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 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.
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.
Probably should have given him an honorable mention, although I tend to save it for rep players who miss out
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter I
By the way my lists so far to allow easy comparison is stuck in editing at the moment but I expect it will be released soon
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter I
I’d also say that no one ever measured a guy like Larry Corowa over 100 metres.
I think there are a couple of reasons for our sprinting stocks dropping away.
1. In the amateur world you could be a sprinter and play some football. These days you pretty much decide at 14 and specialise.
2. There is so much more money to be made in the football codes, our best natural athletes don’t necessarily do athletics. You’d have to be one hell of a sprinter to get rich in Australia. And there would only be one at a time.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter I
I loved the way Jason Smith played. The whole game slowed around him.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter I
Yep that’s true. Can’t say I had any posters of the Ives brothers on my wall.
Funnily enough most of the others are of fairly recent vintage. Made it easier.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter I
Which centre do you drop? Idris to provide bench impact?
Inskip had some good years at Wynnum, but GI will have more influence from fullback maybe and you want your best player heavily involved.
As for the halves, Ikin played a bit of 7 but really they are both five eighths so I’d be happy either way. I made Izzard 6 simply because he was the better runner of the ball (and better player I believe), so I just did his write up first!
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter I
Simply put wingers now are not built for out and out speed. They need bulk to bend the line from kick returns and to hold their line when going for the corner. There are still some speedsters of course but not to that level.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter I
The Iro’s were personality players too, as was Izzard for that matter. In fact this side has a lot of charisma. GI, Idris, Inu on the bench, and of course the fastest of them all.
There is nearly 400 club career tries in their first two names.
I doubt David Lord will be reading my articles anytime soon. Which is actually a shame because the old codger probably would have a few stories to add
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter I
So why do you think you will get a bigger crowd by starting the lowest price at $30?
Start saying goodbye to watching NRL at suburban grounds
But the lowest prices now are what? Real question, pretty sure the ticketing prices are different here in Brisbane.
Start saying goodbye to watching NRL at suburban grounds
They might have the most ‘nearly immortals’ on their list.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter I
They are a team of 1
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter I
Craig Innes may not get the accolades because he only played here a short while but he was an extremely good centre for Manly.
Idris could have been anything, Izzard had heaps of talent, Isaako is young yet but looks the goods. There is some quality there.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter I
Inu was a character and is still going around in the UK somewhere. Did he drive Des mad? Or was Des already well on the way? Chicken Egg?
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter I
What you do is make the games an event. The AFL seems to get pretty good crowds despite having moved from suburban stadium quite a while ago.
Start saying goodbye to watching NRL at suburban grounds
Tiered ticketing is what makes them money. If you had one price fits all, that price would be higher.
Start saying goodbye to watching NRL at suburban grounds
I 100% agree with this. Well done.
The only other things I would add are:
9. Once the game starts put any of the off field garbage surrounding the game (mostly self inflicted mind you) away and just enjoy the game. There is no joy in grinding your teeth everytime Lodge, Packer, Fifita, etc takes a hit up. Just enjoy the 80 minutes.
10. Have a sense of humour. honestly, watching the Broncos trying to organise themselves for a field goal in the last 10 minutes against the Tigers was on one level killing me, but on another it was actually pretty damn funny in a black comedy sort of way.
Eight simple rules for enjoying the NRL more
Nice idea. When you get to the O Team however you will note that while not super strong, they don’t play well with others.
As for the I’s the list started very well indeed with two “nearly immortals” and the backfive as a whole are pretty good, but the forwards were a struggle.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter I
And there is no greater honor than that. I submitted the article the night before GI retired. He will be missed.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter I
Reminds me of how Starc’s first 10 or so tests were all singles. Never played 2 in s row
Joe Burns on the outer for Ashes
GI should definitely be in the Hall of Fame, as should Lockyer, Thurston, Slater and Smith. Immortal is a tough, tough call. There is no doubt we are subject to recency bias, to those we have seen.
Messenger was the best ever seen, Brown was the best ever seen, Vic Hey was the best ever seen, then it was Churchill. then Gasnier, then Raper, then Fulton, then Lewis. The people of the era always thought the best current player was the best ever seen.
Look at how many comments it took above until the last ‘best ever’, Billy Slater was mentioned and he’s only been retired a year!
It’s only now with Meninga and Provan that we are making Immortals out of very great players who are not in that conversation about best of all time.
GI matches Meninga in all but leadership. Meninga went on four Kangaroo Tours and captained two I think.
But if GI is an immortal then so are the other Big 4 of the era. And maybe that’s ok.
Should Greg Inglis be made an Immortal?
Big call Stevo. Before my time so I’ll have to take your word for it.
Rugby league history: The all-time great alphabet teams – Letter I