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The Greatest ever RL XIII


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I've been on here for years and can't remember a thread on this. Only a youngster on here but I'll name four whom I think may be near to inclusion, I;ve only seen 2 live.

To be honest I'm intrigued for opinions. John Drake, if this thread makes it into RLW, I'd like a walnut whip pls.

1

2

3 Mal Meninga

4 Neil Fox

5

6

7

8 Arthur Beetson

9

10

11

12

13 Ellery Hanley

Like poor jokes? Thejoketeller@mullymessiah

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5 minutes ago, Mumby Magic said:

I've been on here for years and can't remember a thread on this. Only a youngster on here but I'll name four whom I think may be near to inclusion, I;ve only seen 2 live.

To be honest I'm intrigued for opinions. John Drake, if this thread makes it into RLW, I'd like a walnut whip pls.

1

2

3 Mal Meninga

4 Neil Fox

5

6

7

8 Arthur Beetson

9

10

11

12

13 Ellery Hanley

Mal was a winger 

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3 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Mal was a winger 

Really? He did play on the wing sometimes, but I remember him mostly as a centre.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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1 minute ago, Futtocks said:

Really? He did play on the wing sometimes, but I remember him mostly as a centre.

His first ever match in the UK was at Leigh in 82 , we were watching him practicing kicking pre match , thought unusual to see a prop kicking , then ran out with the number 2 on his back 

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3 hours ago, GUBRATS said:

His first ever match in the UK was at Leigh in 82 , we were watching him practicing kicking pre match , thought unusual to see a prop kicking , then ran out with the number 2 on his back 

He might have been wearing no 2 but Chris Anderson and John Ribot were the wingers that day

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7 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

His first ever match in the UK was at Leigh in 82 , we were watching him practicing kicking pre match , thought unusual to see a prop kicking , then ran out with the number 2 on his back 

Not that unusual, props kicking in the 80s wasn't uncommon but I take your point with regards to MMs size, opposing winger must have been sheeting himself!

 

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2 minutes ago, Denton Rovers RLFC said:

Not that unusual, props kicking in the 80s wasn't uncommon but I take your point with regards to MMs size, opposing winger must have been sheeting himself!

 

That night he was ' marked ' by Phil Fox , about 5.10 and 9 stone ?

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21 minutes ago, Mumby Magic said:

I've been on here for years and can't remember a thread on this. Only a youngster on here but I'll name four whom I think may be near to inclusion, I;ve only seen 2 live.

To be honest I'm intrigued for opinions. John Drake, if this thread makes it into RLW, I'd like a walnut whip pls.

1

2

3 Mal Meninga

4 Neil Fox

5

6

7

8 Arthur Beetson

9

10

11

12

13 Ellery Hanley

Hanley isn't a 13 and when he did play with that number on his jersey he didn't play as a traditional thirteen, he's not a particularly good passer of the ball and tactically not astute, superb athlete and I'd have him as a second row or winger in many a side but he's not in my GOAT XIII.

Oh and who is the greatest no.13, in living memory, Johnny Whiteley, he had absolutely everything.

The problem is that we see players from differing eras and it's ridiculously difficult to compare even within our own shores.

There was a run down of suggestions for GOAT Hull FC team on RL fans with posters putting names forward each week for a position and a little summary as to why they thought they should be included. I think we could do similar with a discussion about a single position each week and then a vote as to who should get the spot.

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1 minute ago, johnh1 said:

Wally Lewis has to be number six I think. And Jonathan Thurston at 7.

Okay, shall we just say which is the greatest XIII of all time but let's just stick to the last 30-35 years?

Please, Lewis was superb but he's not goat and neither is Thurston

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7 minutes ago, Denton Rovers RLFC said:

Hanley isn't a 13 and when he did play with that number on his jersey he didn't play as a traditional thirteen, he's not a particularly good passer of the ball and tactically not astute, superb athlete and I'd have him as a second row or winger in many a side but he's not in my GOAT XIII.

Oh and who is the greatest no.13, in living memory, Johnny Whiteley, he had absolutely everything.

The problem is that we see players from differing eras and it's ridiculously difficult to compare even within our own shores.

There was a run down of suggestions for GOAT Hull FC team on RL fans with posters putting names forward each week for a position and a little summary as to why they thought they should be included. I think we could do similar with a discussion about a single position each week and then a vote as to who should get the spot.

Cobblers.  |For me the greatest ever british player I have seen played 70% of the time  at loose.

Like poor jokes? Thejoketeller@mullymessiah

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I'll start with fullback Puig Albert of France.

Could catch the ball one handed whilst having a ciggie in the other hand, would deliberately not tackle players to highlight the mistakes of his team mates, something that didn't go down too well. Ridiculously talented and made the Australians sit up and take notice. would easily have been a great halfback given his silky passing, brilliant kicking not to mention his speed and footwork.

Small in stature but a lion's heart and talent that would make Billy Slater look like a rank amateur

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11 minutes ago, Mumby Magic said:

Cobblers.  |For me the greatest ever british player I have seen played 70% of the time  at loose.

Whatever, he's a running forward and nothing more, stick him in the 2nd row if you like but his passing is bobbins and he's not mentally quick or has the ability that a true World class 13 has. Sorry but you're wrong. He's not even the best GB 13 in the last quarter of the 20th C for gods sakes. Talk about one eyed, no blinded bias opinion.

he's a class act but he isn't a 13 and doesn't have the skillset of a world class 13, when did Hanley ever put grubbers in, when did he ever kick for field position, when did he make quality passes like a Norton could do, he's an immense physical specimen and hard as nails but he is not a class 13 compared to the very, very best which is what a GOAT XIII is about.

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10 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

His first ever match in the UK was at Leigh in 82 , we were watching him practicing kicking pre match , thought unusual to see a prop kicking , then ran out with the number 2 on his back 

?? Time must be playing tricks......the '82 Australian tourists played Leigh on 3rd Nov 1982 after they'd already played 7 games in the UK (their first game was against HKR on 10th October)! MM played in 4 of those previous games, all at centre

I'm pretty certain he played centre v Leigh - every listing I can find of the sides that night has him down as No 3 and the following report would seem to back that up:

"Slalom Lager Champions Leigh looked anything but title holders as the Austraian magicians produced a night of hat-tricks. Wingmen Anderson and Ribot, plus rampaging second row man McCabe, all touched down three times in a 12-try riot. Centre Meninga got in on the act with three goals, although fortunately for Leigh, the hat-trick of successful shots came from eleven attempts, Lewis hitting one from two kicks.

Australian prop Morris and Leigh substitute forward Hunter were given their marching orders in the 65th minute after the visitors had followed their now traditional pattern of sizing up the opposition in the first half before unleashing their vast resources of skill and speed. Leigh's only points - two Woods penalties - came before the break when the champions trailed only 11-4."

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1 minute ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

?? Time must be playing tricks......the '82 Australian tourists played Leigh on 3rd Nov 1982 after they'd already played 7 games in the UK (their first game was against HKR on 10th October)! MM played in 4 of those previous games, all at centre

I'm pretty certain he played centre v Leigh - every listing I can find of the sides that night has him down as No 3 and the following report would seem to back that up:

"Slalom Lager Champions Leigh looked anything but title holders as the Austraian magicians produced a night of hat-tricks. Wingmen Anderson and Ribot, plus rampaging second row man McCabe, all touched down three times in a 12-try riot. Centre Meninga got in on the act with three goals, although fortunately for Leigh, the hat-trick of successful shots came from eleven attempts, Lewis hitting one from two kicks.

Australian prop Morris and Leigh substitute forward Hunter were given their marching orders in the 65th minute after the visitors had followed their now traditional pattern of sizing up the opposition in the first half before unleashing their vast resources of skill and speed. Leigh's only points - two Woods penalties - came before the break when the champions trailed only 11-4."

Indeed it must , always thought the Champions got first pop at the tourists 

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Billy Slater

Eric Grothe Snr

Mal Meninga

Neil Fox

Martin Offiah

Wally Lewis

Alex Murphy

Arthur Beetson 

Steve Walters

Kevin Ward

Paul Sculthorpe

Vince Karalious

Steve Norton

Darren Lockyer

Andy Farrell

Adrian Morley

Glen Lazarus

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I am in my 30s so can only comment on players from the mid-80s onwards. So my team from the players I have seen live:

1. Slater 2. Robinson 3. Meninga 4. Inglis 5. Offiah 6. Lockyer 7. Thurston

8. Webcke  9. C Smith 10. Civoniceva 11. Tallis 12. Gallen 13. Sculthorpe

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Just now, GeordieSaint said:

I am in my 30s so can only comment on players from the mid-80s onwards. So my team from the players I have seen live:

1. Slater 2. Robinson 3. Meninga 4. Inglis 5. Offiah 6. Lockyer 7. Thurston

8. Lazarus  9. C Smith 10. Civoniceva 11. Tallis 12. Gallen 13. Sculthorpe

Brilliant team

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