Super side to celebrate 60th PDF Print E-mail
Written by Daniel   
Monday, 12 September 2005 10:00
MANLY'S Dream Team will be chosen as part of the club's 60th birthday celebrations in 2006 and the club's Godfather Ken Arthurson will call for wholesale changes from the Sea Eagles All Stars side announced 16 years ago.

Arthurson will be a member of a special selection panel to be appointed soon by the Sea Eagles board and his knowledge of players to have worn the maroon and white in every decade of the club's history will add prestige to the announcement of the side.

Manly have won a premiership in 1996 and figured in grand finals in 1995 and 1997 since the All Star side was announced in 1990. The side was chosen by former international and club chairman, the late Gordon Willoughby, ex-chief executive and long service player, the late Doug Daley, veteran club stalwart and league club secretary manager Jack Martin and yours truly.
Some great players have represented the club since 1990 and several will figure strongly for a place in the Dream Team lineup of 17.

The selection of the side will create enormous debate in the upcoming months and Arthurson has given a hint of where his allegiances are by declaring five-eighth maestro Cliff Lyons a certainty to be in the side somewhere.

``He is one of greatest players I have seen - he had time on the football field and his vision and precision passing made him a delight to watch for so long for Manly fans,'' Arthurson said.

Lyons was a specialist five eighth for much of his career and that places him in direct opposition to former Kangaroo captain and Manly's first captain-coach Wally O'Connell who was skipper of the All Star side named in 1990.

``I'm reluctant to name a position for the players and I would rather just select the best 17 but I haven't been informed of the selection guidelines but there will be some differences of opinions in something like this,'' Arthurson said.

The All Star side was: Graham Eadie, Tom Mooney, Bob Fulton, Ray Branighan, Michael O'Connor, Wally O'Connell (C), Des Hasler, Malcolm Reilly, Terry Randall, Phil Lowe, Roy Bull, Max Krilich, John O'Neill.

Reserves: Ian Martin, Alan Thompson, Steve Norton, John McDonald.

Arthurson believes at least five players from the modern era deserve serious consideration for selection.

He named Lyons at the top of the list along with Geoff Toovey, Matthew Ridge and current stars Steve Menzies and Ben Kennedy.

``They are all exceptional players - Toovey was so versatile and an inspirational leader; Menzies' record and absolute loyalty demands selection - he is the greatest try- scoring forward in the history of the game and Kennedy could only be denied by virtue of the fact that he has played only 20-odd games for the club but he is an awesome player.

``Other players I would consider are Ken Irvine, Kerry Boustead and Kevin Ward - they were top class,'' Arthurson said.

Arthurson remains firm on his favourite all time Manly player.

``It remains Bob Fulton - at centre or five-eighth he was so brilliant. He is rightfully one of the four original Immortals and there will be no real debate when it comes to him in this side ... it will be simply if he is in number three or six,'' he said.

Manly fans will have a chance to match their knowledge against the selection panel when a selection competition is announced in the new year.

***

WITH 30 tries in just two full seasons in the NRL Brett Stewart is one of the game's most exciting young players.

But the 20-year-old is much more than a rising star in the game.

With his problems with diabetes well documented in the public forum the Sea Eagles fullback is seen as a role model for youngsters with a similar condition.

Diabetes NSW have contacted Stewart and asked him to be a sporting face in raising the awareness to diabetes and the brilliant youngster has accepted immediately.

``I'm delighted to be asked to help in a small way and it is important that young people with the condition learn how to accept the cards they have been dealt and move ahead with the knowledge that they can live normal lives with a minimum amount of discomfort,'' Stewart said.

Stewart is flying at summer training and has impressed everyone with his build up in strength.

[u][b]Silvertails comment:[/u] Good to finally see Zorba use hic column space to talk about his employer, rather than prattle on about Rugby Union as in recent weeks.[/b]