JT vs Joey

[Beaver boy]

A few years back I thought JT was a fair way off Joey as a complete footballer. Joey is still the best of all time IMO and the wider general Rugby league fraternity, but geez JT is not far off. I'd have Lockyear after Joey, then JT, then Wally.

Pros and cons:

1.Joey- 1.5 G. Finals, better defender than JT.
2. Lockyear - 4 G.Finals, played in a team of champions/ 1 state team
2. JT - only won a GF as a Benchie
3.Wally - dominated origin, but didn't play in the week to week grind of the best competition in the world

And some will bang on about Joey being a drug cheat. These weren't performance enhancing.

 

[NewwyEagle]

Joey, in my opinion, is still a long way in front of jt. I remember going to many knights games growing up (always cheered for whoever they were playing against) and I'll never forget what that guy could do, I hated him for it.
JT is great, no doubt, but joey was far more consistent in a far worse team. I don't think any current player is immortal worthy.

 

[qldeagle]

Who gives a sh*t

 

[bob dylan]

Johns for mine. The best player I have ever seen.

That said JT has been amazing for the last 3 or 4 seasons. Probably improves every year.

 

[Killer03]

Joey is the best player I have seen. I think what set him apart to me was not only was he a brilliant attacker, but defensively he was like a back rower, he was just a tank.

I genuinely feel that Joey changed the way halfbacks play.

JT is a great player, but to be honest I rate Fittler up in the top echelon too. I actually rate it Joey, Freddie and then back to the lockyers etc.

 

[Jatz Crackers]

Both are great footballers but Joey by a fair way.

Thurston, every game, makes every effort. Joey made every game effortless.

But without the clichés & put aside your 97 hatred of the 97 GF, Johns could influence a game in each discipline of the game, attack, defense, goal kicking, like no other I have ever seen. If you were a good footballer, noone I have seen, before or since, could pick apart a game and make a decent footballer look ordinary, like he could.

 

[Shoe1]

It's about premierships.

 

[sheridanstand78]

JT is catching Joey. I give the nod to Joey as I have seen Thurston lose it when really pressured, see the 07 and 11 finals against Manly,

 

[Loobs]

Joey, in my opinion, is still a long way in front of jt. I remember going to many knights games growing up (always cheered for whoever they were playing against) and I'll never forget what that guy could do, I hated him for it.
JT is great, no doubt, but joey was far more consistent in a far worse team. I don't think any current player is immortal worthy.

It was amazing what Joey could do. I mean a few bumps of coke, some pingers, a couple dozen drinks... Truly incredible...... So what were we talking about again..?

 

[Deleted member 24974]

Who gives a sh*t

Agree! Pointless thread.

 

[NewwyEagle]

It was amazing what Joey could do. I mean a few bumps of coke, some pingers, a couple dozen drinks... Truly incredible...... So what were we talking about again..?

Ran into him out in Newcastle on more than one occasion in the late noughties, bloke parties hard lol

 

[mave]

Not performance enhancing??????

Lolololololololol.

 

[Lord Eagleton]

JT has had a pretty decent team for a few years now at NQLD and hasnt been able to deliver them a premiership. DCE and Foz delivered Manly one within their first 1-2 years in grade. At 21/24 years of age too. Joey is way ahead of JT.

 

[Haz88]

Joey. Even in a great Queensland side JT needs someone else to steer the ship. Johns could do it all !

What halfbacks do now, Johns did then!

 

[Snake]

Who gives a sh*t

it makes for interesting conversation. If you don't care, don't bother going to the effort of telling us that you don't care.

 

[Fluffy]

Tooves and cliffy are a mile in front.

 

[Bird Up]

Different players, playing in different eras of Rugby League while at the pinnacle of their own individual careers.
Each player is brilliant in their own way and both have different strengths and weaknesses; plus the multiple rule changes and influences that have impacted the game, such as ethnic culture or the 40/20 tap, has forced the game to evolve almost ten fold since Joey retired, so I think it's an unfair comparison!

I believe JT is THE best 5/8 in our current game. His form for the Cows so far this season has been exceptional and he has obviously worked hard to take his game up to the next level. Yes JT must be named as an immortal along side Joey at some stage, and if anyone doubts that, then go back an watch his performance from Wed night because JT was simply outstanding!!

 

[Beaver boy]

It seems like 14 of the 16 others didn't see it pointless.

 

[HoldenV8]

Actually, Wally Lewis did play in the week to week grind of the best competition in the world, for five seasons actually (1988-92). However, by that stage he was showing the effects of age and injury and he was past his best really, though he did show flashes of brilliance but it was mostly in Origin and not for the Donkeys or Seagulls. It would have been interesting to see how he would have gone had he moved to Sydney in the early 80's.

As for JT vs Joey, I tend to agree with Bird Up actually. But, I do think that until JT actually leads a team to the premiership he will always be seen as that one step behind, especially in the eyes of the NSW fans (of course, Qld fans will refuse to see the difference and most likely so will some of the media). Yes he has won a premiership, but he only saw about the last 5-10 minutes of the 2004 GF so while it counts as a win, he wasn't the one leading the team around. If he can do that with the Cowgirls it will put him right up there.

However, in terms of becoming an Immortal, I would say that the likes of Mal Meninga and Darren Lockyer will be named before him.

 

[manlyfan76]

Some say locky is a drug feind aswell.