Following on from my favourite rugby union contributor on this site, Sheek, here is my selection of the best 13 Australian players this Briton has witnessed since the immortal Kangaroos of 1982.
1: Brett Mullins. For a couple of seasons, Mullins’ spidery limbs, snaky hips and lungs made for 400 metre sprints contributed to a series of little miracles.
2: John Ferguson. A forerunner to England’s Jason Robinson, AKA Billy Whiz, Ferguson’s unorthodox brilliance was worthy of such exaggerated comic feats. His signature? A little puff of smoke from the back of his heels…
3: Mal Meninga. A monstrous physical specimen with a kind of mythic aura and a surprising footballing dexterity – his introduction to English audiences in 1982 was frightening!
4: Greg Inglis. A contemptuous fend, awkward length of stride, lofty air – and responsible this season for a tackle on Uate that, in terms of degree of difficulty, is the best I have ever seen. Inglis is destined for all-time greatness.
5: Eric Grothe. Rolling Thunder? The Guru? A primordial force of nature, whose tectonic plate-shifting runs scored highly on what might be termed the rectal-Richter Scale! Along with mighty Mal, Grothe scared the pants off English defences.
6: Brett Kenny. To many English supporters, Kenny remains a superior player to Wally Lewis. A man who could go through the gears effortlessly and who ran so fast and yet seemingly so unhurriedly – very few players have been so aesthetically pleasing to watch when in full flight. His performance in the Wembley sunshine of 1985 before just short of 100,000 spectators will not be forgotten.
7: Andrew Johns. An all-court footballer with no discernible weakness in any part of the game. Less purely exciting, perhaps, than the criminally under-rated Greg ‘Brandy’ Alexander – a particular favourite of mine – but with a sumptuous array of passing and kicking skills.
8: Shane Webcke. Unyielding, inured to pain, fearless and – wait for it – seemingly a very nice, mild-mannered chap. How did he do that?
9: Benny Elias. I know what you’re thinking but Elias, the scruffy, bloodied, hot-headed mummy’s boy – antonym of Cameron Smith’s too cool for school model – is a character that perhaps only rugby league could have produced. He played as if every minute might have been his last.
10. Mark Geyer. For a relatively short period, Geyer was very, very scary. He looked mean, played nasty and, in another life, might have been a hoodlum looking to snuff the life out of Jimmy Cagney in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Horrible.
11. Gordon Tallis. The Raging Bull. His one-sided fist-fight with Wigan’s Terry O’Connor ended with the latter suggesting that his wife had slapped him harder… I think he was joking. Tallis did everything with extreme force and menace. He too was horrible.
12: Wayne Pearce. The clean cut kid of the 1982 Kangaroos, ‘Junior’ was like rugby league’s version of the Bionic Man. Never before had a player exuded such fresh-faced, rosy-cheeked health and fitness – made to look all the more remarkable when set against the backdrop of an English autumn/winter.
13: Bradley Clyde. Indefatigable, skilful and not at all horrible. Quite modest, actually…
Glenn
Guest
Could not agree more. Fantastic side. Although an argument could be made for Steve roach in place of webke.
Jammel
Guest
Belcher Ferguson Mullins Meninga Nadruku Daley Stuart Clyde Furner Croker Todd SWalters Lazarus
Maroon Blood
Guest
Good question Mike, Rocket Rod was a standout second rower of the late 70's, early 80's, big, fast and aggressive and a real character as well, known for his practical jokes. I guess the glut of great second rowers Australia has had could be a reason. Watched Geno play for Wigan at Central Park in '91, looked a treat in cherry and white hoops! Onfloaded for tries to Joe Lydon twice and Offiah on his debut.....against Wakefield Trinity from memory. Geno and Bert made an amazing centre combination for an all too short period. Miles size and offloading ability and Kenny's footwork and underrated defensive ability certainly contributed to O'Connor becoming the highest pointscorere to date.
Maroon Blood
Guest
Trakl, that was the actual team for the test, not one I picked.....and the team went through the tour undefeated, against a very strong GB test lineup which, arguably, made them a better side than '82. Meninga played in the run-on side in the Third test (in the second row!)as Noel Cleal had broken his arm. Miles and Kenny were such an amazing centre combination that Mal didn't get a look in. Greg Alexander was only an Emu on that tour, played in the games against clubs.....very young back then.
cos789
Guest
I really like the centre pairing. Imagine a side with Inglis and Meninga outside classy halves of any era. Terrifying proposition for any opponent.
Col Quinn
Guest
Taki and Sheek, Gas was extraordinary. I saw him make a fool of Fulton near the end of his career. Beat him easily with pace and guile.. Frank Hyde described that performance as one of the most dominant from a centre 3/4 that he had ever seen. Fultons main fault was that he did not like to pass the ball.
trakl
Guest
Thank you for your response Sheek. Honestly, it is very hard to imagine anyone being better than Kenny partly because, with Kenny, style and substance were one and the same thing. The way he received the ball, shifted his balance and accelerated into open field with such balletic grace - nowhere better illustrated than his famous try for Wigan at Wembley where he seemed to be moving in a different space-time continuum altogether - made him many English people's favourite Australian. All this after looking so nonchalant during the big match preliminaries (hands in pockets, looking as if he were about to slip into a coma) that English legend, Alex Murphy - one of 5 nominated rugby league players to be immortalised in statue form at Wembley in time for next year's World Cup - seemed in danger of suffering a cardiac arrest up in the BBC commentary box! Even the great Murphy had to concede Kenny's genius.
Mike Turnbull
Guest
That,s a good team,the prospect of watching 2 ex Wigan players (king Kenny and mean Gene) playing together is mouthwatering.Just a question Maroon Blood ,Why have none of these team lists got Rod Reddy included? I saw the 82 touring side in the U.K 5 times and Reddy was the stand out player in 3 out of 5 of those games.But no one seems to think he warrents a mention,why is that ?
sheek
Roar Guru
Trakl, Bobby Fulton was good, damn good. Blond hair & boyish looks, like a good-looking assassin. A lot of opposition players & fans hated him because he had a lot of cheek in him. As a footballer, he was compact, with blistering acceleration, which was his main weapon in beating opponents. Over 10m he was lethal. In addition he had a wonderful kicking game & football brain. He was one of those guys who knew where the play was going or where to take the play. great positional anticipation. Also solid defender when required. Won the 1973 grand final almost single-handedly for Manly-Warringah. Was also the winning captain in 1976 as well as winning another premiership in 1972. On the 1973 Kangaroos tour of England & France scored roughly a try a game. Captained the Kangaroos in England and France in 1978 before starting a long & successful coaching career. You picked Brett Kenny as your five-eighth. Like Kenny, Fulton could play either five-eighth or centre equally well. I would rate Fulton just ahead of Kenny as a player.
sheek
Roar Guru
Col, The only reason I didn't select Gasnier is because I didn't actually see him play personally. He retired the year before I started following the rugby codes.
trakl
Guest
As noted above, I'm a huge fan of Alexander's - few things show up the embarrassment of riches at Australia's disposal over the last 30 years than the fact that the likes of Greg Alexander are barely ever mentioned in "all-time...favourite...best" lists... and yet he was pure magic as both creator and destroyer. I think he strikes the perfect balance as a TV co-commentator too.
Arthur Fonzarelli
Guest
I have great memories as a kid / teen staying up late to watch the Kangaroo tour tests and club matches of 82, 86, 90. Rex the Moose Mossop calling Australia vs one of the club teams in 1986 in thick fog where all the players were invisible is indelibly etched in my mind. Greg Alexander has to be in the top 3 most gifted players I have seen. If he had been born in Ipswich I reckon he would have played 30 Origins and be on the short list for immortal status.
trakl
Guest
Oh, and apologies to Tallis - I should have spelt his first name "Gorden."
trakl
Guest
I first heard of Bobby Fulton when, as an 11 year old, a young lad born in the US but brought up in Sydney attended our rugby-union playing school. He kept on mentioning Manly-Warringah - which sounded impossibly exotic - an Englishman by the name of Phil Lowe and somebody called Bobby Fulton. He was saddened that nobody had heard of him or knew about the game he played. He used to mimic how "Bozo" would receive and pass the ball... Apart from 1 or 2 brief clips I've seen nothing of him and know him only as the coach of the Kangaroos who would come over and wreck our dreams for a few more years. How good was he?
trakl
Guest
Meninga on the bench! Miles in the centres and Greg Alexander left out altogether! We had no chance...
Jeff Cook
Guest
Strange for me to be replying to someone with the name Maroon Blood. My normal predudece againt any thing remotely Qld starts to take over. I`m extremly fortunate to have read an article that so closely resembles my thoughts on the topic. thanks MB.
trakl
Guest
Alfie was, of course, wonderfully effective and damaging - and yet, rather odd too! Ricky Stuart's passing from either hand was a thing of beauty in terms of flight, length, parabola and so on, whereas Alfie's was awkward, ugly and untutored... he failed to shine on tour with the Kangaroos and his unremarkable short stint with Warrington didn't stop him from saving Queensland in the veteran stage of his career...
Maroon Blood
Guest
Great article that reinforces, for me, how much Rugby League is missing out by the demise of the Kangaoo Tours. For mine, the best team, and I mean team in the true sense of the word, to wear the Roo jersey versue the old enemy was from the Second Test of the 86 Kangaroo Tour: Garry Jack, Dale Shearer, Brett Kenny, Gene Miles, Michael O'Connor, Wally Lewis, Peter Sterling, Bob Lindner, Bryan Niebling, Noel Cleal, Steve Roach, Royce Simmons, Greg Dowling. Res: Terry Lamb, Mal Meninga. A star studded backline at the top of their respective games and a forward pack with everything. Amazing to watch.
Col Quinn
Guest
Dont forget Sir Reg, Puff the Magic Dragon!!!!!
marayong tiger
Guest
Old timers reckon Vic Hey was way better than Lewis.