Greatest British and Irish rugby league players to play in the southern hemisphere competition

[Harry Stottle]

3 minutes ago, Lowdesert said:

Lydon

Offiah Schofield Davies Carney 

Hanley Gregory

Reilly

Burgess Ellis

Graham Hodgson Ward

Bench:  Betts, Huddart, Bishop, Crooks

Some team that apart from Hodgeson just doesn't do it for me, also I would have to find a slot for Gary Connoly. 

[koli]

Big call not to have Cliff Watson in the front row.

Phil Lowe ,Steve Naughton and GaryvStephens missing from the lists.

[Lowdesert]

37 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Some team that apart from Hodgeson just doesn't do it for me, also I would have to find a slot for Gary Connoly. 

Deceptively strong player Gary Connolly.  Good shout.

[Harry Stottle]

Just now, Lowdesert said:

Deceptively strong player Gary Connolly.  Good shout.

Fullback or centre in your team?

[Lowdesert]

41 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Fullback or centre in your team?

I wouldn’t have him in, but if I did, tough decision but probably in the Centre to replace Schofield.  Schofield to 6 and Ellery replacing Mal.

Lydon had a bit more pace and his long kicking was a big plus.

 

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, Lowdesert said:

I wouldn’t have him in, but if I did, tough decision but probably in the Centre to replace Schofield.  Schofield to 6 and Ellery replacing Mal.

Lydon had a bit more pace and his long kicking was a big plus.

 

Just couldn't leave Mal Reilly out for anybody the enforcer of enforcers.

[Lowdesert]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Just couldn't leave Mal Reilly out for anybody the enforcer of enforcers.

You need them.

Ellis did his bit in that department.

[Stuff Smith]

In the 1989 Balmain team where Shaun Edwards really didn't have a great season, Andy Currier did. 

No one has mentioned Henderson Gill at the Rabbitohs yet either.

[Allora]

Kevin Ward would have to be in any 17 I selected.

He was fantastic for Manly.

[Manfred Mann]

Nobody in Australia who is old enough to have seen him would not have Malcolm Reilly as one of their first three choices. His reputation is stellar, and for good reason. Television and newspaper commentators  always express any positive evaluation of an outstanding current British import with the phrase “ the best since Malcolm Reilly.”

After Malcolm Reilly, Dick Huddart, Ellery Hanley, Gareth Ellis, Adrian Morley, James Graham and Sam Burgess are placed on a pedestal by Australians old enough to make comparative historical judgments.

There has been no British half back so far who has had the impact and reputation in Australia that would come close to Tommy Bishop’s. Certainly not Shaun “Who?” Edwards.

[Manfred Mann]

8 hours ago, Allora said:

Is the thread about the best English players that had a go in Australia that were successful or not or is it the English players that did the best in Australia?

The former. The best English players who had a go in Australia and who were successful. 

[Trojan]

32 minutes ago, Allora said:

Kevin Ward would have to be in any 17 I selected.

He was fantastic for Manly.

I agree with this possibly the greatest prop forward of the eighties era.  Also Phil Lowe is not mentioned in any team.  Big strong running back row forward, would be in my XIII any time.  Didn't David Topliss have a spell in Oz?

Jiffy had some of his best games over there.  It was his ability to play in the tough Aussie league that convinced me what a great player he really was.  Not just a marquee name.

[Manfred Mann]

13 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

You forgot Roger Millward at Cronulla, Andy Gregory at Illawarra, Lee Crooks at Western Suburbs, Tony Myler & Shaun Edwards at Balmain and Garry Connolly at Canterbury (& several more).

To be honest, your side is not massively impressive and to say it’s as good as an all-time British XIII is absurd.

I did forget the great Roger Millward at Cronulla, but that is because he only played 14 games in 1976, and did not make a huge impact at the then struggling club. Millward was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, British stand offs ever to play the game. But he did not have an outstanding half season at Cronulla.

Gary Connolly was an important player in the history of the game in England. But not in Australia. I should have listed him, though not in the Best Team selection. Ditto for Andy Gregory, Lee Crooks, Tony Myler, and especially Shaun Edwards, the latter making no impression during his few appearances in Australia.

Phil Lowe is another important player I need to add, for his three seasons at Manly (1974-76). But nobody serious would put him ahead of Dick Huddart and Gareth Ellis in the best team.

[Jeff Stein]

A bit of a forgotten man nowadays but wasn't Harvey Howard the only British player in the NRL for a couple of seasons?

[Jeff Stein]

Also not mentioned is Lee Jackson who won a Grand Final with Newcastle

[George Watt]

18 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

You forgot Roger Millward at Cronulla, Andy Gregory at Illawarra, Lee Crooks at Western Suburbs, Tony Myler & Shaun Edwards at Balmain and Garry Connolly at Canterbury (& several more).

To be honest, your side is not massively impressive and to say it’s as good as an all-time British XIII is absurd.

Also missing is Millward's international team mate Phil Lowe who played for Manly.

I have lived in Aus for over 50 years and would struggle with naming a team from that list. Nailed on though would be Reilly, Hanley, Bishop, Offiah, Ashurst, Ward, Davies, Schofield, Burgess, Watson and possibly Millward, all being personal favourites over the years.

[Keep The Faith]

Gary H price was at souths too 

[Lowdesert]

Two issues with these players who played in Australia pre 1980’s is the lack of availability of tv coverage of games for the uk then and the way the game was played.

Mal Reilly suffered a knee injury which limited his mobility and thus his development as a ball playing, tough as teak player. The game in Aus then was a rough house knucklefest at times.  

 

 

[ELBOWSEYE]

Mike cooper had a decent stint, Alan Bateman also played. Technically Bobby Fulton was an English born player who was successful, there are plenty more. On the criticism of Shaun Edwards there are plenty of International standard Aussies who were woeful over here. 

[Harry Stottle]

8 hours ago, Manfred Mann said:

I did forget the great Roger Millward at Cronulla, but that is because he only played 14 games in 1976, and did not make a huge impact at the then struggling club. Millward was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, British stand offs ever to play the game. But he did not have an outstanding half season at Cronulla.

Gary Connolly was an important player in the history of the game in England. But not in Australia. I should have listed him, though not in the Best Team selection. Ditto for Andy Gregory, Lee Crooks, Tony Myler, and especially Shaun Edwards, the latter making no impression during his few appearances in Australia.

Phil Lowe is another important player I need to add, for his three seasons at Manly (1974-76). But nobody serious would put him ahead of Dick Huddart and Gareth Ellis in the best team.

Well I singled out John Gray who had one of the best reputations of GB imports to Australia, you have  not commented with your opinion of him from those people on here have suggested were absent from your list?

[Lowdesert]

7 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Well I singled out John Gray who had one of the best reputations of GB imports to Australia, you have  not commented with your opinion of him from those people on here have suggested were absent from your list?

Yes he did have an excellent reputation.

Flash Flanagan played in Aus, Gray, Steve, Lee Jackson, Hodgson - unsure of any more.  Considering the seasons he played at the sharp end in Aus, then he is a ‘must’ for inclusion as hooker.

I don’t remember much of him but that’ll be down to lack of TV coverage.

[Harry Stottle]

1 minute ago, Lowdesert said:

Yes he did have an excellent reputation.

Flash Flanagan played in Aus, Gray, Steve, Lee Jackson, Hodgson - unsure of any more.  Considering the seasons he played at the sharp end in Aus, then he is a ‘must’ for inclusion as hooker.

I don’t remember much of him but that’ll be down to lack of TV coverage.

Which one is a must LD?

[Lowdesert]

9 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Which one is a must LD?

Gray.

Flanagan, I think, played for East’s for a short while (could be mistaken), Lee Jackson had a year there,  Stevo had around 4 years, so Hodgson is knocking at the door, but not just yet imo.

 

[bobbruce]

10 hours ago, Manfred Mann said:

The former. The best English players who had a go in Australia and who were successful. 

That line ends with or not  So you mean the second one

English players that did best in Australia 

 

[Manfred Mann]

6 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Well I singled out John Gray who had one of the best reputations of GB imports to Australia, you have  not commented with your opinion of him from those people on here have suggested were absent from your list?

I have belatedly added John Gray to my list of British and Irish players who played in the southern competition. I apologize for omitting him originally.

However I don't think that John Gray was as important as David Bolton, who was a key player and reached a Grand Final with Balmain in 1966,  and won a Grand Final with Balmain in 1969.