Roar Guru
Joined February 2019
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Life Long Brisbane Rugby League supporter, first Redcliffe and now Broncos. also a mad cricket follower and casual everything else follower.
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For the next instalment in my series on the Mythical Alphabet Cup we visit the F Team.
Of all the all-time great alphabet team, Team D was a surprisingly hard to fill, but with a creative backline full of five-eighths and with a tough pack, they might cause some problems.
What could possibly follow an act like the ridiculously strong B Team?
Following on from last time – The A Team were an entrée, we now move onto the main course – the B Team.
It’s hard to win a flag without a standout halfback to control the game and deliver on the coach’s plans.
Having set the ground rules for team selection in my earlier article, here are the representatives for the ‘A’ team.
As most of you who have spent any time on the internet know, we all love a good list. And as the precious few of you who have read any of my articles know, I love delving into a bit of rugby league History.
In the last three years Matthew Renshaw, Cameron Bancroft, Aaron Finch and now Marcus Harris have all made their debuts at the top of the order for Australia, all in an era when our top six has been in relative flux and batting collapses have become more common.
Boy that Day five in the first test was a beauty! No one other than fans of test cricket can understand how exciting it can be when to the outside observer absolutely nothing is happening.
During last week’s test match Joseph Manu set up one of the great tries with a ridiculous one-handed, held up, double pump, outside to inside pass.
Sack the linesman, sack the ref, blow up the Bunker, fire the CEO, disband the Commission, and even – heaven forbid – let Phil Gould run everything.
Queensland put in a might performance in an Origin classic on Wednesday, but it won’t stop the next Australian team being dominated by the new generation Blues.
With the retirement of Billy Slater at the end of a losing Origin series, it’s time to acknowledge the end of an era.
I recently had the good fortune to stumble across an Origin ‘Classic’ from the early 90s. As I watched I realised that NSW at the time had one heck of a side.
Following on from last time, where we looked at the ultimate rugby league exponents of the running and passing game, this time we look at kicking, game management, defence and general.
During a recent discussion around the some of the best players to have graced the ‘Greatest Game of All’, it became clear that there is no one perfect player.
Following on from my last article we continue our look at the greats of the past decade to see if any can force their way into the ARL Team of the Century.
Back in 2008, as part of the Centenary of League celebrations, the ARL brought together a panel of 130 experts and selected their Team of the Century.
Good article. The only question you haven’t addressed is Steven Smith. Will he slot in as well?
Australian cricket’s prodigal son returns at Eden Gardens
Why is Martin at five eighth not part of this conversation? Could you see Morgan and Clifford in the halves, with one of Kahu or Martin at the back?
Seven talking points from NRL Round 2
During the 80’s Souths included a selection of Gary Belcher, Mitch Brennan, Mal Meninga, Bruce Astill, Peter Jackson, Chris Phelan, Bob Lindner and Brad Tessman – a fair list.
And then there was Redcliffe – their 1980’s squads included Chris Close, Mitch Brennan, Artie Beetson, Mark Murray, Brian Neibling, Wally Fullerton Smith, Greg Conescu, Paul Khan, John Ribot, Brad Tessman, Tony Currie, Dave Brown.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter F
He was a classic, no fitness just running around in reserve grade for fun and then put a Kiwi jersey on him and he turned into a beast.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter F
Foran actually wasn’t far away from a bench spot. I went with Olsen Filipaina for nostalgia as much as anything else
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter F
Well I was thinking about Butch Fatnowa (sic)
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter F
Given those forwards they are certainly the F’en Team
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter F
I’d agree with that. Why move Morgan from half (as someone suggested) after one game behind a beaten pack?
Seven talking points from NRL Round 2
The man with the flowing locks was good. Fair call, should have got an honorable mention.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter F
I don’t think the Cowboys need to panic just yet. Based on the pack Brisbane put out on the weekend, there are going to be a lot of teams getting found out at Suncorp.
Also the heat in Brisbane was pretty bad and the Cowboys lost two interchanges early on. So they never got the chance to grind their way back in.
Seven talking points from NRL Round 2
I judge players in comparison with their peers at the time. It’s the only way. If a player was top three in the game in 1937 chances are they would have been around the same in the modern era. In an extreme that’s the only way to judge in a position like Hooker where the skills are almost unrecognizable over different eras.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter F
Read the bios of the two wingers – Hall of Fame, QLD team of the Century and lots and lots of tries. I loved Chicka but his overall career was not quite in the same class. If Folau had played his entire career in League maybe he would have built a sufficient body of work.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter F
I added a couple of special mentions at the bottom just for you Rob.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter F
So you are saying that after the B and C teams, the others would F.A.D.E?
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter F
Check out the tryscoring records for Flannery and Frawley. Fahey May have run over them, but in defence he wouldn’t even have seen them as they stepped past him.
Flannery was relatively big for a winger, and 15 tests says he could play a bit more than most. And being picked for 15 test from QLD is like playing 40 tests from NSW. You have to do a heck of a lot to get noticed pre Origin.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter F
Interesting that when fit, Tim Pickup was regularly picked for Australia at five eighth, with Fulton in the centres.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter F
Boys have the selectors got it tough at the moment.
Warner's stunning return a World Cup boost for Australia
Happy to switch. They both were good no matter where they were
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter F
100% agree. It looks easy until you are faced with a line ball LBW. Did it hit in line, it’s not like we have the graphic in the TV, the batsman has a swipe, there is dust, did he hit it? Was it going on to hit? You are concentrating on the line because that’s what you have to deal with first, I.e. not landing outside leg, hitting in line, but then you have to assess the vertical as well as the horizontal. Then you think, oh no was it a no ball? Meanwhile the fielders and crowd are screaming at you, the batsmen has deliberately moved outside the line to make it harder, and there was a fly buzzing around and sweat in your eyes, the ball was traveling at 140km and it’s then you realise that THE BATSMAN IS YOUR SON!
I love umpiring junior cricket.
Last week my son had to dive to make his ground right in front of me. Not out, but while he was lying face down in the dirt wondering if all hits bits are still intact, the umpire (otherwise known as Dad) calmly took out his phone and took a photo.
It’s time to change the leg-side no-LBW rule
Interesting Chris, and hard to argue with that. It would need to be trialed for some time at domestic level, to pick up on any unintended consequences such as these.
It’s time to change the leg-side no-LBW rule
I read excerpts from “Bumper” in putting this together and although not strictly relevant to his football career I would say it’s a compelling read about life as a copper in Kings Cross.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter F
Basically I had to put Fittler and Fulton somewhere and they could easily swap. My thinking we pretty much to have the Immortal and captain running the show. Although I think Fittler became a great game manager in his later years, for me he was at his best running into holes and putting on that lethal step.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter F
Thanks Don. Yes there is a lot of Fahey love this morning, I concede an honorable mention may have been in order. Florimo and Fenech both had limited representative careers, although they were great clubmen.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter F
Nice summary Neel. Pollock is underrated because he did not have the sheer pace or startling movement of a Dale Steyn or Wasim Akram. He won his wickets with relentless accuracy and subtle changes, hence why his economy rate is amazing in both tests and ODI’s but his strike rate is a touch high compared to the all time great bowlers.
But his batting adds another dimension. Again, he is underrated because South Africa had one Jacques Kallis during the same period and Pollock really played as a bowler who could bat rather than a genuine all rounder (say more Richard Hadlee than Gary Sobers).
I would Pollock in the very, very good category in tests and in the all time great category in ODI’s.
Shaun Pollock: A statistically perfect bowling all-rounder and an all-time great