Who will be rugby league's next Immortal?

Lamb is a great footballer and I think he got dudded by rep selectors when you look at his club form. He’s my favourite all time player but my tongue is firmly in my cheek when I put him forward as an immortal Yeah, I left Cronk off my list accidentally. I’d probably have him at number three “Johns was overlooked 2 times for Origin because he failed in the 7 and that’s a fact” - that’s not a fact. Show me anything that says selectors overlooked him 2 times (when by the way?) because he failed at 7. It’s completely your opinion. And it’s wrong. Even when Johns was picked at 9 he played the bulk of those games at first receiver. That’s a fact, because it actually happened How did Langer dominate Johns at Origin? Joey has a 5-3 record against him? At what stage did Langer win 3 of 4? Are you just picking four games in the middle that suit your argument? Again, I come back to the Bradman comparison. By your rationale, he can’t ever be considered the best batsman ever because selectors once preferred someone else in his position. That’s exactly what you’re saying about Johns and it’s ridiculous Last week Slater, Lockyer and JT picked their all time maroons side. All three picked Wally Lewis at 13. How can he be an immortal if he’s not good enough to make his preferred position? He never played an Origin at lock. That is exactly the same logic you’re using and it’s just as nonsensical because he’s a gun and he’s good enough to play more than one position to accommodate lesser players If you think Johns shouldn’t be an immortal, I disagree but get where you’re coming from If you think Langer is a better footballer, I strongly disagree but I get it But when you continually bag him, say he’s no good and imply that honest players like Green and Lam are better than he is, you show yourself up

I’m one eyed? Terry Lamb. The one eyed awards you rattled of are all one eyed NSW and playmaker weighted IMO. I’ve named Lazarus (Frontrower) and Gorman a centre and have no problem with your assessment of Lamb being a great footballer. I actually think Cronk is the best 7. He dominanted his opponents on a consistent basis for 100 games more than Langer and Johns. How do throw Stuart as a better player than Langer because he twice took the role for Australia? Stuart was selected mostly because of his combination with Clyde, S.Walters, Daley, Meninga and Mullins. Johns was overlooked 2 times for Origin because he failed in the 7 and that’s a fact. If you’re ticking all the skill boxes were does Cronk rate? He played 100 more games and his consistency with passing, kicking short and long, clutch field goals and leadership is pretty special. I don’t hate Johns but I just think he dominated for a much short period compared to Langer and Cronk. Alfie got the better off Sterling at 19 was unstoppable and completely dominanting the league until he broke his leg. He retired then returned at 35 and got a MOM and the better of Joey in 3 out of 4 Origins on old legs. Inglis, Fitler, Kenny, Slater and Clyde have all had periods of excellence. I missed your one eyed, self righteous opinions TB. Good you’re back as it’s been pretty boring talking about the pandemic.

If I was picking someone that I just feel in love with watching it would be Matt Bowen, Inglis or Billy Slater. Some of the things they did was absolutely brilliant and couldn’t be achieved by mere mortals. If Johns and JT are being mentioned as brilliant playmakers and having exceptional dominance they are both inferior to Cronk IMO. Success over all your opponents at winning at above 70% at every level is dominance. 375 NRL games and over 60 Rep appearances is a super tough competitor. Taking the field with a broken shoulder to ensure a GF win is pretty amazing. He scored more tries and kicked plenty of clutch field goals to get his team home. His presence on the field lead to more than 4 or 5 teams success or failure during his lengthy career.

You’ve just cherry picked four players. It’s ridiculous to do that to any player. “Against him, him and him he’s got a losing record, so therefore he’s no good” is ludicrous. Johns wasn’t available for game one in 2000 which NSW won. They didn’t want to change a winning side so he was picked on the bench for games 2 and 3. But even then, so what? Don Bradman was once dropped from the test team, does that mean he can’t be considered the best because selectors once picked someone in front of him? It’s a redundant argument. I never said Johns played in a weak club side - you’re just inventing comments and attributing them to me. I said he often carried teams, that doesn’t translate to he played in a weak club side Your list of Knights players span about 10 years, they weren’t all in the same side together and a few of the blokes you named as ‘stars’ didn’t even play rep footy This is a pointless discussion. You’ve got a set against Johns. You don’t acknowledge anything positive about him and manipulate the facts to suit yourself. I generally enjoy your comments about the game but you’re so one eyed and parochial that your opinion on stuff like this is rendered virtually meaningless...

I picked the 4 Queensland Origin halfbacks Johns played. JT opposed Johns once playing 5/8 for the Bulldogs and lost. JT beat Johns playing for the Cowboys. Green beat Johns playing for Cronulla and Parramatta and not in in the mighty Roosters colours. Lam played 4 SOO against Johns wearing the 7 and never lost a game but Lam lost 6 out of 7 Origins during the same period against the other blokes (Kimorley and Toovey) For heavens sake he’s the RLW, Golden boot, best halfback and he’s off the bench with Kimorley at 7 and Toovey at 9 in 2000. It was the same for Australia. Also how can you claim he played in a weak club side that contained , Harrigan, Gidley, Kennedy, Butterfield, Buderus, ODavis, McDougal, Peden, Tahu, Albert, Simpson, Lee Jackson, Muir, Glanville. Those blokes are light years ahead in ability than some of the Queensland players being selected in 2000 to face NSW like Lang, Greenhill, Hearn, Bawden. Doyle. Amazing the best player in history can’t make the starting team at Rep level. Smartest player ever isn’t viewed as a captain?

How so in regards to Ikin over Lockyer? Lockyer to my knowledge never played out of position in rep footy. He moved from an interchange utility half at club level to full time fullback, played fullback at rep level, moved to 6 in ‘04 and played 6 at rep level.

You called Lockyer’s possible inclusion a joke. Whether Lockyer becomes an immortal or not, like most players discussed here, his nomination is not a joke in any sense.

Then Wynn, Young and Jarvis’ cheap shots weren’t minor infringements either...it works both ways. Wynn was happy to throw a few cheap shots in and he copped one in return. Play on was the order of the day Thankfully head injuries are treated more seriously these days, but you can’t apply that knowledge and approach retrospectively to a game that was played 35 years ago

I disagree that Kelly punching Wynn in the head from behind is a minor infringement. Your mention of Lamb's knockout of Hanley reminded me of Canterbury's tactics of the time and how they got away with it. Head injuries are taken more seriously these days.

You're obviously a Broncos supporter lolol. Lockyer can be selected as an immortal but it would always be frowned upon as a joke. Oh yeah & poor Lockyer kicking a field goal in a semi with a fractured cheekbone is so much tougher & memorable than the great John Sattler playing & winning a GF with his jaw broken in 3 places eh or Sam Burgess playing & winning a GF with his fractured eye socket or Jordan Rapana playing in 2014 with a fractured skull or SKD playing the 2013 GF with a broken jaw or Shane Webcke playing with broken arm in 2000.......gimme a break.....oops pardon the pun! I know who the joke is also!

I don’t remember that mate and maybe it would sour my memory of him but I don’t think I’d judge the blokes career on one kick, in one game at the tail end of his career

Don’t reinvent history. Lockyer, great player but was a liability one-on-one in the front line and needed a minder assigned. Bennett admitted it, Lockyer admitted it, Carroll admitted it

Here you go again with your selective application of history You don’t count Johns’ 97 premiership but quick to correct someone when they overlook JTs 10 minutes off the bench in 04 Funny how you didn’t correct Elvis when he mentioned Walters’ six premierships “ah, but Elvis one of those was in a split competition...” You’re too one eyed to be a reliable narrator

You claimed both players were “taken out” yet neither left the field. That’s not really taken out The Dragons dished out every bit as much as they got. The Dragons pack were roughing players up in every tackle. Young hit two Bulldogs players in the head in tackles. Jarvis and O’Grady were dropping forearms and giving in every tackle. There was another tackle where Linnane ripped his hand across Folkes’ face and as Folkes was lying on the ground Jarvis came in with a big swinging arm and tried to knock his block off. It’s how the game was played at the time. It’s ridiculous to cry about it 35 years later and only look at what one side did and ignore the other Watch the game again. The Dragons forwards played one out the whole game trying to prove the could out muscle / out tough the Dogs pack and it cost them the game. The Bulldogs smashed them in the middle. The only time the Dragons threw the ball around was in the last 10 minutes and that’s when they scored The Dogs destroyed them in terms of possession and territory. Possession would have been at least 60/40 and territory even worse. The Dragons barely got out of their half in the second half until five minutes from the end. If it wasn’t for Glenn Burgess it would have been 30-0 You’re complaining ‘we wuz robbed’ from a game that was played 35 years ago in which the Dragons were comprehensively outplayed India every facet of the game and trying to pin the result on a couple of minor incidents and have the nerve to call me childish...?

Yes Brandy was probably the unluckiest player of my time regarding non-selection at Origin. Not only would he have been playing in the last 10 years he would have most likely been captaining for most of those years. You mentioned Ricky's kicking game. Do you remember the 1999 semi against Melb when the dogs were leading with 90 seconds to go? On the 5th tackle 20 metres out from the Melb try line he tried an attacking high kick to the corner. Matt Geyer took the ball & ran 95 metres to score with 1 minute to go & won the game. Turvey would have taken no chances, he would have just caressed the ball into touch. Slowed his forwards down, set his defence & we would have been playing next week. Yes he is one of the top 10 halves but definitely not number 3.

He had some good support during that period - Duncan Thomson arguably just as influential, Jimmy Craig, and bunch of dominant forwards. My shrink memory is struggling to remember their names - Armbruster, Dempsey, Steinhort?

O’Connor finishing the game doesn't imply he was not adversely affected by it. Maybe that's why Farrar owned him. Canterbury were awarded a penalty for a cheap shot so there was no reason for Kelly to punch Wynn in the head from behind when his muscles were relaxed maximising the brain damage. It wasn't a fight and he should've been sent off for such a cowardly act no matter how many minor infringements you saw. Wynn was knocked out again later by Steve Mortimer and that meant more brain damage for Wynn and they wouldn't have won if they hadn't have attacked their opponents heads and all you've got is the childish taunt look at the scoreboard.

Before my time, King...

Yeah, I’m knocking his talent just saying he’s not quite at immortal level :stoked: Agree about that try. I reckon 95% of players in that situation get put into touch and the dogs have the wind in their sails, instead he had the wherewithal to ground the ball backwards, behind his head while upside down and the Broncs win He was a love / hate player for me. Very talented but aggressive and a bit dirty at times

It wasn’t these days, it was those days. Right or wrong the game was played differently What’s laughable is the way you’re completely over stating these incidents 35 years after the game O’Connor finished the game, was involved in the Dragons try minutes from the end and slotted the conversion from the sideline so he certainly wasn’t “taken out”. If he was sore after the game it was from getting owned by Chris Mortimer and Farrar all game (snoz is one of my all time favourite players btw) Peter Kelly and Canterbury were awarded the penalty from the incident where Wynn got knocked out, so again I think you’re looking through rose coloured glasses. Wynn played on until 10 minutes from full time so again, wasn’t “taken out” Wynn also got dropped by Steve Mortimer earlier in the game after kicking a Canterbury player on the ground Craig Young was penalised for punching Farrar in the face in a completely unprovoked and for dropping a forearm onto Paul Langmack on the ground. Graeme O’Grady and Jarvis had facials and muck into every tackle they made so it definitely went both ways with the Dragons happy to dish it out as well. Unfortunately they lost the game and the fight As for not deserving to be called premiers...look at the scoreboard! I’ve never seen a team dominate a game so thoroughly to only win by such a small margin...aaah the memories :stoked: :stoked: :stoked: