Mr Frisky Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 As with all GOAT debates its really a generation thing. Take football all today's kids will say Messi is the best ever but probably never saw the true magic of Maradona. Put Gazza in today's Premier League which is a poor standard and he would destroy it. People in Oz are so biased they would never consider a UK based player so even though their choice could be a good one they tend to dismiss 50% of the RL player options. So RL, and I can only say the players I've seen so I can't really compair Billy Boston against say Billy Slater. All I can say is that Hanley is the best I've ever seen, Roby is easily as good as Smith and if you asked me to pick a prop for my dream team Jamie Peacock would be their all day long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pie tries Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 19 hours ago, Wigan Riversider said: Ellery Hanley Obviously..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehbandit Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 Hanley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wigan Riversider Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 40 minutes ago, Mr Frisky said: As with all GOAT debates its really a generation thing. Take football all today's kids will say Messi is the best ever but probably never saw the true magic of Maradona. Put Gazza in today's Premier League which is a poor standard and he would destroy it. All I can say is that Hanley is the best I've ever seen, Roby is easily as good as Smith and if you asked me to pick a prop for my dream team Jamie Peacock would be their all day long. Can't argue or disagree about JP. Personally I don't think Smith was better than Steve Walters or Benny Elias at hooker. I will not comment on Australian bias Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wigan Riversider Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 3 hours ago, CanaBull said: Hard to touch Hanley really for me. It's probably the first real RL etched memory his last season at Bradford when he got the try record, the atmosphere when he'd get the ball and everyone talking about him like no one ever since. Dad and Grandad always said there was none better either. There was a kids training session the following year, Phil Ford was there, and some smart mouth giving it 'wish it were last year, we'd have had Ellery'. Believe Phil Ford was devastated that he was part of the deal that took Hanley to Wigan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live after death Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 Too many great players over different eras who brought different things to the table most Dangerous attacking player - Ellery most natural footballer Instinctive of the cuff genius player- Schoey Best leader brains - Sinfield/cameron Smith best all round can do everything- The King Wally Lewis other note worthy greats Kenny Sterling Johns Thurstone Meninga Fittler Andy Gregory Laurie Daley at a pinch I would say Wally is the best I ever saw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live after death Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 30 minutes ago, Wigan Riversider said: Can't argue or disagree about JP. Personally I don't think Smith was better than Steve Walters or Benny Elias at hooker. I will not comment on Australian bias Buderous was the best Hooker I ever saw in terms of Talent, smith brings other things to the table Roby is possibly the best British 9 I have seen like Peacock gets better with age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkw Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 20 hours ago, Wigan Riversider said: Ellery Hanley Absolutely this, an incredible player that had almost everything. Been watching a lot of older games in this lockdown and he stood out in every one he played in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 Its funny when you think of players being good or great because of a particular aspect of their game. Hanley was exceptional in all aspects. A few mentions of Smith. A great player but not the greatest for me. I feel his style of play benefited from playing in some great teams surrounded by great players, allowing him to be the player he was. Without that I think he'd be viewed differently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wigan Riversider Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 Going off topic slightly. Please forgive me everyone. I am delighted that one name hasn't been mentioned yet on this thread and I will not include it. His son isunion captain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticchris Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 18 hours ago, Man of Kent said: Ellery. Smith is a great player but saying he’s the GOAT is a bit like picking a goalie as football or wicketkeeper as cricket GOAT. Interesting comparison. Only problem there is that a Wicketkeeper (Adam Gilchrist) was arguably the biggest single difference maker for the best Cricket side of all time the Aussies in the early 2000s and revolutionised the sport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunbar Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 30 minutes ago, Damien said: Its funny when you think of players being good or great because of a particular aspect of their game. Hanley was exceptional in all aspects. A few mentions of Smith. A great player but not the greatest for me. I feel his style of play benefited from playing in some great teams surrounded by great players, allowing him to be the player he was. Without that I think he'd be viewed differently. If Hanley and Smith were in the same side, the coaches message to Smith would be "get it to Hanley". "The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby. "If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wigan Riversider Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 53 minutes ago, arcticchris said: Interesting comparison. Only problem there is that a Wicketkeeper (Adam Gilchrist) was arguably the biggest single difference maker for the best Cricket side of all time the Aussies in the early 2000s and revolutionised the sport. Fair comment indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man of Kent Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 53 minutes ago, arcticchris said: Interesting comparison. Only problem there is that a Wicketkeeper (Adam Gilchrist) was arguably the biggest single difference maker for the best Cricket side of all time the Aussies in the early 2000s and revolutionised the sport. Probably but that doesn’t make him cricket GOAT... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wigan Riversider Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 Think the generation point is very valid. Lockyer, Smith, Thurston are of Super League era. Sculthorpe, Sinfield, Samkins same. Personally I can't consider any player from the Super League era to be in contention for GOAT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arcticchris Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 1 hour ago, Man of Kent said: Probably but that doesn’t make him cricket GOAT... Asked to pick an all time world team he would be the first name on the list for me. That might not make him the goat but it definitely puts him firmly in the conversation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Taylor Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 What about Sean O'Loughlin? 2008 RFL Wakefield & District Young Volunteer of the Year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbruce Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 19 hours ago, Dunbar said: The reason why Hanley is the best. There are players with unbelievable highlight reels who seem to be able to do things that no other player can. Those once in a generation special talents who will light up a game with a match winning moment. And then there are players with huge workrates who seem to win a game through sheer endurance and the mental courage to refusal to surrender. And Hanley was both. On top of all that the other reason Hanley gets it for me is how he manage to work himself from the wing through centre and stand off before eventually ending up at loose forward. In every position he was simply world class. Every team new about him just couldn’t do anything to stop him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wigan Riversider Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 1 minute ago, bobbruce said: On top of all that the other reason Hanley gets it for me is how he manage to work himself from the wing through centre and stand off before eventually ending up at loose forward. In every position he was simply world class. Every team new about him just couldn’t do anything to stop him. I tried telling some, not all, Wigan supporters that at the time. Sadly, they chose not to listen and argued that Ellery was overrated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbruce Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 12 minutes ago, Wigan Riversider said: I tried telling some, not all, Wigan supporters that at the time. Sadly, they chose not to listen and argued that Ellery was overrated As A Saints fan I wouldn’t like admitting it at the time but he was invariably be the player that made the special play to win games. Luckily for us you then got rid of him and signed Offiah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Prince Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 20 hours ago, Wigan Riversider said: Wigan v Australia 1986 when Hanley was injured I think so. Lewis scored or made(?) a try on the 7th tackle. Lewis stepped up in the last 15 to 20 minutes there and pulled up Australia out of a mire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mumby Magic Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 4 hours ago, Dunbar said: If Hanley and Smith were in the same side, the coaches message to Smith would be "get it to Hanley". And there is the answer right there. Like poor jokes? Thejoketeller@mullymessiah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wigan Riversider Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 12 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said: I think so. Lewis scored or made(?) a try on the 7th tackle. Lewis stepped up in the last 15 to 20 minutes there and pulled up Australia out of a mire. Lewis try on tackle 7 was test 3 at Central Park. Hanley played in neither the club game nor the test at Wigan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Prince Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 5 hours ago, Wigan Riversider said: Going off topic slightly. Please forgive me everyone. I am delighted that one name hasn't been mentioned yet on this thread and I will not include it. His son isunion captain. Yes. But there are many great players. Many. It really is a bit fatuous. I said Kenney... not simply a great player but hugely influential not simply for Wigan but our game. I'm sure a number of Hull fans will understandably name his Aussie team mate, Peter Stirling. That's why for me Kenny is so iconic. But greatest iconic player, well from Wigan one has to say Billy Boston. But equally how iconic was Jim Sullivan? Others will have someone of course. Iconic. = Emblematic. Symbolic. Cambridge Dictionary says, "... especially being considered to represent particular opinions or a particular time." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wigan Riversider Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 4 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said: Yes. But there are many great players. Many. It really is a bit fatuous. I said Kenney... not simply a great player but hugely influential not simply for Wigan but our game. I'm sure a number of Hull fans will understandably name his Aussie team mate, Peter Stirling. That's why for me Kenny is so iconic. But greatest iconic player, well from Wigan one has to say Billy Boston. But equally how iconic was Jim Sullivan? Others will have someone of course. Iconic. = Emblematic. Symbolic. Cambridge Dictionary says, "... especially being considered to represent particular opinions or a particular time." Kenny, Stirling, Boston, Sullivan, Ring...latter 3 before my time. All wonderful and iconic players. I think we are all influenced in our opinion by our generation of players we have seen play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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