Best in the last 50 years ... Fullback ..

[BOZO]

We have had some sensational fullbacks
This was so hard to pick between the Prince and the King

4th Ridge . Mr Tenacity
3rd Turbo. He has the potential to move up the list
2nd The Prince was absolutely lethal attacking weapon and fierce defender
1st Long live the King Graham Eadie . He is the King because he was the most durable and complete player /goal kicker .

I guess that completes our team . Great work @Woodsie !!!

 

[eadie fan]

Look Brett is a legend but Eadie had goal kicking capability that Brett didn’t possess.

For that alone I put him just ahead of Brett - The Bat also has 4 premierships and 6 GFs next to his name.

He also came out of retirement to play for Halifax and was man of the match in Halifax's Challenge Cup final victory over St Helens at Wembley Stadium in front of 94,000 people!

 

[40 nil]

I guess that completes our team . Great work @Woodsie !!!

It will likely end that way, but currently it is Eadie & Stewart 25 votes each....

 

[BOZO]

It will likely end that way, but the current vote is Eadie & Stewart 25 votes each....

Graham Eadie​

Votes: 27

Brett Stewart​

Votes: 25

Very close feathered friend @40 nil . Both Great players

 

[Jethro]

Graham Eadie​

Votes: 27

Brett Stewart​

Votes: 25

Very close feathered friend @40 nil . Both Great players

I was vote number 26 for Wombat as it was 50:50 prior to my vote with 25 votes each. I did a refresh and saw that somebody else had put in a vote for Wombat too.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

As good as Snake was , for those of us that saw Wombat at his peak you’ll know which way to vote.

I had the pleasure of talking with both of them ( even got a photo but then lost the phone .....bugger) at a function on the Goldie.

Funnily enough I asked them who they thought was the better fullback , they both of course chose the opposite , but soon after Snake said “ Nah honestly , this fella is the best ever one of the true legends of our club “.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

I was vote number 26 for Wombat as it was 50:50 prior to my vote with 25 votes each. I did a refresh and saw that somebody else had put in a vote for Wombat too.

Me!!

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I think this is where @Woodsie finally comes unstuck with his 50 year qualification rule.
There are a few of us old enough to recall seeing players that played 50 years ago! But not very many, so it comes down to comparing our recent experience watching a modern champion against some statistics and achievements recorded in some dusty old record book (or digital equivalent)!
Graham Eadie is close the the best player I've ever seen! But I can't can't vote for either of them as being superior to the other, because Snake, despite an unfairly skinny rep career, was a true freak.
So damn you Woodsie, I'll rely on my tarot cards and look back to the present (!) to say we've seen enough of the long tall streak with the dodgy hammies to proclaim him the best we've had in the last 50 years!
And, thanks for providing this off-season diversion, how great to be remembering all those top players we've watched in the Manly colours !

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

ps if it comes to a tie break let me know and I'll recast my vote

 

[Chip and Chase]

If Snake hadn't lost those two seasons to injury you'd have to think he'd gone close to 200 tries and played more rep footy. Absolute freak show and I still maintain a better all round full back than Studs Up Grub from down south who gets all the accolades in the NRL era. For Snake to be so talented and yet still have to fight it out for the best ever tag just proves how good Wombat was.

Eadie is the best ever in my book by a shandy. Ran like a freight train, defended like a sledgehammer, and kicked goals to top it off. As much as I love the Snake, Wombat gets the nod from me.

PS. How exciting is it to think in 10 years time we could be having the same conversation detailing how we think Turbo is the best ever by a whisker over these two legends

 

[wobbly]

If Snake hadn't lost those two seasons to injury you'd have to think he'd gone close to 200 tries and played more rep footy. Absolute freak show and I still maintain a better all round full back then Studs Up Grub from down south who gets all the accolades in the NRL era. For Snake to be so talented and yet still have to fight it out for the best ever tag just proves how good Wombat was.

Eadie is the best ever in my book by a shandy. Ran like a freight train, defended like a sledgehammer, and kicked goals to top it off. As much as I love the Snake, Wombat gets the nod from me.

PS. How exciting is it to think in 10 years time we could be having the same conversation detailing how we think Turbo is the best ever by a whisker over these two legends

Let's hope so!

 

[sheridanstand78]

We have been blessed with so many amazing full backs, I will always pick the Wombat as he was a lynchpin of that magical 70s team. He was tough, brave, scored tries, made them, saved them and kicked goals to boot including pressure goals that won games in finals for Manly. My hero, always will be! I also loved Brett Stewarts career. Phenomenal speed and courageous in defence. Special mentions to Ridge and Dale Shearer and of course young Tom.

 

[Little Grubber Kick]

He also came out of retirement to play for Halifax and was man of the match in Halifax's Challenge Cup final victory over St Helens at Wembley Stadium in front of 94,000 people!

Yes, 2+ years in retirement and then comes back.......

at the 1:28:30 mark, scores a classic Eadie try, just shy of 34 years old.

 

[Chip and Chase]

You can check out Wombat's stats and achievements here. Pretty impressive reading, including two Clive Churchill medals, a Challenge Cup man of match and a Rothmans medal . He delivered in the big games.

Graham Eadie

Graham Eadie, Australia's Test fullback after Graeme Langlands, played 237 first-grade games for Manly, and 12 Tests for Australia.

www.nrl.com

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Whatever the choice you couldn’t go wrong with either at Fullback.

Snake was just a freak , an attacking genius.

But as others have said Eadie just had it all , ran like a Mack Truck at full revs , almost impossible to stop , defended like Terry Randall AND was an absolute gun kicker.

I was blessed to see him at his peak.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

You can check out Wombat's stats and achievements here. Pretty impressive reading, including two Clive Churchill medals, a Challenge Cup man of match and a Rothmans medal . He delivered in the big games.

Graham Eadie

Graham Eadie, Australia's Test fullback after Graeme Langlands, played 237 first-grade games for Manly, and 12 Tests for Australia.

www.nrl.com

Very impressive , and another reason why he eclipses Brett.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

“ the Bat” with a good lead now , but leads can change.

 

[BOZO]

Yes, 2+ years in retirement and then comes back.......

at the 1:28:30 mark, scores a classic Eadie try, just shy of 34 years old.

Thanks for those great memories @Little Grubber Kick

What a great try slicing between two defenders to score untouched under the post
He was 34 and passed his peak but he was still good enough not only to compete against the best competitor in the biggest game of the year . He was also a dominant force in that big game .

In terms of a Cricket perspective ....
The Wombat did not just come out and blast a quick 50 runs
He scored a heroic durable double century

 

[BOZO]

“ the Bat” with a good lead now , but leads can change.

Lets start promoting the Wombat by posting more great things about him 😉

 

[Jethro]

Yes, 2+ years in retirement and then comes back.......

at the 1:28:30 mark, scores a classic Eadie try, just shy of 34 years old.

Yep, one of the commentators said that he had been retired for three years and was coaxed out of retirement to play the one season with Halifax.

On another note, if the St. Helens red vee chevron was any longer and carried on to their shorts, it would look like they are wearing mankinis.