Mini

[HEGtheROOSTER]

I was at a junior State Championship dinner in Queensland where ex-Bronco and Bulldog David Stagg was the guest speaker.
Stagg, a noted defensive specialist who retired at the end of the 2015 season, was for a time the record-holder for most tackles in an NRL game with 64.
I asked him which player in his career was the hardest to tackle.
He said “Anthony Minichiello”

Funny, there was heaps of raised eyebrows around the room as I expect people thought he would name some monster forward like Jason Taumalolo or someone...

More kudos for one of our finest ambassadors...

[Tommy Smith]

I'm not surprised.

At his peak from 2003-2005 Mini was the original and best human pinball.

He must have racked up double digit tackle breaks every second game.

NSW won three straight Origin series over that period and he was a huge reason why.

[IRoosterManI]

many forget just how good mini waas pre injury... the guy would bust tackles almost at will.. and this is not the first time i have heard a player say he was the hardest to tackle.. infact i think there was a poll of some kind back in 2004 in one of the footy mags where he was voted the hardest to tackle in the league (voted by players) .. pretty interesting.

[ism22]

He would be a lot faster and more slippery than GI or Taumalolo.

GI... you are farked if he gets an arm free and palms you in the face because you will fly back 20m. However, he has a bit of a gut, is a bit lazy and IMO once you have touched him you can drag him down. He is also a smart@rse who cups the ball in one hand and sorta loaps around. I am surprised you dont see more people going for the 1-on-1 strip. 100% If I was up against GI I would fark trying to tackle him, avoid his spare palming arm and snatch the ball.

Taumalolo... will run right at you, he is fat/slow and he doesnt have a step. So long as you can withstand the initial impact, you can (again) drag him down quite easily. IMO he is more of a scary player when you are tired, standing stationary or on the ground where he is about to fall. Note he has been quiet all season!!! You never hear his name anymore. He was only ever good in a team where everybody was spending too much effort marking up Scott, Hannant, Tamou, Cooper, JT...etc and then this fatty boom batty young kid comes charging over you with fresh legs. Now that he has had a contract upgrade (so is not accompanied by as many others) and people know he is pretty heavy, they mark him up and completely nullify him. Not scared of the guy at all...

Mini is faster, hits you at all angles and has an amazing step. He will hit harder because his accelleration is a bigger force multiplier than the above players mass.

[Tommy Smith]

Lol Taumalolo isn't fat, he isn't slow, and he definitely has a step.

You make him sound like Lance Thompson!

[zac]

Mini's a Golden Boot winner!

[Moose]

He would be a lot faster and more slippery than GI or Taumalolo.

GI... you are farked if he gets an arm free and palms you in the face because you will fly back 20m. However, he has a bit of a gut, is a bit lazy and IMO once you have touched him you can drag him down. He is also a smart@rse who cups the ball in one hand and sorta loaps around. I am surprised you dont see more people going for the 1-on-1 strip. 100% If I was up against GI I would fark trying to tackle him, avoid his spare palming arm and snatch the ball.

Taumalolo... will run right at you, he is fat/slow and he doesnt have a step. So long as you can withstand the initial impact, you can (again) drag him down quite easily. IMO he is more of a scary player when you are tired, standing stationary or on the ground where he is about to fall. Note he has been quiet all season!!! You never hear his name anymore. He was only ever good in a team where everybody was spending too much effort marking up Scott, Hannant, Tamou, Cooper, JT...etc and then this fatty boom batty young kid comes charging over you with fresh legs. Now that he has had a contract upgrade (so is not accompanied by as many others) and people know he is pretty heavy, they mark him up and completely nullify him. Not scared of the guy at all...

Mini is faster, hits you at all angles and has an amazing step. He will hit harder because his accelleration is a bigger force multiplier than the above players mass.

taumalolo is fit, fast and has excellent footwork. which player have you been watching? He averages 175m per game and has 78 tackle busts, most post contacts meters in the comp and second most run meters behind fergo, and that's without kick returns.

[Easts75]

taumalolo is fit, fast and has excellent footwork. which player have you been watching? He averages 175m per game and has 78 tackle busts, most post contacts meters in the comp and second most run meters behind fergo, and that's without kick returns.

lol at his opinion of Taumalolo, must be taking the piss ??

[Johnny Brass]

Mini in his prime was so energetic and fearless with his ball running and a handful for any defence.
Inglis in his was a beautifully balanced runner for such a big man with that swerve and massive right hand fend . The power he generates with that fend he would have made a terrific boxer. I've rarely seen him brought down one on one and I don't recall him being stripped of the ball he is just too powerful.
Taumalalo has enormous power through his massive thighs and hips and can step which makes him so hard to pull down.
All three are great ball runners in different ways.

[Johnny Tobin]

Pre-injury he was a devastating runner - preferably not off an inside ball though.

[4 the all in brawl]

Inglis in his was a beautifully balanced runner for such a big man with that swerve and massive right hand fend . The power he generates with that fend he would have made a terrific boxer. I've rarely seen him brought down one on one and I don't recall him being stripped of the ball he is just too powerful.

But he hasn't come face to face with some of the legends here on the Chookpen who could stop him and strip the ball from him like shelling peas.......cos, they told us so, lol......

[4 the all in brawl]

Tedesco, especially in the Origin games he has played, reminds me of Mini in his prime with his attack and positional play but I think Teddy is a better defender......

[Tommy Smith]

Pre-injury he was a devastating runner - preferably not off an inside ball though.

Did he ever catch one?

[ism22]

taumalolo is fit, fast and has excellent footwork. which player have you been watching? He averages 175m per game and has 78 tackle busts, most post contacts meters in the comp and second most run meters behind fergo, and that's without kick returns.

He is a good battering ram who basically walks around the field with the other JT going JASE JASE!!! NEXT ONE IS YOURS!!! BIG MAN ON LITTLE MAN YOU KNOW THE DRILL!!!!

Jason then runs straight at (for example) Maloney, busts his tackle, drags him 20 metres and finally gets pulled down by somebody.

In most games he will get zero line breaks despite getting more touches + tackle breaks than anybody. He will not get many tackles either (and if anything will tackle like a tackle bag because he gets gassed easily).

Telling. As I said, he is not an evasive ball runner, he is a big blob of dead weight that can take a while to grind to a halt. While he will break a few tackles, he will not break your line (which is way more important).

Oh and eeerm... despite being stacked with superstars, his team is currently sitting at 14th on the ladder. He is not scary because even with 20 strategically placed runs with favourable passes he will never break your line...he is just a big fat bludgeon. Mini (a true evasive runner) will pickup a cheeky grubber in-goal while heavily marked, slip 5 tacklers and put the team into an attacking position. Jason is the last person I would pass the ball to if I was in-goal and needed somebody to make some metres.

[Crab]

Would love to see Mini on ninja warrior he would farking blitz it :-)