Does Parker / Suli hold their centre positions ?

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Think that Rod Cameron played a bit of i st grade at lock when Bill Bradstreet was still playing , maybe before Lindsey Drake appeared on the scene but not that sure . When Mal Reilly was recruited in 71 or so , understandable for Lindsey Drake to move to the Dragons for a few seasons .
You are correct as Rob Cameron played lock in the 1970 grand final against Souths. Lindsay Drake also played in that team. Bradstreet was not selected for the GF although still playing for Manly. I mainly remember Pud Cameron as playing 5/8. Don't remember him playing a lot of the time at lock in !st grade but he had a long career and he probably did. Like many good nuggety players around that time (ala Ian Martin) could easily play lock and too good a player to leave out of any team. Drake who I remember as being a big fast second row or lock that could tackle. I think he went to St. George as lock. Got selected for NSW (as lock I think) from reserve grade and I believe and another of our Australian beach sprint champions.
 
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I agree with your post but this bit about Fulton probably should be qualified, looks like he became a huge star if not immediately then pretty bloody close to it!
According to the Player Project:
" a shock omission from the 1967-68 Kangaroo tour (having already played for NSW) but made his debut for Australia in the World Cup the following year. In 1968, at age 20, Fulton captain-coached City against Country and led Manly in the 13-9 grand final loss to Souths"
It is historically documented that The Incomparable Immortal and greatest player ever came to Manly as a 16 year old and never. never , never, never , NEVER EVER played in the lower grades . Straight out of his Great Mothers womb The Incomparable Immortal played 1st Grade only . No other player in the history of our game can vouch for a feat like that !!!
bob+fulton.jpg
 
It is historically documented that The Incomparable Immortal and greatest player ever came to Manly as a 16 year old and never. never , never, never , NEVER EVER played in the lower grades . Straight out of his Great Mothers womb The Incomparable Immortal played 1st Grade only . No other player in the history of our game can vouch for a feat like that !!!
@BOZO, I started watching Fulton when he first arrived at Manly in 1966 & remember he was eighteen at the time (four years older than me). He was born 1st December 1947. It's probable he is the only first grade player to have never played lower grades, but research could show otherwise.

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The Incomparable Immortal and greatest player ever came to Manly
More about Bozo: he was promoted to first grade at Wests, Wollongong as a 16 year old at the end of 1964 and in 1965 he represented Country Seconds against City.

A month before the Grand Final, the Wests selectors gave Bob a taste of first grade when they included him in the club’s team for the 500 pounds Caltex Knockout team at Wollongong Showground on 16 August 1964. The next year, Bob was a first grader from the start. Now 17, along with Maddalena and Peters, he played with Wests in the early season Ambulance Cup followed by the Illawarra Cup. His first senior representative match was with Illawarra seconds at Campbelltown on 18 April 1965. The Illawarra seconds, including Fulton, Maddalena and Peters, beat Combined Groups 6 and 7 seconds by 14-11.

The following week at Wollongong Showground, he came off the bench for Southern Division in their 20-15 Country Championship win over Northern Division. Next came the Country Championship semi final at Lithgow on Anzac Day 1965 against Western Division. Maddalena was on the Southern Division bench and Bob was at five eighth with two of the opposing backline being Australian players Barry Rushworth and Earl Harrison. In a tight game, Southern were beaten 7-3, but Bob impressed the Country selectors and was named in the Country Seconds team to take on City at the SCG on Saturday 22 May. It was a strong City team with Graeme Langland and Brian Moore in the centres while Les Johns was the fullback. Sydney won the game 23-5 but several Sydney clubs were interested in signing the 17 year old five eighth, including Manly and Balmain. The day after the City-Country game on Sunday 23 May at Wollongong Showground, Bob, along with Maddalena and Peters, played for Illawarra in the 19-6 State Cup loss to Newtown.

 
It is historically documented that The Incomparable Immortal and greatest player ever came to Manly as a 16 year old and never. never , never, never , NEVER EVER played in the lower grades . Straight out of his Great Mothers womb The Incomparable Immortal played 1st Grade only . No other player in the history of our game can vouch for a feat like that !!!
View attachment 14498

This picture to me (the younger Bobby), always made me think if Geoff Toovey and Bob Fulton were lovers, and had a child, that would be the outcome :)

Haha.

Sorry, love them both !!
 
@BOZO, It's probable he is the only first grade player to have never played lower grades, but research could show otherwise.

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What about rugby union stars who were poached by rugby league?
For example, would Michael O'Connor have ever played reserve grade with St George or Manly?
 
Could parker eventually move to the forwards like luke lewis and chris lawerence have
Lewis played centre for the blues before a move. Did Lawrence play centre for Roos before his move I think so? Parks sure is getting mentioned in great company.

He is very much like the above mentioned, and they were both some of the best backrowers in the game on their day.

Yep I wouldn't back against Parks following in those footstep. Both a Rep centre and one of the best back rowers in the comp.

Suli is a mile behind Parks in my eyes.
 
Young Matt Burton for Penrith looks really good.

Offer him a contract to play 6, move Walker back to centre and let Suli go to St George - they deserve him :)
 
He would be itching to go to the Dragons. Perhaps the Titans could chase him as well.
They are both wonderful at killing the careers of centres:)
Obviously money plays a big role in deciding a player's future, but Illawarra and the Tits are two clubs he should be wary of joining. Both have good rosters (on paper) but Illawarra, in particular, can't get the best out of its talent. I think Corey Norman is 'poison' and continues to bring down the quality of the clubs he represents. Illawarra used to have such a strong culture but have bought the wrong players and let good locals leave.
The Tits have rarely produced committed performances, although they have a good record against us. Strange.
Point is: Suli will enjoy his football much more at Manly than those two clubs, and enhance his chances of higher representation. He is definitely improving as a centre and surprised me with his burst of speed setting up the first try against Canterbury. I think by season's end he'll have better credentialed clubs also sounding him out for recruitment, and earn a pay rise at Manly.
 
This coming weekend against Parramatta will be the litmus test for our centres. I am super excited with their form with the ball but their defence will be tested this weekend.
 
What about rugby union stars who were poached by rugby league?
For example, would Michael O'Connor have ever played reserve grade with St George or Manly?

Snoz played in the centres alongside Steve Rogers in St George's 1984 Reserve Grade Grand Final side. They lost to Balmain.

I don't believe Snoz ever played Reserve Grade for Manly. He was a well established test and Origin player by the time he joined Manly.
 
When it comes to either Suli or Parker playing rep footy ... Moses has more chance than Brad. And that's not because Hank Scorpio isn't good enough, its simply because there are more established players ahead of Parker for a NSW or Kangaroos spot than there are Tongan player's ahead of Suli.
 
New question is: Will Suli and Parker be one of the best centre combinations in the game? I know a lot of their success will be on the back of a quality team but going through the other teams there isn't many centre combinations I would swap them for. They would be top 6.
 

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