ManlyBacker
Winging it
Here is something to send our thoughts back to the great indigenous players of the past. I agree with most of Phil's thoughts but I am sure others have strong feelings on the greats.
ANTHONY Mundine once claimed he was the best rugby league five-eighth of his era before retiring to make a career out of bashing up stiffs in a boxing ring.
If his self-assessment was correct, he would be an automatic selection in this best-ever Indigenous team we've chosen to mark tomorrow's clash with the NRL All Stars on the Gold Coast.
When you can't even find room in the five-eighth jersey for the great Cliffy Lyons, who played six Origin matches for NSW, six Tests and 332 club games, what hope does Mundine have - and this time he can't play the racism card.
Eventually I went for former Canberra Raiders, NSW and Test five-eighth Laurie Daley in the No. 6 jersey for the best indigenous team over the past 40 years - but it was a photo-finish and developed print ahead of Lyons.
So these are the players I considered in each position before settling on the final 17.
A team of breathtaking attacking qualities, spectacular skills and some of the hardest men to lace a footy boot.
A group of players that you could guarantee would keep the crowd on their feet for 80 minutes.
Fullback
KEVIN Longbottom, David Peachey, Eric Simms, Colin Scott and Andrew Walker were all worthy contenders.
Simms played in the great South Sydney teams of the 1960s and '70s and was one of the best goalkickers of all time. He was so good at kicking field goals they changed the rules, reducing them to one point instead of two because he kicked so many of them.
Eventually we went for Dale Shearer. He played most of his career in the three-quarters, but he did play for Manly and in Test sides from fullback. He was also an explosive Origin player for Queensland.
Wingers
GEORGE Ambrum, Nathan Blacklock, Larry Corowa, John Ferguson, Ken Nagas, Wendell Sailor, Dale Shearer and Matty Sing were considered.
Strictly speaking, Sailor is not Aboriginal. I ended up going with two sensational players, Balmain's Larry Corowa - probably still the fastest man I've ever seen on a football field - and John Ferguson, the chain smoking old Canberra Raiders and Newtown star.
St George's Nathan Blacklock was unlucky to miss out. Three years in a row he topped the NRL's try-scoring. But Ferguson and Corowa are two of the greatest personality players the game has ever seen.
Centres
MAL Meninga has been included in some indigenous teams, but like Sailor he is not Aboriginal.
So I left him out and considered Tony Currie, Steve Ella, Justin Hodges, Greg Inglis, Steve Renouf and Ron Saddler.
Even in this group, Inglis is a standout and I gave Renouf the nod ahead of the mercurial Steve Ella for the other spot.
Five-eighth
PRESTON Campbell, Laurie Daley, Cliff Lyons and Anthony Mundine are the best from my time covering the game.
It was really a toss of the coin to give Daley the spot over Lyons.
Halfback
SCOTT Gale, Ewan McGrady, Scott Prince and Johnathan Thurston were probably the best I've seen.
If anyone needs reminding how good the late and great Scott Gale was, get a copy of the top 100 tries DVD that was produced for the centenary year. He scored a couple of screamers.
But no one could argue with Thurston's inclusion, although he's not that far ahead of Scotty Prince .
Back-rowers
GREG Bird, Ron Gibbs, Gorden Tallis, Sam Thaiday, Carl Webb, Paul Roberts, Chris McKenna, Ian Russell, Jeff Hardy were all considered.
Raging Bull Tallis was the first picked for obvious reasons. Then Thaiday and the crash-tackling Ronnie Gibbs.
Has there ever been a more fearsome back-row than this trio?
Props
SAM Backo, Arthur Beetson, David Grant and Craig Salvatori are probably the best I have seen.
Beetson, one of rugby league's seven Immortals, would make any greatest line-up and Backo got the nod over Grant and Salvatori.
Hooker
IT is probably one position where there haven't been a lot of Aborigines to stand out, but Manly's Mal Cochrane won a Rothmans Medal, was a top goalkicker, and would hold his own in any era.
Interchange
I settled for Lyons, Bird, Ella and Hodges on the bench.
If tomorrow's Indigenous All Stars are the Dreamtime - then this is rugby league's dream team.
Phil Rothfield The Daily Telegraph
ANTHONY Mundine once claimed he was the best rugby league five-eighth of his era before retiring to make a career out of bashing up stiffs in a boxing ring.
If his self-assessment was correct, he would be an automatic selection in this best-ever Indigenous team we've chosen to mark tomorrow's clash with the NRL All Stars on the Gold Coast.
When you can't even find room in the five-eighth jersey for the great Cliffy Lyons, who played six Origin matches for NSW, six Tests and 332 club games, what hope does Mundine have - and this time he can't play the racism card.
Eventually I went for former Canberra Raiders, NSW and Test five-eighth Laurie Daley in the No. 6 jersey for the best indigenous team over the past 40 years - but it was a photo-finish and developed print ahead of Lyons.
So these are the players I considered in each position before settling on the final 17.
A team of breathtaking attacking qualities, spectacular skills and some of the hardest men to lace a footy boot.
A group of players that you could guarantee would keep the crowd on their feet for 80 minutes.
Fullback
KEVIN Longbottom, David Peachey, Eric Simms, Colin Scott and Andrew Walker were all worthy contenders.
Simms played in the great South Sydney teams of the 1960s and '70s and was one of the best goalkickers of all time. He was so good at kicking field goals they changed the rules, reducing them to one point instead of two because he kicked so many of them.
Eventually we went for Dale Shearer. He played most of his career in the three-quarters, but he did play for Manly and in Test sides from fullback. He was also an explosive Origin player for Queensland.
Wingers
GEORGE Ambrum, Nathan Blacklock, Larry Corowa, John Ferguson, Ken Nagas, Wendell Sailor, Dale Shearer and Matty Sing were considered.
Strictly speaking, Sailor is not Aboriginal. I ended up going with two sensational players, Balmain's Larry Corowa - probably still the fastest man I've ever seen on a football field - and John Ferguson, the chain smoking old Canberra Raiders and Newtown star.
St George's Nathan Blacklock was unlucky to miss out. Three years in a row he topped the NRL's try-scoring. But Ferguson and Corowa are two of the greatest personality players the game has ever seen.
Centres
MAL Meninga has been included in some indigenous teams, but like Sailor he is not Aboriginal.
So I left him out and considered Tony Currie, Steve Ella, Justin Hodges, Greg Inglis, Steve Renouf and Ron Saddler.
Even in this group, Inglis is a standout and I gave Renouf the nod ahead of the mercurial Steve Ella for the other spot.
Five-eighth
PRESTON Campbell, Laurie Daley, Cliff Lyons and Anthony Mundine are the best from my time covering the game.
It was really a toss of the coin to give Daley the spot over Lyons.
Halfback
SCOTT Gale, Ewan McGrady, Scott Prince and Johnathan Thurston were probably the best I've seen.
If anyone needs reminding how good the late and great Scott Gale was, get a copy of the top 100 tries DVD that was produced for the centenary year. He scored a couple of screamers.
But no one could argue with Thurston's inclusion, although he's not that far ahead of Scotty Prince .
Back-rowers
GREG Bird, Ron Gibbs, Gorden Tallis, Sam Thaiday, Carl Webb, Paul Roberts, Chris McKenna, Ian Russell, Jeff Hardy were all considered.
Raging Bull Tallis was the first picked for obvious reasons. Then Thaiday and the crash-tackling Ronnie Gibbs.
Has there ever been a more fearsome back-row than this trio?
Props
SAM Backo, Arthur Beetson, David Grant and Craig Salvatori are probably the best I have seen.
Beetson, one of rugby league's seven Immortals, would make any greatest line-up and Backo got the nod over Grant and Salvatori.
Hooker
IT is probably one position where there haven't been a lot of Aborigines to stand out, but Manly's Mal Cochrane won a Rothmans Medal, was a top goalkicker, and would hold his own in any era.
Interchange
I settled for Lyons, Bird, Ella and Hodges on the bench.
If tomorrow's Indigenous All Stars are the Dreamtime - then this is rugby league's dream team.
Phil Rothfield The Daily Telegraph
