Immortal Discussion - The Big 5

[Flipper Hands]

Peter Sterling was a 4 time premiership winning half back, twice winner of the Dally M, winner of the Rothmans medal, Inaugural winner of the Clive Churchill medal, State of Origin winning halfback, Australian halfback of the 1982 Invincible tour, Australian halfback and vc for the 1986 Unbeatables Tour.......how much more can a halfback be decorated? He achieved all this because he hardly missed a tackle, his kicking game was perfect and his passing and ability to read defence was second to none.....and he produced the goods week in and week out in a era where his head was a target for opposition defence. Like Andrew Johns he was one of a handful of players to receive a perfect 10 Rugby League Week rating ( unfortunately it was against the Roosters- i was at the game thats why i remember it). Yes Andrew Johns kicked goals and invented the now nearly defunt banana kick but if you look at the records- and really have seen them both play- there's nothing between them. Off the field Sterling never took eccys or any drugs, called Aboriginals black c$%ts or passed on bs racing information to Eddie Hayson!

Well aware of Sterlo's accolades. He was good - I have no problem with that.

There was never a point in his career where I thought "Sterlo will turn this". Johns was capable of that anywhere, anytime, at any level in defence and attack. At Parra, Sterlo played link to one of the best back-lines assembled in any clubs history. Kenny in particular was a freak of nature. Sterling had so much to work with, and his primary job was organisation. Again, Johns did that too.

As for both the mens character, whats that got do with football? It does seem that Sterlo is a more balanced human though.

Say it again. Not even close.

I'd bend your ear about this for an hour if I met you at a barbie

[Flipper Hands]

It kind of bores me sh...zzzzzz

Meh, it's just something else to talk about when no RL going on.

[Headless Chook]

Well aware of Sterlo's accolades. He was good - I have no problem with that.

There was never a point in his career where I thought "Sterlo will turn this". Johns was capable of that anywhere, anytime, at any level in defence and attack. At Parra, Sterlo played link to one of the best back-lines assembled in any clubs history. Kenny in particular was a freak of nature. Sterling had so much to work with, and his primary job was organisation. Again, Johns did that too.

As for both the mens character, whats that got do with football? It does seem that Sterlo is a more balanced human though.

Say it again. Not even close.

I'd bend your ear about this for an hour if I met you at a barbie

I see Sterlo as an upgrade on our Horrie. Very good player but a step down from immortal status. In regards to off field shenanigans, apparently Raper tried to bring this up when they were discussing Johns and Ian heads reminded Chook that if off-field escapades came into it, he might very well have not been an immortal!!

[Insider]

A few points to counter your argument. Firstly, English football was infinitely stronger in the 50's and 60's and even the early 70's then it was in the 80's and 90's. In the 80's it became obvious that the professionalism of Australian Rugby League was light years in front on the UK game and the score lines reflected as much. Secondly there wasn't much video footage around of the 50's and 60's games so there aren't too many highlights of any of the players from that time. Thirdly, you can trace Australia's period of dominance over the Poms back to 1963 when we won our first ever series on UK soil. Have a guess who the stars of that Australian team were?

I never got to see Raper and Gasnier, and only really the back end of Langlands career, but my dad and most people from that era rate Raper as the best they ever saw and Gasnier as the best centre to play the game. Raper was like a second 5/8th, he could run and ball play as well as cover defend.

Here's some footage of the great Johnny 'Dallas' Raper in action for you too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ob8GGGy3G_A

You sound like your around the same age as me,i was told the same by my father who played against gasnier in junior reps. Dad was a state sprinter but he said Gasnier was lightning quick off the mark,there one second gone the next. Jack Gibson was the catalyst for our domination of the poms, the level of professionalism he bought to easts in 74-75 was quickly adopted by most clubs and by 78 the aussies had gone to another level compared to the English.

[Headless Chook]

You sound like your around the same age as me,i was told the same by my father who played against gasnier in junior reps. Dad was a state sprinter but he said Gasnier was lightning quick off the mark,there one second gone the next. Jack Gibson was the catalyst for our domination of the poms, the level of professionalism he bought to easts in 74-75 was quickly adopted by most clubs and by 78 the aussies had gone to another level compared to the English.

I'm a '67 drop mate, what about you?

[mattyh]

llulu I am not a ò of otgòopil lop you

[Random Rooster]

Well aware of Sterlo's accolades. He was good - I have no problem with that.

There was never a point in his career where I thought "Sterlo will turn this". Johns was capable of that anywhere, anytime, at any level in defence and attack. At Parra, Sterlo played link to one of the best back-lines assembled in any clubs history. Kenny in particular was a freak of nature. Sterling had so much to work with, and his primary job was organisation. Again, Johns did that too.

As for both the mens character, whats that got do with football? It does seem that Sterlo is a more balanced human though.

Say it again. Not even close.

I'd bend your ear about this for an hour if I met you at a barbie

Primary job was organisation? You sure you saw him play? He was a complete player and dominant..... his multiple accolades of the highest order back this up. Don't believe me but believe Jack Gibson.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRHGABeZtIw

[Flipper Hands]

Primary job was organisation? You sure you saw him play? He was a complete player and dominant..... his multiple accolades of the highest order back this up. Don't believe me but believe Jack Gibson.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRHGABeZtIw

I'll conceded I was young, and had limited access to game video back in those days, like everyone. I'm still not convinced, that video was a love fast from his retirement year. So a comparison with Johns wasn't possible.

Again, he was a great, almost certainly the greatest of his era, but not better than Johns IMO.

[Flipper Hands]

I see Sterlo as an upgrade on our Horrie. Very good player but a step down from immortal status. In regards to off field shenanigans, apparently Raper tried to bring this up when they were discussing Johns and Ian heads reminded Chook that if off-field escapades came into it, he might very well have not been an immortal!!

I agree with you, on both counts, I almost mentioned historical player behaviour when I mentioned character.

[milanja]

I always suggest that Freddie should be an immortal. Yet most of my mates say that I'm being bias. But Freddie IMHO was the best 5/8 I've seen over my 30+ years of watching league. Better than Wally Lewis (yes i said it and I stand by it). Better than Lockyer. I ask my mates to name me a better 5/8 and they struggle.

Other than Freddie the only others I would add to the list would be Thurston (even though Joey was a better 7) and Cam Smith

If Freddy had Thurstons never say die attitude, he probably would of bagged another premiership or two during his career, and been an immortal, Thurston,Johns, Lockyer always wanted the ball all the time.

[Tommy Smith]

If Freddy had Thurstons never say die attitude, he probably would of bagged another premiership or two during his career, and been an immortal, Thurston,Johns, Lockyer always wanted the ball all the time.

And yet Freddy's teams achieved more during his 9yr stint at the Roosters than Thurston's did during his 14yr stay at the Cowboys.

And if Freddy got injured 1/3rd into the season we would have missed the top 8 but the Cowboys without Thurston made a GF!

[milanja]

And yet Freddy's teams achieved more during his 9yr stint at the Roosters than Thurston's did during his 14yr stay at the Cowboys.

And if Freddy got injured 1/3rd into the season we would have missed the top 8 but the Cowboys without Thurston made a GF!

I think Freddy played with much better teams during his career, and he missed some big opportunities in those years, still my favourite rooster because he made us competitive from the mid 90s, just always felt he missed some chances to make him an undisputed immortal.


also most immortals seemed to have dominated origin in one way or another, whether it be ability or status, not that it means much, but Freddy never even got a man of the match performance for the blues.

Hall of fame definately.

[Johnny73]

Freddy would more likely get into the A.V.N. Hall of Fame.

[Nicola Tesla]

As I mentioned earlier, Freddie played against different interchange rules compared to most others being ranked besides Joey. Imagine JT or Lockyer playing in the unlimited interchange rule with a fresh Tony Carrol, Brad Thorn etc constantly running at them or defending them. An I'm a talking about super fresh all game especially when we had unlimited interchanges. I think the build of Joey and Freddie made them able to handle the work load of that era, and more often than not stand tall.

[dice]

I think Freddy played with much better teams during his career,

I don't agree with that. In the 2004 finals series, a year before Thurston joined, the Cowboys beat the Bulldogs, Broncos, and close to beating the Roosters in the prelim final. They were a hot team that not only performed during the highly defensive 2004 season, but also made the grand final in the 2005 touch footy season where both Bulldogs and Roosters failed to make the finals.