Best and worst Poms

[Brissie Kid]

Sad to read that Bill Ashurst passed away. I can barely recall seeing him, but he was in the mode of Mal Reilly with the ball. Without the ball he was nowhere to be seen. RIP another legend. He played vs Manly in 1974 and 75.

Panthers legend Ashurst the best footballer no-one knew about

He hated tackling and training, but Bill Ashurst was one of the greatest English players to ever play in Sydney.

www.watoday.com.au

 

[The '47ers]

 

[Tragic Eagle]

1. Mal Reilly
2. Phil Lowe
3. Kevin Ward

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Knocker Norton, Gary Stephens

 

[Cherryjohn]

There's been some good ones including those mentioned. Tigers had a clever ball playing front row in the 70s too (Brian Lockwood?). Stevenson was good, John Gray was unorthodox but very clever also.
Mal Reilly stands alone at the top though. Brutal, fearless, subtle, technically gifted; all at a level above most poms and most players from anywhere ever really. We needed bozo's immortal-clinching performance in the 73 GF to survive losing Reilly to some inspired Sharks brutality in the opening minutes. Reilly went off, got a painkiller and came back to settle some scores but was basically immobilised until subbed out at half time.

 

[Cherryjohn]

Mal Reilly was the best Pom . In that 73 Grand Final he made sure he touched up Cliffy Watson another Pommy before he went off.John Bucknall infamous for breaking John Sattler’s jaw in the 1970 GF replaced Mal . He didn’t do a bad job on The Sharks forwards either. Speaking of pommy duds didn’t we have a John Devereux??

 

[manly al]

John Devereux was all right . Good runner of the footy and deceptive , defence may have been a bit average at times but still a Pommie rep also . John Gray may have been underestimated a bit ,duel international too i think Mike Stephenson for the Panthers and later the commentator , also an English rep i think .

 

[Brookie Bob]

Best:
Sir Francis Drake - covered a lot of territory, great fighting qualities, good for a win.
Alfred the Great - leadership, good vision on the field, changed the game.
Lord Byron - athletic, good communicator, apparently legendary in his ability to 'score'

Worst:
Oswald Mosley - not a team player, constantly 'offside' - wants to play with his mate Adolf's team and not his own
Jack the Ripper - goes missing in games, worst offender in judiciary history (Melbourne are allegedly now studying his tackling technique, the 'ripper' - having moved on from the 'crusher', the 'grappler' and the 'chicken wing').
Oliver Cromwell - known to attack the head of opposing players; apparently the Irish team also wants a quiet word with him.

 

[John Nicholson]

Reilly was the best visitor, for all time, covering all clubs.

He basically changed the game with his pin-point bombs under the sticks.

Other clubs started to follow.

As for defence, he was a master of defence whist in attack, with a leading elbow aimed at the defenders nose.

 

[maxta]

Something Raw and tough about Kevin Ward has me rating him as maybe my favourite ever front rower....just so powerful and would take on anyone....and Win.
Ellery Hanley was a Freak and that fend and explosive pace, could win games on his own and often did.....Tigers may have another premiership if Terry Lamb didn't take his head off on GF day, you could get away with a fair bit in the 80's.
Andy Goodway I would rate a dud, had Huge wraps before coming to Manly, maybe the rave reviews set such a high bar and made him seem worse, but offered little.
Tigers have done well with Gareth Ellis, Gary Scholfield, Edwards, Hanley over the years.

 

[BOZO]

Malcom was the most potent pom of them all

Destructive in defence Dynamic in attack

He was a game serial Killer


Joe Lydon was very speedy and skilful

A burst of speed and a spell of skill that ended in a thrilling try

Speed Kills Joe Lydon style

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

O'Reilly was the best visitor, for all time, covering all clubs.

He basically changed the game with his pin-point bombs under the sticks.

Other clubs started to follow.

As for defence, he was a master of defence whist in attack, with a leading elbow aimed at the defenders nose.

I thought the Bear was Australian?😉

 

[mosto]

How about Captain Cook.

He was ok in Australia but got slaughtered in the Hawaiian league.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

He was ok in Australia but got slaughtered in the Hawaiian league.

Plus he was offside with the indigenous players.

 

[Brookie Bob]

O'Reilly was the best visitor, for all time, covering all clubs.

He basically changed the game with his pin-point bombs under the sticks.

Other clubs started to follow.

As for defence, he was a master of defence whist in attack, with a leading elbow aimed at the defenders nose.

" Oh really?"



"No.........O'Reilly"

Never gets old (not for me at least) 🙂

 

[Brisbane Tragic]

Being a Kiwi, I remember Denis Betts and Andy Platt coming over here to play for the Warriors. They were absolute rubbish!

I played A Grade for Wests Brisbane in 1985 with Andy Platt and Neil Holding. Platt was tough - Holding an attacking half

 

[Brissie Kid]

Malcom was the most potent pom of them all

Destructive in defence Dynamic in attack

He was a game serial Killer


Joe Lydon was very speedy and skilful

A burst of speed and a spell of skill that ended in a thrilling try

Speed Kills Joe Lydon style

How about Lydon's drop goal from well inside his own half.

 

[Tragic Eagle]

We could do with one right now!

 

[John Nicholson]

I thought the Bear was Australian?😉

Now edited to the real Pom.

 

[Once Was Brissie Kid]

What was the story of John Devereux and Mal Meninga?

In this first clip from 1993 at Brookie game Mal made a mess of Devereux. None of the on field officials reacted at the time. Mal got cited and suspended for 2 games.

In the second clip (has no sound) Mal again leaves Devereux on the deck. The ref stops the game and seems to send Devereux and another Wales player to the blood bin. I'm not sure if anything came of this one.

John Devereux in his own words - A remarkable rugby journey

The well-liked former Wales and Lions centre has quite a story to tell after starring at a union World Cup and playing in league's global final

www.walesonline.co.uk

CLASHING WITH THE LEGENDARY MAL MENINGA

“I came up against some fantastic players but when it came to toughest opponents it would be Mal Meninga, the 19st Australia rugby league centre and captain.

“I vividly remember playing for Wales against them on the 30th of October, 1994 at Cardiff City’s Ninian Park ground.

“It was eight minutes past three, first game of their tour and it was pouring with rain when he shattered my jaw into four pieces.

“The bone went straight through my tongue. It was a compound fracture and there was blood everywhere.

“I had tried to smash Mal but got my head in the wrong spot and my timing wrong. It was the most awful and painful injury I’ve had.

“I thought he had done me with an elbow because it was such a pinpoint and forceful hit but, when I looked at the video, I had caught the best dipped shoulder in the game.

“Maybe there was little bit of extra grunt in his charge because of what had happened when I was playing for Manley against Canberra in Australia the previous year.

“He lifted me off the floor with a forearm in a tackle. Mal was cited and got a two-match ban.

"He missed a big match with New Zealand because of it. I don’t know if he held that against me but I came off second best at Ninian Park.”