Who is our best ever half?

This is interesting and brings up something I’ve long pondered. For all the success Manly has had as a club, we’ve never truly had a dominant halfback. In a position that is so integral to success, I don’t believe we’ve ever had a 7 who would be considered the best of their time. Don’t get me wrong, Tooves, Gibbs, Blake etc all tremendous players, but none played 7 at rep level for any real length of time. Orfird was tremendously underrated and if injury hadn’t prevented him playing origin he may have taken his game to that elite level.

I think DCE is in prime position to do just that. The only flaw I can find in his game is he is a bit of a front runner, which I think he is maturing out of.
 
I feel like both Tooves and DCE have legitimately been rorted out of a 2nd premiership each to date. In 1997, Adam MacDougall’s stomping was a dog act and Robbie O’Davis was pinged for PED’s. His two tries in that final were essential for them to win. The 2013 grand final is the most disgusting refereeing I have ever seen to date
 
mosto said:
This is interesting and brings up something I’ve long pondered. For all the success Manly has had as a club, we’ve never truly had a dominant halfback. In a position that is so integral to success, I don’t believe we’ve ever had a 7 who would be considered the best of their time. Don’t get me wrong, Tooves, Gibbs, Blake etc all tremendous players, but none played 7 at rep level for any real length of time. Orfird was tremendously underrated and if injury hadn’t prevented him playing origin he may have taken his game to that elite level.

I think DCE is in prime position to do just that. The only flaw I can find in his game is he is a bit of a front runner, which I think he is maturing out of.
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It's a great point you make.
I think the modern game is more conducive to dominant halfbacks than say the 70s where tough packs and in our case explosive backs as a whole were our weapons of choice.
The 80s was the era of the 5/8s, 90s too to a fair degree.
I would like to see what a reduction in the interchange would make to the way the game is played.
Fatigue can play a big part in the make up of the game.
 
Harvies elbow said:
@BOZO might be on night shift.
PM him.
And please share the result...
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nightster said:
so does Cranky Franky
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Much of Frank Stanton's career was spent in the centres, where he was recognised as one of top class. He started at half and then played in the centre for several years before moving back to half when a young kid called Fulton came along. Lived in an age when there were a lot of top three quarters and should have played more rep football than he did. Was an outstanding player and Manly's main go to attacker in the 60s.
 
Steve ' whiz ' Martin and Dennis Ward made Kangaroo tours from playing half back for Manly back in the day . Always rated Monas also . Interesting that some of our great halfs like Tooves , Des , even Blake and Monas transitioned to other positions after their half back stints for Manly . .
 
Pittwater Legend said:
I feel like both Tooves and DCE have legitimately been rorted out of a 2nd premiership each to date. In 1997, Adam MacDougall’s stomping was a dog act and Robbie O’Davis was pinged for PED’s. His two tries in that final were essential for them to win. The 2013 grand final is the most disgusting refereeing I have ever seen to date
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Yeah, that 1997 grand final. I watched it again a few months ago and the first thing that came to my mind - Why was it only John Hopoate that showed any kind of aggression towards the jacked-up thugs? A lone hand all game... a winger!! Where were our big, tough forwards when we were getting bashed and stomped? McDougall and Harragon should have had their heads taken off. I must admit, I gained a whole new respect for Hoppa after watching it. If Manly had six hoppas out there from 8-13 we win that grand final in a canter.
 
I have been watching Manly for much too long to be stated here.

However, I cannot really identify any one halfback as being "the best" over those many decades.

Toovey is a good start, however I feel a lot of fans remember his toughness more from his latter days at hooker. Not to say he wasn't up there - his first mid-week game against the Pommie touring side, when he was a teenager, shone the light on his future greatness, but his overall game lacked because of his kicking.

DCE, being our only long term contracted halfback is the only one on whom the mantle of "best" can be placed, sometime in the future.
 
I think we can only really make that judgement once DCE has finished up and we’re able to reflect on his whole career.

Given he has a good 3-4 years in him and he’s just passed the 200 game mark for the club, he’ll likely go past the 300 game mark as a one club player.

I actually really feel he is now coming into his prime and with some promising juniors to come through in the next few years along with the Trbojevics, AFB, Manase and Marty etc he’ll get a chance to have some further success and cement himself as a great of the club.
 
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