Greatest Ever Team

[AshfieldBazza]

TR understand your logic but you contradict yourself naming Boustead who played 7 years at other clubs (4 yrs at Easts,80g : 3 yrs at Norths, 33g) compared to 4 yrs with us and 65g

 

[Phantar]

I'd dispute your call on Ray Branighan too Terry. I did some checking. He only played 55 first grade games (1968-71) with Souths for two premiership wins (1970-71). He played 114 FG games with Manly (1972-78) and played in three premiership winning teams (72, 73, 78) within that timeframe. He also played 12 tests (under the new rules) from the Manly club, as opposed to five at Souths.

Granted Souths 'developed' him, but generally his greatest days were at Manly.

I agree with you on Mooney. Great (and greatly underrated) player. He was in a 'Manly's greatest team' announced in the 80s or 90s.

 

[Frank]

Someone read my mind, was gonna make this exact topic tonight !!

I look at our current squad, and see Lyon, Watmough, both Stewarts are a chance of making the side. Foran and DCE capable if they spend their careers here as well

Watmough will finish a club legend, playing well over 300 games for the club with multiple premierships, he is a certainty for me

I never really saw enough of O'Connor and Vautin to rate how the current guys compare, with Glenn and Lyon after their spots.

I think for me choc a certainty over BK by the time he finishes

I know a lot of the older posters say Stewart doesn't compare to Eadie, again it isn't one I can judge

O'Connor was a favourite of mine and a great player for Manly, NSW, and Australia. I was devastated when he went to the dark side during the super league war. IMO Lyon is a more complete player and a true captain who leads by example. I think he definitely shades snoz as a better player.

Fatty was a top player too. However he had to 'try' much harder as he wasn't anywhere near as gifted with the skill set that Glen has. Glen is easily a more superior player than Fatty ever was and also busts a gut for us every time he takes the field.

If I had to choose between wombat and snake I think I would choose Eadie. No-one did kick returns like wombat. Her literally ran straight and hard and trampled over anything that dared get in his path. I think I'd rather tackle T-Rex than get in the way of a rampaging Graeme Eadie! Big statement, I know.

 

[Ian Martin tragic]

Lyon simply has to be in that team next time it is updated. Wombat has to stay unfortunately for snake who might have to settle for the bench. branighan and freddy won us the 72 gf, and we're major contributors to setting up our greatest decade. Agree choc in for bk, and gift a good show ata replacing fatty. We are in a golden era and lit should be reflected in tis kind of monument eventually.

 

[Phantar]

Fatty was a much better defender than any of today's lineup. Great tackler.

 

[bones]

Fatty was a much better defender than any of today's lineup. Great tackler.

They tackle differently today to what they did in Fatty's day. Back then it was around the legs. Now it's up high and wrestling.

 

[lsz]

He was more than a tackler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKJymo-MezY

 

[Masked Eagle]

Fatty was a much better defender than any of today's lineup. Great tackler.

They tackle differently today to what they did in Fatty's day. Back then it was around the legs. Now it's up high and wrestling.

Totally different game, probably about 2-2.5 times as many tackles in a game these days. 25 tackles used to be a top effort back then. That being said, out of those 25, 20 of them were probably one on one tackles. These days someone could make 40+ and not make a single one on one tackle.

 

[Volley]

It's not as if G. Stewart's a mug in defence, and his attacking game is superb. I'd have him over either Kennedy or Vautin, not that I saw much of Fatty.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

The status of several of our current stars will soar to another level this year if Manly manages to achieve the modern holy grail, B2B.

That achievement would bring the current crop up on par with the club's greatest ever, and players such as the Stewarts, Lyon, Choc and Kite will have 4 grand finals and 3 premierships in the toughest, most competitive era in history.

Of course, there is a very long way to go before we even get to the finals. However the players are aware that history beckons and they know the unique opportunity they have. There is also a strong belief that if their best team stays healthy, it will happen.