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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Continuing our search for the ultimate alphabet team, we now come to the Q Team.
Continuing our search for the ultimate alphabet team, we turn now to the P Team.
And now to the O Team. This is another side where I had to delve into state players to fill the roster. It’s a bit of a crazy team – rough, tough, full of front-rowers and even pumped with a bit of artificial assistance in some areas.
I had to scratch around a bit for the N team. The backline is a mix of state other nationality players, but there is some speed and quality among them, and the forwards won’t take a backward step.
And now, after all the fanfare over Team L, we move onto the Team M.
Continuing our search for the ultimate alphabet team, we now have the K team. They have a fearsome forward pack, some clever halves and a bit of speed out wide, so this team may cause some problems.
And now to the much anticipated L team. This is one of the contenders and certainly one of the cleverest sides so far.
Continuing my series of great alphabet teams, we head on to the J team.
Continuing our list of teams to contest the Alphabet Cup, we head to the I team.
Continuing our list of the great alphabet team, we now have the H Team. There is some tremendous try-scoring power here orchestrated by two smart halves – if the forwards, led by one of the toughest, can hold their own.
Following the F Team, our attention now moves to the G Team.
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.
Can’t remember, I think in an interview with Prince that I found in line. So yeah, he is basically Mt Isa royalty.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter P
Yeah I though you were struggling with your alphabet there.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter P
Or it could possibly be that they just like those sports.
In actual fact the sports that will suffer most if the AFL and NRL go professional in women’s sports are likely to be netball, which has had a fair monopoly, and the Olympic sports which don’t pay well and where its mighty hard to become the best.
The Matildas reminded us why we love the world game
He’s never played a test I think, and that cuts him for me. But it begs the question of how many very good players are lost to history because they played at the same time as a Thurston or Smith or Raper?
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter P
Dennis Pittard was close for 5/8th, as was Johnny Peard, the inventor of the bomb.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter P
Nice mentions for some Queenslander there
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter P
Norm Pope, king of the stiff arm as the last line of defence, but a great player and goal kicker too.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter P
Jim Paterson did get a mention and would have walked into a lot of teams on this list.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter P
Ray Price in particular was hard to leave out, I very nearly put him in the second row in place of Joe Pearce. Price was a winner.
Don Parish adds to the long list of very good fullbacks to choose from here.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter P
Absolutely. Scrums were pretty much a sanctioned fight for possession in those days, literally a fight.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter P
When in doubt always blame the editors. I blame them for not picking up a typo in my first paragraph. Forget the fact that I’m the one who made the typo in the first place.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter P
It was edited out, but the most impressive thing about Pickup’s record is that he played all those tests, losing only one, by pushing the great Bob Fulton into the centres. This tells you that the selectors at the time rated Pickup very highly indeed.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter P
Every article on earth can be improved by a flux capacitor reference. Well done.
The Liebke Ratings: Pakistan vs Australia
I’m not up to date here. Did the fan just yell this out or did he approach the umpires aggressively? There is a pretty clear difference in my opinion. Yell pretty much what you want from the stands.
Could our AFL spectating experience soon be ruined?
Great comment Don, your suggestions are all worthy. Quentin Pongia. Should have got a mention. 35 tests for NZ. On top of the Proctor omission above you can see that I probably lean towards Australian Test records.
Mick Potter, Luke Patten, and the Peach. We have some top fullbacks there. But I’m sticking to my guns on Ponga and Norm Pope.
But Greg Pierce did get an honorable mention and an extremely hot backrow field. Another Australian captainwho couldn’t get a run.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter P
Yeah good call. A mention only as there are a ton of great backrowers here, but definitely should have got a mention.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter P
Dammit Farmer, that quiz question didn’t last long. Anthony Xuereb now has someone to pass to.
And no I don’t leave off honorable mentions deliberately…but that’s a good idea and I might make one glaring omission each week from now on!
As for George Piggins, he was thereabouts, but he only played 3 tests in 1975, including a loss to England, plus two games for NSW. And I couldn’t find room for Dr George Peponis in the side despite the Hooker being a successful Australian captain.
Bernie Purcell was a top player but the back row depth in this team is ridiculous.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter P
Well argued Ronan, but you are missing the most compelling reasons to go with the five bowler strategy.
1. When the top 4 bat ridiculously slowly to conserve their wickets, Glenn Maxwell will be under even more pressure as the only hitter to perform miracles on the stuttering run rate.
2. When he gets out taking risks to revive said run rate, he can be criticized heavily for his lack of responsibility, because he should know we have a long tail. So he should double the run rate but never get out taking risks. That should be simple right?
3. So then we can drop Maxwell because after all, we are playing five bowlers so we don’t need him.
It’s a brilliant strategy frankly and I for one am very on board with it.
Five reasons Australia shouldn't play five bowlers
So the three QLD teams whose fans generally don’t complain about it are the most affected.
Does State of Origin really have that much of an impact on the NRL?
It’s a lottery in the sense of the toss, the pitch, the weather, someone having a blinder , etc
David Warner century enough for wasteful Australia to defeat Pakistan
The best takeaway at this point is we are winning the games we need to win to make semi finals, and then it’s a lottery.
We still have 5 top order bats. We still have 2 bowlers. But we are getting by.
David Warner century enough for wasteful Australia to defeat Pakistan
I think he’s saying bring in S Marsh to the 11, but bring Pattinson into the squad to presumably replace NCN?
So, which Marsh should replace the injured Marcus Stoinis?
When you don’t have a true all rounder you either have a part time fifth bowler, or you have your last bat at 6. I’m unsure which is the best tactic and I’d suggest neither are great, which is why teams look for all rounders.
If M Marsh has any sort of form I’d simply replace Stoinis with him. They are almost identical players in style, but I think Marsh is a better bowler. Batting wise there is normally little between them but since Stoinis is in a big hole currently, anything will be a bonus.
So, which Marsh should replace the injured Marcus Stoinis?
But Dennis Pittard did get a mention.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter P