What was the Sea Eagles best centre combination

[Bearfax]

For mine I would have Lyon and Fulton as the all time best combination for Manly, but what was the best combination that actually played together. Some of the combinations I can think of were
Stanton-Smith
Tennant-Gallagher
Tennant- John McDonald
Fulton-Branighan
Close-Dorahy
Branighan-Gartner
O'Connor-Shearer
Hill-Innes
Iro-O'Connor
Ron Gibbs-O'Connor
Lyon-Matai

Some fine names there

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

For mine I would have Lyon and Fulton as the all time best combination for Manly, but what was the best combination that actually played together. Some of the combinations I can think of were
Stanton-Smith
Tennant-Gallagher
Tennant- John McDonald
Fulton-Branighan
Close-Dorahy
Branighan-Gartner
O'Connor-Shearer
Hill-Innes
Iro-O'Connor
Ron Gibbs-O'Connor
Lyon-Matai

Some fine names there

Hard to pick, but I'd agree if you had to choose the best two , hands down Lyon / Fulton.

As to the best pairing of all time, hard to go past Fulton / Branighan but gee it's a tough choice!!

 

[mozgrame]

Stephenson and Harris/Williamson.

Seriously though...

O'Connor-Shearer
Hill-Innes
Matai-Lyon
Ron Gibbs-O'Connor...

I can't bloody decide.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

Dorahy left Manly at the end of 1981.

Close joined Manly in 1982.

So at best that was a long distance partnership.

 

[Woodsie]

Dorahy left Manly at the end of 1981.

Close joined Manly in 1982.

So at best that was a long distance partnership.

As close as centre partnerships get today. Lyon and Matai played in the same team for a decade and I would be surprised if they ever got within 40m of each other.

 

[Bearfax]

Dorahy left Manly at the end of 1981.

Close joined Manly in 1982.

So at best that was a long distance partnership.

WHOOPS! Dementia is setting in. Sorry.

 

[Terry Zarsoff]

As close as centre partnerships get today. Lyon and Matai played in the same team for a decade and I would be surprised if they ever got within 40m of each other.

In Dorahy and Close's case, it would have been opposing each other at Brookvale or Wollongong.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

I struggle to recall Lyon and Matai ever combining, though they played together for about 10 years.
It's the modern game, centres rarely even pass the ball to each other nowadays.

 

[Woodsie]

Did branighan play with gartner? anyway, lyon matai gets my vote - individually great, and perfectly complemented each other.

Can't remember, they were at Manly at the same time and could of, but it was more a case of Gartner coming up to FG to replace Branigan if he was out injured or on rep duty. Fulton and Branigan were the main pairing with Ima at 5/8.

 

[Woodsie]

We have been blessed with some brilliant centres over the years but the two stand outs for me are Lyon and Fulton.

My problem would be if it was the old days which one to play inside centre and which one to play outside centre.

 

[The '47ers]

Menzies and whoever he partnered those few times lol. Love the big man

 

[Bearfax]

Can't remember, they were at Manly at the same time and could of, but it was more a case of Gartner coming up to FG to replace Branigan if he was out injured or on rep duty. Fulton and Branigan were the main pairing with Ima at 5/8.

Fulton played for Manly from 1966-76. Branighan from 1972-78. Gartner from 1975-81.

 

[Stuey D]

WHOOPS! Dementia is setting in. Sorry.

Or possibly Dementia has already taken control?

* Gibbs only ever played 3 games as a centre for Manly. All were before O'Connor joined the club.
* Shearer & O'Connor only partnered each other 12 times. Hardly a long-lasting relationship.
* Kevin Iro only ever played one good game for Manly. Was possibly a bigger waste of money than Nate Myles.

 

[Woodsie]

Or possibly Dementia has already taken control?

* Gibbs only ever played 3 games as a centre for Manly. All were before O'Connor joined the club.
* Shearer & O'Connor only partnered each other 12 times. Hardly a long-lasting relationship.
* Kevin Iro only ever played one good game for Manly. Was possibly a bigger waste of money than Nate Myles.

Sh1t! do you have every old program?

PS (You've probably p1ssed the Bear off ... but don't worry about it ... he'll forget it.)

 

[MadMarcus]

Lyon-Matai was the best I have seen but I never saw Fulton and I was pretty young for O'Connor. Hill-Innes was a cracking combo and I always thought Hill-Moore (before Innes arrived) was underrated.

 

[CBreeagles]

Williame-Walker gotta be up there as one of the best.

 

[Mal Cochrane]

Lyon/Matai for me
Hill & Innes were great also

O'Connor/Shearer would have been amazing, but recall Shearer playing more fullback

 

[The Wheel]

How can you split these 3?

Lyon/Matai
Fulton/Branighan
Hill/Innes

 

[Bearfax]

Or possibly Dementia has already taken control?

* Gibbs only ever played 3 games as a centre for Manly. All were before O'Connor joined the club.
* Shearer & O'Connor only partnered each other 12 times. Hardly a long-lasting relationship.
* Kevin Iro only ever played one good game for Manly. Was possibly a bigger waste of money than Nate Myles.

Stuey the issue was about centre combinations. I merely suggested some I thought I could remember, but you're missing the point of the whole exercise which is to identify what YOU think the best combination was. I was only trying to offer some examples that I thought I could recall. OK I got some wrong. But challenging my memory is irrelevant to the issue. Or would you like to criticise my grammar next?

 

[Killer03]

What a centre pair Lyon/Matai have been since 09 (I say 09 as 07 to 08 Killer was mainly five eight).

Is this our best? Well it's the best I've seen, but then I didn't see Fulton so I'll just say the best of the last 30 years.

A Manly backline without Lyon or Matai just seems so bare. It's like when the Waugh twins retired from the Australian team, or no more Chappells. It just doesn't feel right.

2 of my all time faves (well Killer is no.1), but Skivvy is up in my top 5.