MattSantos 708 Report post Posted January 15 I can't really put my finger on who were the last players of this ilk.. Graham - played in the middle obviously and had a few years at Canterbury where he was a ball player, but too much of a prop Sinfield - Too much of a 6 Burgess - No ball playing Wilkin and O'Loughlin - Probably the best British ones recently. NRL.. Gallen - In his pomp possibly. Tamololololol - No ball playing Cam Murray - Too work horsy as was Parker et al Tom T recently is a very good example reckon. No point really - just bored on the way to work Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beavers left nut 9 Report post Posted January 15 You probably mean Jake T, Tom is a fullback Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RoverBear 55 Report post Posted January 15 Rhiannon Marshall is probably the best British example right now Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lowdesert 2,451 Report post Posted January 15 8 hours ago, MattSantos said: I can't really put my finger on who were the last players of this ilk.. Graham - played in the middle obviously and had a few years at Canterbury where he was a ball player, but too much of a prop Sinfield - Too much of a 6 Burgess - No ball playing Wilkin and O'Loughlin - Probably the best British ones recently. NRL.. Gallen - In his pomp possibly. Tamololololol - No ball playing Cam Murray - Too work horsy as was Parker et al Tom T recently is a very good example reckon. No point really - just bored on the way to work Only ever been 2. Mick Crane and Steve Norton. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dave T 13,943 Report post Posted January 15 8 hours ago, MattSantos said: I can't really put my finger on who were the last players of this ilk.. Graham - played in the middle obviously and had a few years at Canterbury where he was a ball player, but too much of a prop Sinfield - Too much of a 6 Burgess - No ball playing Wilkin and O'Loughlin - Probably the best British ones recently. NRL.. Gallen - In his pomp possibly. Tamololololol - No ball playing Cam Murray - Too work horsy as was Parker et al Tom T recently is a very good example reckon. No point really - just bored on the way to work I liked the role Westerman played at Wire, often interchangeable with the 6 not unlike O'Loughlin's role. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hunsletgreenandgold 1,034 Report post Posted January 15 8 hours ago, MattSantos said: I can't really put my finger on who were the last players of this ilk.. Graham - played in the middle obviously and had a few years at Canterbury where he was a ball player, but too much of a prop Sinfield - Too much of a 6 Burgess - No ball playing Wilkin and O'Loughlin - Probably the best British ones recently. NRL.. Gallen - In his pomp possibly. Tamololololol - No ball playing Cam Murray - Too work horsy as was Parker et al Tom T recently is a very good example reckon. No point really - just bored on the way to work Often thought Whitehead could've been a great one but his defence is so good on the edge that he's never really played much at loose. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rupert Prince 942 Report post Posted January 15 31 minutes ago, Lowdesert said: Only ever been 2. Mick Crane and Steve Norton. Yes. Harry Pinner. Doug Laughton. But the game today is predicated on a 11 yard line. Tactics are different. The game is worse for it. 8 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Phantom Horseman 1,693 Report post Posted January 15 Keith Bell at Featherstone was very much a ball-playing 13, in fact his contributions running with the ball or tackling were negligible but everything revolved around him in attack during the many years he played for Fev. Jack Bussey today is probably as close as you'd see to an old-fashioned ball playing 13 though he nominally plays any position from prop to half back. Scott Murell again reminds me of some of the old-fashioned ball-playing 13s though again nominally he plays half back. Nowadays it's hard to actually identify any difference in role between most players who play 8, 10 and 13 so you might as well change the terminology to "ball-playing middle". Maybe Adam Cuthbertson would qualify under that criteria? 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OMEGA 711 Report post Posted January 15 Best young up and coming in the SL is Cam Smith at Leeds. Spent most of his youth playing stand off, he is quite an accomplished ball handler and reader of the game. If he can push through and establish himself he could grow into one of the best young back rowers around. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Clogiron 1,493 Report post Posted January 15 As said it doesn't seem to be a feature of the game today but as I have previously said John Asiata would be ideally suited to the role. Jake T is the one who comes to mind at present. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
del capo 63 Report post Posted January 15 1 hour ago, Rupert Prince said: Yes. Harry Pinner. Doug Laughton. But the game today is predicated on a 11 yard line. Tactics are different. The game is worse for it. I would put Mike Gregory up there with them 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tonka 573 Report post Posted January 15 The 13 as a third prop is a bit of a disaster from the spectator's point of view. Even the wide running second row seems rarer. And offloading props. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MattSantos 708 Report post Posted January 15 4 hours ago, Beavers left nut said: You probably mean Jake T, Tom is a fullback Yeah. Probs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
welshmagpie 643 Report post Posted January 15 Victor Radley? 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
welshmagpie 643 Report post Posted January 15 Danny Addy? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
One F in Wakefield 47 Report post Posted January 15 Westerman? David Solomona was the best I've seen at Wakefield, although we played him more as a 2nd row. Best ball handling forward I've ever seen. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Saint Toppy 1,350 Report post Posted January 15 In the SL era the likes of Sculthorpe & Farrell were probably the finest examples of ball playing LF's. Both had the handling, kicking & vision of a 6 with the steel of a forward. 2 Quote Lets Get Brexit Done !!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RL does what Sky says 988 Report post Posted January 15 Ball-playing 13s are yet another victim of our determination in this country to copy the style of RL from down-under. British RL used to be about throwing the ball about and allowing players to do things "off the cuff". However, we have now become obsessed in beating the Aussies rather than providing entertainment for those who actually support the game over here and, as such, the open-play style of ball-playing 13s has vanished. Although we just might beat the Aussies once every so often (and we then always think "this is the turning point"), we will never constantly be up to their level - it is their major sport in the areas RL is played and they have far too many players to maintain their production line of talent at the highest level. So if we want to return to ball-playing 13s (as well as the ball getting to the wingers for them to score the majority of tries following a good passing movement) then let's return to playing GB-style rugby and make it more open ... and more entertaining. 1 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hunsletgreenandgold 1,034 Report post Posted January 15 1 hour ago, welshmagpie said: Victor Radley? Good shout - my only concern for him is that he did so well filling in at 9 for Jake Friend last year, his long term future may end up there when Friend retires. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bamfordsbeans 361 Report post Posted January 15 Ken Loxton and Les Holliday at Halifax in the eighties were top examples. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fairfolly 603 Report post Posted January 15 Why has nobody mentioned the best 13 for years,still nobody near him in this day and age, Mal Reilly at Cas. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rupert Prince 942 Report post Posted January 15 1 hour ago, fairfolly said: Why has nobody mentioned the best 13 for years,still nobody near him in this day and age, Mal Reilly at Cas. Or as dear Uncle Eddie said, "Is that aah Mal Rrreely, or is it reeely Rrrilley?" 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sentoffagain2 518 Report post Posted January 15 In the modern game we should do away with 13 and play without a loose forward.Fewer interchanges so the forward tire and the backs have a bit of room to play in. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fighting irish 913 Report post Posted January 15 Bring back Harry Pinner. To confound and bewilder the opposition defenders, with ........his hands. A master ball player. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lowdesert 2,451 Report post Posted January 15 7 hours ago, Dave T said: I liked the role Westerman played at Wire, often interchangeable with the 6 not unlike O'Loughlin's role. He’s more of a ball joint player now. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
