origin 1 and 2 and was replaced by Brett Morris. I was such a staunch critic of him and his brother at the time but they sure proved me wrong and I'm glad they did. They were some of our best during a dark period and were pivitol in our win in 2014.I was tempted to bring up Uate, but his biggest blunder was failing to live up to expectations. It wasn't Akuila's Origin form that saw him punted, it was his efforts at club level that spooked selectors and caused them go with Brett Morris instead. Morris is actually an interesting parrallel because he was arguably worse during his initial stint for NSW. However, he kept plying his trade at club form, got himself another opportunity and he's now one of the best wingers of his generation. Uate never had that redemption and even though he could have easily returned in the Origin scene the next year, he was nowhere to be seen.
Anyways...
When I think of underrated players, I look at it from a historical perspective. Who are the players that history will forget? The players who didn't get the opportunity to play in a grand final, State of Origin or play for one of the big three international teams. Under that criteria I'd go...
Luke Davico
Kevin Gordon
Wade McKinnon
Luke Stuart
Taniela Tuiaki
Age was Davico's biggest barrier. He falls into a similar category as John Skandalis where he was always thereabouts and when it came time for his turn, he was looked over for all these young forwards. His best opportunity would have been the 2002 series at 29, but he suffered a serious injury which ruled him out for the majority of the season.
Gordon and Tuiaki never received the plaudits they should have. Injuries are an unfortunate part of the game and both players were cut down before they really got to make their mark. In their day though, both were regarded as the best wingers in the competition and their efforts close to the line made them an easy options for the Titans and Tigers respectively.
McKinnon was something of a late bloomer but in the mid-00s he was one of the strongest runners in the competition and was right up there with Anthony Minichiello as far as kick returns are concerned. Like Gordon & Tuiaki he suffered an ACL injury during the prime of his career that inhibited him and he came through a ridiculous generation of fullbacks. History will remember Billy Slater as one of the greatest fullbacks of all-time, but there was a time where he was arguably behind Bowen, McKinnon & Stewart as crazy as that sounds. For my money, McKinnon would have been right up there in 2005 and 2007 as one of the best players in the NRL.
Luke Stuart is always one of those players I keep forgetting about, but I'm constantly reminded how consistently good he was for a struggling Souths side. He came through such a thankless period for the club and no matter what was always pitching in and grafting out good performances. His retirement came right before Souths really turned a corner and it's easy to forget the contributions he made to dig them out of being perennial wooden spooners. His replacement Ben Lowe is another where I'm constantly reminded of his existence and how decent he was in the backrow for Souths during their premiership hunt.
Shaun Berrigan.
I’m pretty sure Davico was going to play if he didn’t get injured. Skandalis was a good player who should’ve gotten a crack.
Another player who has been forgotten is Simon Dwyer. He was building a big reputation as a destructive hit man before that injury. Remember his thundering hit on JWH in 2010.
Alwaysbrated Davico.
Right about Dwyer too. Did someone have a voodoo curse on Tigers around that time? They had some horrendous luck with career or season ending injuries in the mid-late 90s, Benji’s shoulders, Tuiaki and Dwyer, and Chris Lawrence all spring to mind.
was a weapon. how does a halfback become a centre and carve up for yearsShaun Berrigan.
was a weapon. how does a halfback become a centre and carve up for years