Who was Manly's best in the past 50 years ... Halfback

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Your best halfback was ?

  • Dennis Ward

    Votes: 1 1.3%
  • Johnny Mayes

    Votes: 2 2.7%
  • Kevin Junee

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • John Gibbs

    Votes: 2 2.7%
  • Gary Stephens

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Steve Martin

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Phil Blake

    Votes: 2 2.7%
  • Des Hasler

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Geoff Toovey

    Votes: 47 62.7%
  • Matt Orford

    Votes: 3 4.0%
  • DCE

    Votes: 18 24.0%

  • Total voters
    75

Woodsie

Feast yer eyes ..
Tipping Member
TEAM SO FAR ..

Hooker ... Max Krilich
Prop ... Ian Roberts
Prop ... Mark Carroll
2nd Row .. Steve Menzies
2nd Row .. Terry Randall
Lock ... Malcolm Reilly

Bench .. Anthony Watmough
Bench .. John O'Neill
Bench ... Kevin Ward

And now for halfback ... easy ...
 
Matt Orford turned this club around into being a powerhouse again. He helped attract players. His worst performance wasn't too far off his best. Kicked goals. Captain. Premierships (world record scoring one's).

Dally M Player of the year (ahead of Slater 2008).

He dragged our team from could have been's, to heavy weights. Heard he was instrumental in getting Steven Bell to sign, as well.

Selected for Origin, but got injured twice. Played City / Country. 250 odd games, 1,576 points. Ranks him the 21st highest points scorer (ever) in the nrl. Only Jason Taylor, Graham Eadie, and Jamie Lyon beating him out for us (making him the 4th best ever point scorer at Manly - not for Manly).

Pound for pound up there with Tooves for toughness.

Second favourite ever player after Jamie Lyon.
 
I remember watching Tooves debut against Great Britain. Chopped down the Big Pommy Forwards all night-They kept getting up sporting looks of amazement and befuddlement that a choir boy could knock them down and then bounce back up and do it over and over again. Tough. Skilful. Legend.
 
Has to be Tooves for mine - yes there are some blistering halves among that bunch and Tooves was no slouch himself, but not as zippy as some....but his ability to pick up 130kg front rowers and pummel them into the turf has Massive appeal.
In honesty, Tooves did not have the crafty ball skills of a Lewis/Johns type nor a good long kicking game....but had the biggest heart of "Any" NRL player I have witnessed in my time involved with the game.
There are so many important factors like speed, power and skill that make this game great, but what makes a great player starts with competitive nature as the main attribute - every Champion has this....was very good in most area's, but his desire to compete at 100% every minute of every game was what separates him at number 1...
 
Toovs for me only just ahead of
Phil Blake was great to watch his chip and chase way better than any player in the modern era But Toovs toughness 2nd to none and also being a one club player puts him on top
 
In case some don't know...



Johnny Mayes (born 29 April 1947) is an Australian former rugby league halfback who represented Australia in the 1975 World Cup. He also played in three consecutive premiership-winning teams from 1973 to 1975, the first for Manly-Warringah and the latter two for Eastern Suburbs.
 
Had to go for Dennis Ward. Man of the match in our first grand final win. Ward might have been slightly taller (maybe) but I reckon Tooves probably outweighed him. Always thought DW should have been riding track work at 4am rather than tackling huge forwards. Very tough to go past Tooves, Gibbsey and the Ox but you have to pick one.
 
In case some don't know...



Johnny Mayes (born 29 April 1947) is an Australian former rugby league halfback who represented Australia in the 1975 World Cup. He also played in three consecutive premiership-winning teams from 1973 to 1975, the first for Manly-Warringah and the latter two for Eastern Suburbs.
I just read about Kevin Junee. 29 tries in 38 games for Manly.

He played for Easts in their grand final loss to manly in 1972. He came to Manly for 74 and 75 (Easts won both years), then back to Easts for 76 (Manly won) - he was a premiership dodger!

A bit like Geoff Gerard who went from Parra to Manly to Penrith, playing in losing grant final teams.
 
Hard decision - will ponder a while. If Toovey is selected as half, there won't be any player in the final team with a decent long kicking game (assuming Lyons is the five eighth and Fulton & Lyon are the centres)
 
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Matt Orford turned this club around into being a powerhouse again. He helped attract players. His worst performance wasn't too far off his best. Kicked goals. Captain. Premierships (world record scoring one's).

Dally M Player of the year (ahead of Slater 2008).

He dragged our team from could have been's, to heavy weights. Heard he was instrumental in getting Steven Bell to sign, as well.

Selected for Origin, but got injured twice. Played City / Country. 250 odd games, 1,576 points. Ranks him the 21st highest points scorer (ever) in the nrl. Only Jason Taylor, Graham Eadie, and Jamie Lyon beating him out for us (making him the 4th best ever point scorer at Manly - not for Manly).

Pound for pound up there with Tooves for toughness.

Second favourite ever player after Jamie Lyon.
Sounds like a great player, has he signed yet?
 
In fifty years, Manly has had so many great halfbacks - probably a major reason we've won eight premierships in that time. Some other clubs also had great halfbacks (some of the best of all time), but not as profusely as the Sea Eagles.
 
Johnny Gibbs. It's a selection from the heart not the head in this case. I just recall his blistering acceleration cutting several teams to shreds, and he had a few other speedster mates in those sides so I associate him with frequent long-range Sea Eagle breaks.
All the nominees are of tremendous quality so rather than drive myself mad going in circles trying to rank them, I'll just go with Gibbsy who wasn't the best but was my favourite!
 
I could have them all in my number 7.. Tooves is my all time favorite Manly player for his courage and competitive spirit, love the guy for what he has done for manly and for what he stands for as a Manly man pound for pound toughest in the game!!!

But my vote goes to DCE, if we are looking for a halfback that can tackle, take on the line, has a passing game, kicking game , scores tries, kicks goals, captained his state, played for Australia, Won origin series, Won premiership, has been a match winner on multiple occasions under huge pressure for the mighty Maroon and Whites, Captains our club with immense pride and has a will to just keep getting back up after all the crap that he has been put through via the media, DCE could go down as one of the best players we have ever had. keep in mind he's still playing and has a few more years ahead of him to further build on who he is to our game and our club, I can see him being the next BK to our young stars coming through for another decade of dominance.

The guy was a Clive Churchill winner in a loosing side.

What other player that is still currently playing would even come close to being the best for us in the last 75 years? this alone shows just how good and valuable DCE is to our team.

Yes we will get some disagree but its easy to pick flaws with a current player who is still playing the game, we don't always win and he doesn't always fire ( he is human after all) but the very same thing can and WAS said about every other player on this list.

for me I hope we have a vote on a utility bench spot for this side as I would have Tooves as that player, he covers 7,9 and 6 and his overall game and skill set would be better suited as our utility not our halfback when we have someone of DCE's skill set at hand.

just my opinion!.. I'm also so happy that we had ( have ) both these guys and the others on this list at our great club.
 
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