A bit more fun

[HoldenV8]

Since Des was officially announced as coach on Monday the mood here in Silvertails has definitely picked up. So, with that in mind lets have a bit more fun shall we.

Remember a couple of months back my thread about our best Grand Final winning team? Well, this is similar, but different. With the recent tests still fresh in the mind, what would be your ultimate Manly Kangaroos vs Manly Rest of the World match up be?

Now, there are some simple rules to remember.

Because of the greater number of Australian players available, only those who have played for Australia while they were at Manly are eligible. That means you can pick someone like Tooves, but you can't pick Ken Irvine who played all of his test footy while at North Sydney.

Conversely, with a smaller pool of international players to pick from, you can choose someone who didn't play test football for their country while at Manly. That means you can pick someone like Mal Reilly. The only rule there is that they must have played test football at some point.

There is no restriction on positions so anyone who for argument sake wants to pick Snake on the Aussie wing is free to do so.

Additionally, players who played for both Australia and another country such as Brent Kite are eligible for either team, but again if chosen for Australia they must have played for the Kangaroos while at Manly.

OK, with that in mind.....here are my teams.

Australia
Coach - Frank Stanton

FB - Graham Eadie
WG - Dale Shearer
CE - Jamie Lyon
CE - Bob Fulton
WG - Michael O'Connor
FE - Cliff Lyons
HB - Geoff Toovey
PR - Roy Bull
HK - Max Krilich
PR - Mark Carroll
SR - Terry Randall
SR - Steve Menzies
LK - Paul Vautin

Bench - Des Hasler, Ian Roberts, Glenn Stewart, Jake Trbojevic


Rest of the World
Coach - Graham Lowe

FB - Matthew Ridge (New Zealand)
WG - Michael Robertson (Scotland)
CE - Darrell Williams (New Zealand)
CE - Steve Matai (New Zealand)
WG - Jorge Taufua (Tonga / Samoa)
FE - Kieran Foran (New Zealand)
HB - Gary Stephens (England / Great Britain)
PR - Brent Kite (Tonga / Australia)
HK - Api Koroisau (Fiji)
PR - Kevin Ward (Great Britain)
SR - Phil Lowe (England / Great Britain)
SR - Steve Norton (England / Great Britain)
LK - Mal Reilly (England / Great Britain)

Bench - Will Hopoate (Tonga), Addin Fonua-Blake (Tonga / New Zealand), Mark Broadhurst (New Zealand), Martin Taupau (New Zealand)

So Silvertails, what would your match up be?

 

[BOZO]

Cant beat those teams of yours @HoldenV8

 

[40 years an eagle]

Cant beat those teams of yours @HoldenV8

Agreed.

Matai and Williams would be the hardest hitting centre pairing in world RL history.
I miss those 2.

 

[HoldenV8]

Agreed.

Matai and Williams would be the hardest hitting centre pairing in world RL history.
I miss those 2.

Williams was a very underrated player IMO. He was just as good at fullback and wing as he was in the centres, even playing all 3 positions at test level. In fact, it was only when Ridge came on the scene in 1990 that Williams relinquished the Kiwi fullback role.

And Skivvy....what more needs to be said? His exploits for Manly and NZ are still fresh in mind. Hopefully with Des back at the club now, Skivvy won't be so distant.

 

[globaleagle]

My head hurts 🙁

 

[HoldenV8]

My head hurts 🙁

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Even allowing for the preponderance of players covering certain positions but not others, you could pick a second Australian side (listed from fulllback to front row - just like the old days):

Brett Stewart
Ray Ritchie
Ray Branighan
Terry Hill
Johnny Bliss
Alan Thompson
Denis Ward
Nik Kosef
Rex Mossop
Bruce Walker
John O’Neill
Fred Jones
Bill Hamilton

Or:

Des Hasler (the utility man)
Les Hanighan
Gordon Willoughby
Russel Gartner
Ray Ritchie
Wally O’Connell
Steve Martin (or my favourite Gibbsy - but he never played in a test)
Ben Kennedy
Daniel Gartner
John ‘Pogo’ Morgan
David Gillespie
Kevin Schubert
Phil Daley

Or:

Danny Moore (out of position, but I can’t use Ron Willey - he played for AS from C-B)
Jack Lumsden
John McDonald
Chris Close (probably not an ideal centre pairing - both were more outside centres, rather than an inside/outside combo)
Nick Yakich
Frank Stanton
Peter Burke
Jack Sinclair
Bill Delamere
Bill Bradstreet
Geoff Gerard
Ray Brown
Ian Thomson

With apologies to the other 20 odd Australian reps from the mighty Sea Eagles.

I have also tended to favour players who were local juniors, ‘unknown’ imports or not well established first graders and/or internationals when they joined the club.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I was a fan of Williams but Craig Innes would go pretty close to getting in that world side. Though the fact both he and Matai played mostly on the left makes it a selection conundrum.
In quality he was right up there with both Williams and Matai.

 

[Briza]

I was a fan of Williams but Craig Innes would go pretty close to getting in that world side. Though the fact both he and Matai played mostly on the left makes it a selection conundrum.
In quality he was right up there with both Williams and Matai.

Was thinking the same, I'd have innes in over Williams.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

How about a top notch team of Manly juniors who didn’t play for Australia? And you could field several more.

Fullback to front row:

Ross Windshuttle (normally a winger, but a first class replacement for Wombat when called upon)
David Ronson
Michael Blake
Alec Tennant
Stuart Davis
Ian Martin
Phil Blake
Lindsay Drake
Wayne Springall
Gary Thoroughgood
Norm Pounder
Charlie Haggett
John Harvey (represented Australia as a reserve, but didn’t take the field)

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

On playing record Bob Batty would be the fullback. Not sure if you would qualify him as a Manly junior, but from Wiki it looks like he came to us a teenager.

 

[nightster]

Maybe John Grey as the others hooker but don't disagree with the selections ... all formidable players

 

[nightster]

On playing record Bob Batty would be the fullback. Not sure if you would qualify him as a Manly junior, but from Wiki it looks like he came to us a teenager.

I don't think the great man was a test player

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I don't think the great man was a test player

No I meant ahead of Windshuttle in the @Terry Zarsoff team of juniors who didn't represent Australia.
https://silvertails.net/threads/a-bit-more-fun.55805/#post-1095747

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

On playing record Bob Batty would be the fullback. Not sure if you would qualify him as a Manly junior, but from Wiki it looks like he came to us a teenager.

Technically he wasn’t a junior - he hailed from Murwillumbah.

I would have John Gray in the other internationals team.

 

[Harvies elbow]

How about a top notch team of Manly juniors who didn’t play for Australia? And you could field several more.

Fullback to front row:

Ross Windshuttle (normally a winger, but a first class replacement for Wombat when called upon)
David Ronson
Michael Blake
Alec Tennant
Stuart Davis
Ian Martin
Phil Blake
Lindsay Drake
Wayne Springall
Gary Thoroughgood
Norm Pounder
Charlie Haggett
John Harvey (represented Australia as a reserve, but didn’t take the field)

Terry, I think though you are right about the like of John Harvey not taking the field for the kangaroos I think technically they are regarded as internationals as he was selected.
It's a bit like Terry Randall never playing a test because all his appearances were in world Cup games.
I believe that has since been amended and recognised.
However I will cede to your knowledge on this.
Great thread @HoldenV8

 

[HoldenV8]

Test and World Cup games were once regarded as separate things. I think that may have changed in the late 1990s, but not 100% sure of that. I do know it changed though and both are regarded as full international caps.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Terry, I think though you are right about the like of John Harvey not taking the field for the kangaroos I think technically they are regarded as internationals as he was selected.
It's a bit like Terry Randall never playing a test because all his appearances were in world Cup games.
I believe that has since been amended and recognised.
However I will cede to your knowledge on this.
Great thread @HoldenV8

Randall’s test vs NZ in ‘78 is not included, because he never took the field. Randall’s 11 test appearances were all those ‘’75 & ‘77 World Series’ full internationals.

Ditto Harvey. Mind you if he hadn’t knocked back the Kangaroo tour in ‘78, he would officially be an international. I believe the club generally regards him as such, but according to the rules, you have to take the field during play to become a full international.

 

[Harvies elbow]

Randall’s test vs NZ in ‘78 is not included, because he never took the field. Randall’s 11 test appearances were all those ‘’75 & ‘77 World Series’ full internationals.

Ditto Harvey. Mind you if he hadn’t knocked back the Kangaroo tour in ‘78, he would officially be an international. I believe the club generally regards him as such, but according to the rules, you have to take the field during play to become a full international.

Bloody tough rule considering his career mate.