Manly's Most Inspirational Players over the Years

[Killer03]

Stevie Matai's entrance back onto Brookie on Friday night was one of the bravest and most inspirational things I've seen from a Sea Eagle in recent years. We all know he has terrible neck/shoulder issues, and he looked like he was in extreme pain when he left the field....and then he comes back out....obviously still in pain....and does a hit up! Now that's close to insanity, but is also why Skivvi is revered by the Sea Eagles faithful. This was not a semi-final, Grand Final or anything of the sort....but it obviously mattered to Skivvi, and that is absolutely inspirational stuff!

So I thought about some inspirational moments or people.

1. Geoff Toovey. Everything about him screams inspiration, both as a player (the way he put the Chief and others on their backside), as a coach (the way he keeps turning up for more and more) and as a person (no excuses and no hiding!)
2. Ben Kennedy. Again it was the winners attitude. He signs with us and I remember him telling journalists that Manly (and we were still reeling from the Nth Eagles debacle) were 'title bound'. You could see at times his body was on the verge of falling apart....so he'd do another hitup, and offload!
3. Brent Kite taking on the Dogs Forward pack. I can't remember the year, it was around 2008. And he just tore the Dogs forward pack (which at the time was very formidable forward pack) apart.
4. Jamie Lyons ballbusting against Souths in the PF 2013. Having named myself Killer03 I obviously love Jamie with a passion, but this captain knock when were down 14-0 and struggling, to get us to win 30-20 was just brilliant.
5. Matt Ballin. Tough, prepared to do the work others don't. And someone who loves the club.....who can't be inspired by that?

 

[Snake]

I think Brett Stewart is a player that inspires his teammates. I think back to the try he scored against the Dogs last year in the SF, and he got into dummy half and did it all himself. He likes to get involved when the game is on the line.

Of the current crop, I do think Lyon is the glue that holds Manly together though. I noticed when Skivvy went up the tunnel the other night, Jamie had a few words to say to Skivvy as he went past. He is such a natural leader, and all round champion, that you only have to look at the guy to lift a gear (well I do from the sidelines anyway lol).

 

[Ramrod]

1. Toovey in 1997 Grand final. Harragon head-hunted Tooves and tried to decapitate him 3 times, but was not sent off. Tooves was tackling McDougall, who looked where Tooves was and deliberately stomped on his face. Tooves was lucky not to lose an eye. He finished the game against the drug cheats. We were ripped off. Don't care what the records say, THAT premiership was ours! Bozo called Tooves the toughest pound for pound.

2. Beaver. Back in 2002 and 2003, we were lucky not to be last. Beaver used to do those bone crunching tackles, and score those tries, and helped us out of those dark years. We only have to hear the announcer call out "Beeeeaa-ver!" and then the fans chant Beaver! Beaver! Beaver! after another BIG hit.

3. Igor. If you ain't afraid of him on the park, you ain't got a brain. Possibly the most fearsome player to ever wear the maroon and white. We were lucky he played for us, instead of against. Angry and fearless. Legend.

4. Soft spoken Boyd. Les was known to attack players in the scrum and everybody knew whom it was but nobody dared to put their hand up and tell the ref. It's all about self preservation as they don't want to be the next victim. Apparently, he's very nice off the field when he's not going after a ball. Keep the ball away from him.

5. Skivvy, as the above post mentioned. He's not human. He's a machine. Self preservation is not part of his vocabulary.

6. Spudd. He doesn't know pain. Had a bone sticking out of his broken finger, so he had it taped up and went back on the field. Inspiring and pain defying.

 

[grassy]

Booby Fulton and Max Krillich

 

[pjayz]

Booby Fulton and Max Krillich

...and I thought I was the only one who thought Bozo had great knockers.

 

[HoldenV8]

1 - Terry Randall. Numerous pain killing injections just to be able to take the field for 6 games in 24 days in the 1978 Finals series. And it wasn't like Igor was a winger who could hide out on the edges. Forwards back then bashed each other from pillar to post for 80 minutes and you only got replaced if you'd broken a bone or two.

2 - Geoff Toovey. In the 1997 Grand Final he had his head stomped on by Mad Dog MacDougal and was targeted by Chief Harragon, but got up every time and never took a backward step. Tooves was far from the reason we lost that game. And leading a makeshift Manly team to a 30-0 win over Great Britain as an 18 year old in 1988, and win Man of the Match, was a thing of beauty to watch.

3 - Steve Matai. Opposition fans all claim they hate him, mostly because he plays for Manly. But I bet that 99% of them would have loved him to be running around in their club colours over the past 10 years. Numerous neck and shoulder injuries, yet he turns up week after week hitting as hard as he ever has with little thought of self preservation. A very underrated attacking player as well.

4 - Cliff Lyons and Steve Menzies. Just watching those two play in the maroon and white was inspirational.

5 - Brett Stewart. Was one of the fastest, if not the fastest player in the game from 2004-2008 until his knee and hamstring injuries. To come back from those, and the court case that almost ruined his reputation with all but us Manly fans, and to continue playing at the same level is inspirational. In fact I think he's a much better player now than he was back in 2008. Thank god Manly slipped under the guard of the St Merge recruiters and signed Snake & Gifty.

 

[kingoftherodeo]

90’s

C Lyons - Greatest ball player ever
S Menzies - Greatest try scoring forward ever
G Toovey - Toughest player of his generartion and after
M Ridge - Not as effective defensively without him
N Kosef - Silkiest ball skills of any lock in his generation

Honorary mention - Chris White

2000’s

B Stewart - Try scoring machine, sets them up stops them and we have a horrible winning percentage without him.
J Lyon - Best centre for a long time. Check out his efforts in D during the 2011 final series...inspirational.
A Watmough - Have to call a spade a spade, our meter monster and defensive machine. Granted some of the worst hands in the business but can’t argue his efforts. Early in his carreer he would get us over the line on his own.
B Kite - Underated machine. Corner stone of the pack who said enough is enough in 2008 - See game against the storm in 2008, we lost but that game showed our intentions! Also check out 2008 GF.
S Matai - Really struggle whenever he’s out, whether its a big hit or timely dummy charge.

Honorary mention - Chris Bailey

 

[niccipops]

Geoff Toovey.

 

[mave]

Terry Randall and all the players from the 1978 finals run say hello!!!

 

[MadMarcus]

Tooves is number 1 for mine with daylight second. Not just for the 97 GF but for every match he played.

Beaver was a superstar player and superstar bloke. We'll never know how much his retirement from the NRL drove the boys in the 08 GF but I'm tipping it was a significant factor.

A special mention to Gift, particularly for the 2011 GF. It took a lot of courage to grubbed kick deep in his own territory and if it didn't come off he would have looked like a goose and possibly cost us the match. But it was the right call and the rest is history.

 

[HoldenV8]

Honorary mention - Chris Bailey

You're a week early for April Fools mate lol

 

[maxta]

No particular order apart from B . Kennedy at No1
Others include Terry Randall, Ron Gibbs & Kevin Ward for pure toughness as leaders in the trenches.
Menzies just a super allround player & loyal legend.
Toovey little bloke with a heart of Pharlap who smashed front rowers on their ass for fun.
Dont forget Snake Stewart, his inspiration shows in Manlys win/loss ratio proving inspiration is not all about big hits but the ability to lift the players around you.....

 

[pjayz]

Cliffy Lyons.

 

[Aussie Battler]

Can't remember the year, but it was when the Raiders with Stuart, Belcher, Meninga, Clyde, Lazarus, Daley etc were rorting the salary cap delux (guessing 1992/93) and we played them in a semi. First and second string hooker were out and a guy who never played first grade again came up from the 23's and scored. Franky Stokes, John jones, the Mule and every other battler who played for manly played that day and with ten minutes to go were still in it. My best feeling after a semi final loss. I have a slow day at work tomorrow so will try find out more detail about the line ups , but without going too over the top, their performance was close to a grand final win.

 

[maxta]

Can't remember the year, but it was when the Raiders with Stuart, Belcher, Meninga, Clyde, Lazarus, Daley etc were rorting the salary cap delux (guessing 1992/93) and we played them in a semi. First and second string hooker were out and a guy who never played first grade again came up from the 23's and scored. Franky Stokes, John jones, the Mule and every other battler who played for manly played that day and with ten minutes to go were still in it. My best feeling after a semi final loss. I have a slow day at work tomorrow so will try find out more detail about the line ups , but without going too over the top, their performance was close to a grand final win.

Top game of footy only decided at the death when renowned tackler Gary Coyne scored his 4th try from a quick tap OFF the mark for Canberra,,,,
Agree certainly no shame in that loss & one of the few games big Kevin Iro played to his potential scoring a couple & dangerous all day.
Every times the Raiders who were gangbusters full of superstars scored to look like running away, the Seaeagles replied, often from 50-60 metres out - like the Rocky 1 movie...not always a win to be inspirational - good call.

 

[mosto]

Most inspirational moment for me is 1996 GF with Tooves playing the match with a fractured eye socket suffered the week before. Reports at the time were he was advised not to play as a whack on it could see him lose his eye. Mark Coyne followed Tooves all day trying to whack him in the face, hated that cat with a passion after that. Tooves was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal as man of the match.

 

[The Who]

All greats mentioned (with the humorous exception of Chris Bailey). But Fulton is still my pick as the best Manly player over the past 50 years. From memory he hardly missed a match. He played with injury, and did some freakish things. His defence was strong, and he led/inspired Manly to countless victories. If there is a Fulton highlight reel (as is the fashion for all Under 20 players these days) then I'd love for it to be posted.

 

[kingoftherodeo]

1991 Semi Aussie battler. Great game I was also there and felt the same afterwards. Cliffy was amazing and I also remember an awesome 50-60m try scored by Kevin Iro.