EagleFromMay1967
Sky Punching : send them High as the Clouds
Certainly at his prime, Brett was faster, had a better nose for a try, could throw a better linking pass than Slater. Slater is certainly the 'stronger' guy, and more the unpredictable, but didn't ever shed is 'dirty grub' reputation, despite what the TV stations would have you believe. Never had to fight against the adversities faced by Brett.
I saw all of Eadie's career. Its still memorable in my mind. But its hard to compare eras. Its difficult to quantify the effect for the team and its chances of winning matches, when you have different types of fullbacks: Slater, Snake, Eadie. So statistics don't count in this situ when including Eadie in this thread. The RL rules have changed so much since the 1970's, and what is expected of a fullback has changed.
For sheer excitement reaction by club fans, for team dependency, and backline play, Brett Stewart was clearly inseparable from MWSE's premierships. And despite the impressionability of youth and my time with Wombat, I still get a stronger 'reaction' when thinking about Brett's career than I do when thinking about Graham Eadie's. Perhaps this is influenced, dramatised by off field events.
In terms of Manly winning matches, Brett Stewart is a closer comparison to Bozo Fulton and his benefit to the team. These created that excitement and demonstrated their skills in a manner that was likely to result in points being scored. Goal conversions are what you do after the points have been scored. The fact of Eadie being Manly's goal kicker for years, is almost but not quite, irrelevant.
Comparing on 'best and fairest' basis, at their peaks, I rate Stewart above Slater, and am sure that he was the bigger 'crowd draw'. But Billy S is still playing & still getting results. Perhaps his return the game will be marked by fairness and clean playing . . . . .
I saw all of Eadie's career. Its still memorable in my mind. But its hard to compare eras. Its difficult to quantify the effect for the team and its chances of winning matches, when you have different types of fullbacks: Slater, Snake, Eadie. So statistics don't count in this situ when including Eadie in this thread. The RL rules have changed so much since the 1970's, and what is expected of a fullback has changed.
For sheer excitement reaction by club fans, for team dependency, and backline play, Brett Stewart was clearly inseparable from MWSE's premierships. And despite the impressionability of youth and my time with Wombat, I still get a stronger 'reaction' when thinking about Brett's career than I do when thinking about Graham Eadie's. Perhaps this is influenced, dramatised by off field events.
In terms of Manly winning matches, Brett Stewart is a closer comparison to Bozo Fulton and his benefit to the team. These created that excitement and demonstrated their skills in a manner that was likely to result in points being scored. Goal conversions are what you do after the points have been scored. The fact of Eadie being Manly's goal kicker for years, is almost but not quite, irrelevant.
Comparing on 'best and fairest' basis, at their peaks, I rate Stewart above Slater, and am sure that he was the bigger 'crowd draw'. But Billy S is still playing & still getting results. Perhaps his return the game will be marked by fairness and clean playing . . . . .
