They shut him down big time. You couldn't stop snake. Not legally anyway. Crocker did....
Tommy T Injured - usa bound
- Thread starter Frogz
- Start date
Terry Zarsoff
First Grader
I looked at that RL Project website and they appear to have dropped about 26 games from his overall FG appearances’ tally. Obviously from that early phase of his career.
He clearly played more games than that during that period. In 1974, he won the Rothmans Medal - before his 21st birthday. If he had won it after only 14 FG appearances that season, that would make that achievement even more special.
The backup fullbacks in those early years were the likes of Alan Maddalena, Keith Blackett and maybe Mark Willoughby (he was a fullback early on) and they only played a small number of FG games between them, during that period.
Eadie’s records in those first few years were incredible:
1st grade debut, including at least one finals’ appearance, before his 18th birthday;
First premiership won before his 19th birthday;
Second premiership won before his 20th birthday; and
Test debut and in the mix for MoM in that test, also before his 20th birthday. By that stage he was putting Graeme Langlands under real pressure to retain his test spot. Langlands of course was the 1973 Kangaroos Captain-Coach.
That continued into 1974 and ‘75, when Langlands finally gave international football away. Changa in retrospect should have retired from international football in 1974. Eadie then remained the regular Australian fullback until 1979. His test career would have gone beyond that, however he withdrew from selection for the 1980 tour of NZ.
Even allowing for that, the selectors were keen on choosing him for the 1982 Kangaroo tour as the lead fullback, however he turned them down.
The other two don’t come close. Stewart? One test on the wing. He never looked like displacing Billy Slater. Injuries at a crucial point in his career didn’t help his cause. But facts are facts.
As for Turbo, let’s wait until his career is nearing its end (at least) before we start claiming he is a better player than Eadie. Or even Stewart.
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Yeah as I said, easier to do when a player is solely carry a team.
That said for a player 'shut down big time' Turbo in the 2021 finals series had
3 tries
Avg 102 metres
16 tackle busts
2 try assists
3 line breaks
No bad as a 'shut down baseline'.
Now if we are arguing who has had the more impressive career than Snake obviously leads but if you are picking a team to play a game and you have peak Turbo v peak Snake, IMO its peak Turbo
40 nil
It's only a game ...
40 nil
It's only a game ...
Next time, Turbo will leave Harry in his wake
On what basis half a good season. Let's see how he ends his career but for me Snake is way in front. Look at his tries and assists. He was Australia's full back infront of Slater in 08. Unfortunately we all know what happened after that.. then his ACL injuries. Turbo has had a very impressive run of form but he needs to be more decisive in the big games. Melbourne shut him down.
On the basis of having watched over 90% of both their games.
But its all just a matter of opinion, these this are subjective. We've been blessed to have them both
Cherryjohn
Member
Wombat also was awarded retrospectively the Clive Churchill medal for his man of the match performances in the 1976 and 1978 Grand Finals. In all he played in 6 Grand Finals and won 4. As much as I love Turbo and I believe he’ll be a great of the game , there is no way he can match Graham Eadie as Manly’s all time great Fullback.
So , anyone reckon Tom will be fixed ??
If he is not fixed now he never will be - he has been to the best in Australia and now USA
40 nil
It's only a game ...
Tom thinks so - he wrote this on the jersey he gave to Knowles:
To Bill, I can't thank you enough for the last two weeks! The incredible techniques I've learnt from you will set me up for a long successful career!! You're a legend mate!! Tom Trbojevic
IQofalimabean
Bencher
The snake is better than turbo in the modern era. Better defense, try/try assist rate, nsw fullback when fit, 2 premiership wins and 4 grandfinals, also less injury prone.
Turbo is a great player but he does not have the numbers on the board. Unlike Eadie thats why hes the best lol.
Turbo is a great player but he does not have the numbers on the board. Unlike Eadie thats why hes the best lol.
Love Snake, one of my all time favs but going to pull you up on "NSW Fullback when fit"
Snake played 8 SOO matches, 7 at fullback and 1 off the bench. These were in 07-08 and 2012. Stewart missed almost all of 09-10.
Minichello missed majority of 07-08
Stewart played 17 games or more in 04, 05, 06, 11, 13, 14 and 15 and did not play Origin
Yes, me. He fixed up Mitchell and came back a fitter player with no further injuries for the rest of last season. Think Toms turned a corner now.
40 nil
It's only a game ...
Re the debate about who is the best ever Manly fullback, I think maybe the focus needs to be on who is the better player, rather than who has the better career.
Wombat, Snake & Turbo are all great players, but there is huge difference in quality of respective team mates. Four premierships in seven years stamps the seventies as Manly's most dominant era ever and two premierships in four years (four GFs in seven years) 2007-2013 marks those years as our second most dominant era. Most of Manly's greatest ever players were in those teams.
From 2017 onwards, Turbo is probably the only player that can be spoken of the same sentence as the elite players from those eras (excluding DCE & Foran). One can surmise that if he was the fullback in either of those two dominant eras, he would have been a premiership winning fullback.
As far as rep honours go, Turbo (when fit) is an automatic selection for NSW or Australia. In fact, in this age of many exceptional fullbacks, his versatility gives him an advantage for rep selection.
Turbo has had many injuries from 2018-2022 when he was 21-26. In comparison, both Wombat & Snake were possibly at the peak of their powers in that age range. If Turbo can remain injury free for the next 4-5 years, this would be the foundation for having a truly equitable discussion of who is the best ever Manly fullback (IMO).
Wombat, Snake & Turbo are all great players, but there is huge difference in quality of respective team mates. Four premierships in seven years stamps the seventies as Manly's most dominant era ever and two premierships in four years (four GFs in seven years) 2007-2013 marks those years as our second most dominant era. Most of Manly's greatest ever players were in those teams.
From 2017 onwards, Turbo is probably the only player that can be spoken of the same sentence as the elite players from those eras (excluding DCE & Foran). One can surmise that if he was the fullback in either of those two dominant eras, he would have been a premiership winning fullback.
As far as rep honours go, Turbo (when fit) is an automatic selection for NSW or Australia. In fact, in this age of many exceptional fullbacks, his versatility gives him an advantage for rep selection.
Turbo has had many injuries from 2018-2022 when he was 21-26. In comparison, both Wombat & Snake were possibly at the peak of their powers in that age range. If Turbo can remain injury free for the next 4-5 years, this would be the foundation for having a truly equitable discussion of who is the best ever Manly fullback (IMO).
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Mate, this never been seen before video just came out from Wayne Cousins. So it's a yes from me.
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