Snake Manly's most influential EVER??

  • We had an issue with background services between march 10th and 15th or there about. This meant the payment services were not linking to automatic upgrades. If you paid for premium membership and are still seeing ads please let me know and the email you used against PayPal and I cam manually verify and upgrade your account.
I love stewart he has been brilliant for us for many years . There has been some games not so long ago where he didnt look to interested but with all what was going on at the club ( glen) etc its understandable but still awsome. Its hard to go past cliffy isnt it, he was my favorite player of all time and when anything was happening it was normally sir cliff lyons that was involved in it . BUT its jamie lyon for me and i wont even mention the reasons why.
 
I cleary remember Mathew Ridge ripping shreads off players in goal ifthe opposition happened to score. Back then we had the best defense in the history of rugby leauge.
I remember being a teenager standing behind the posts and hearing Ridge yell at all the players.
I also remember his little sister who used to do laps walking around the oval whilst the game was on. She was the biggest babe to us just pubescent group of boys.
 
No

The modern, professional game can not be compared to a time, when Players rocked up for the love of the game and a handfull of dollars if they won.

The Manly I started following in the 70s did not need anyone to LIFT them .@:cool:
They would laugh at the suggestion - Igor smelt blood as soon as he crossed the whiteline :p

Even in the 90s Cliffy just played to win and everyone else expected to do so. I don't recall any player talking in the in goal if the Team had let in a try - it was just 'get on with it'.:nod:

Nowdays, spending 6 days a week with the same bunch of people, repetitious training routines and inane Media engagement, means that mentaly the Players are no longer focused on just playing :cool:

In the last decade you had Kitey, Killer, BK, Choc, Gifty and Snake to motivate out on the field. :)
All that is true about those great players, but you can't use it as an argument against Snake. He had no say over which era he played in. Who's to say he wouldn't have played for the love of it had he played in the 80s?
 
Definatly Williame, most influencial player ever, we are 100% losing record with him in the team.. cant beat perfection. lol but in all honesty, ive been lucky enough to wacth the likes of Lyons, Lyon, Beaver, O'connor, Ridge, Cunnigham, Carroll, Kennedy, Orford, Stewart brothers, ( and all the other ex manlys playing elsewhere, i know some of you are still sensitive) But for me hands down Brett Stewart in my era, from the moment he set foot , you knew this kid was good, and proved it consistantly over and over and over. WIll be a sad day when he leaves the club, such an influencial , smart and meanacing player, excitement machine. Still to this day under rated, I rate him higher than any slater or hayne in their prime. We just have to enjoy vintage Stewart for as long as we have him , one of the best ever.
 
All that is true about those great players, but you can't use it as an argument against Snake. He had no say over which era he played in. Who's to say he wouldn't have played for the love of it had he played in the 80s?
Not arguing against Snakes influence, I'm disagreeing with his influence over Manly in the decades that he wasn't playing in. @:cool:

It's ludicrous to suggest that Snake is the most influential ever for Manly, as each era is a separate set of circumstances, rules and rosters.

No hypotheticals needed about what Manly's previous greats have achieved, it's a matter of record.

The fact is that Snake has built a legacy in this past decade and not in the past 3 as the Thread postulated.
Snake had zero influence in those earlier decades as he was not a player then.

Bozo, being an RL Immortal, is the answer, if influences to Manly's legacy included coaching and playing @:cool:

Snake is just one of a good handfull of Manly Players, who will be remembered for decades to come :inlove:
 
Firstly, good thread @maxta - its been interesting reading!

Certainly in the modern era, Snake's on top. However, when I first saw the thread title, BK immediately came to mind. Imho he was such a big influence, taught the players to believe in themselves and brought a new culture to Manly.

Having followed Manly since the 70's, though, I have to say Cliffy is right up there as well.

As for overall, its too hard to judge over 40 years!
 
Cliffy was the greatest.I remember Cliffy retiring in 1998 because he hadn't been offered another contract. At the start of the 1999 season we were shocking and lost the first seven games. By round five 37 year old Cliffy had been brought out of retirement and within a couple of weeks we were back in the winners column with Menzies scoring off a Cliffy pass once again.

Beaver was also known as Jesus, because he ran off the right hand of God.
 
Last edited:
I agree with all the candidates, but when I read biggest game changer, for me, I just went Phil Blake. Compared to the others his influence may not have been as impressive. But '82&'83 he could do just about anything (except win the damn GF!)
 
This thread just shows how many out and out champions we've had in our history.

Plenty of legends and an immortal to boot.

Of the modern day players since the mid 80's, Brett would be right up there for me but I would rate Cliffy as our greatest game changer. His skills were sublime!

With Cliffy, I always felt we could win any game although we did have a great side around him for most of his career.

My expectations of a win do slump if Brett is ever ruled out. He certainly means a lot to our side, as does Jamie Lyon.

Cliffy first and Brett 2nd. Imagine if they ever played together? Wow, they'd be unstoppable!! :inlove:
 
It's great seeing the names of Champion players who at different times, have really lifted Manly to new levels & ALL are worthy candidates.....
I do recall Cliffy changing many results including a final against Sharks who had all the momentum, till the maestro Cliffy intercepted a Paul Green pass & turned the game & result....great memories & he done this often.
Certainly plenty with a legitimate case for this recognition & many more....Ronny Gibbs was up with Cliffy & OConner as a favourite early days & only 2nd in toughness to the great Terry Randall imo. Gibbs was 3/4 knocked out vs Dragons at Brooky & was actually crawling along the turf for extra metres...pure heart ....& the influence of Pom Kevin Ward...absolutely massive impact Ward had.....& again BK....we talk attitude - a true warrior was BK.
 
Fence sitter here but that's because I have watched themsince BobBatty
Fulton still the very best footballer ive seen however,wombat,snake,killer,ridge,cliffy,beaver are all super heroes of mine,it is so hard to compare eras but Bozo could do everything,i think he changed the way the game was played
 
Shipway . Long . McKinnon. Field . Oljenyk. Brown. Hayden. Hasson . Williame. F... we have had some shockers also.
 
I have of course been a MWSE supporter since May 1967. Saw ALL of the careers of ALL of the players mentioned above. And i have been "paying attention".
Bozo was 18 and had that magic, like Snake, almost immediately hitting 1st grade. But how can any of us seriously compare degrees of "influence" across different eras. Its entirely subjective. We are a successful club. Many great players. Just check the names in my hero list.
So here is my subjective response: for players:
1. Robert Fulton
2. Brett Stewart
3. Cliff Lyons
4. Terry Randall
5. Graham Eadie.
For Playing and(/or) Coaching:
1. Robert Fulton
2. Frank Stanton
3. Desmond Hasler
etc
 
it appears to me us old guys have seen the magic of fulton thru to snake and all of the good backs ran off the engine room and we have had some craka forwards to pave the way.
 
let's hope snake IS the most influential of all time - because it looks like we don't have anyone else playing for us tonight!

If we don manage a win, I dare say Snake and Lyon will have been MASSIVE contributors
 
+ Des turned us completely around as a coach.

+ Ben Kennedy was the centerpiece to make that happen. I sure wish Nate Myles had his sort of impact (that's what I was hoping for), but we ended up with a much weaker, slower, and less impact than Jason King type.

+ Before that the team as a whole was solid. It was probably Fulton that stood out.
 
it appears to me us old guys have seen the magic of fulton thru to snake and all of the good backs ran off the engine room and we have had some craka forwards to pave the way.
I'm one of the older brigade who remembers back to Bob Batty although one of my favourites was Max Krillich, 2 winning grand finals, captain of the 82 invincible's and had to play 100 reserve grade games at Manly to get his first grade début, because the bloke in front of him Freddie Jones was also a champion.
 
I was fortunate enough to play against max and ian martin in the junior league,they were both good as 12 year olds,max was harbord united, ian was Narraweena if I recall correctly.
Freddie was a champion,dont forget all these old school blokes actually worked real jobs as well.
 
I got a dummy spit for posting I got a dummy spit!

Cue the dummy spit!
It is pretty easy on mobile devices to hit icons accidentally - especially the dummy spit/troll ones given where they are placed.

If you're to include influences of former players off the field, then it's not just the likes of Bozo and Des that come to mind with premierships, but Arko. Arko was Manly's half in our first grand final in 1951. He was considered one of the best up and coming halves going around, and had high rep hopes. His playing career was cut short early on by a fractured skull.
 
Team P W L PD Pts
3 3 0 48 6
4 3 1 28 6
3 2 1 10 6
4 2 2 39 4
3 2 1 28 4
3 2 1 15 4
3 2 1 14 4
2 1 1 13 4
2 1 1 6 4
3 2 1 -3 4
3 1 2 0 2
3 1 2 -5 2
3 1 2 -15 2
3 1 2 -22 2
3 1 2 -36 2
2 0 2 -56 2
3 0 3 -64 0
Back
Top Bottom