Imagine being the likes of Slater, Langer & Cronk where they are legends in their own right and would be much better than the majority on their list, but are overshadowed by a better team mate.
Honestly you could make the argument for Slater. A big part of Smith's game is his ability to control the pace - but it's been stated by numerous players Slater organises the defence and basically provides information for the offense on if there's overlaps, people out of position etc.
Proud New South Welshmen, but honestly, after hearing those Daryn Lockyer stats..... he surely has to be the next immortal. One of the absolute greatest to ever do it.
Awesome list guys. Usually these list are extremely biased and leave you scratching your head. But this one nailed it and even though some might disagree with individual picks your rationale for each one stands up to logic. Great job! 👍
Mate their talking NRL. Mark Gasnier is not in the same street as Chang . His name should not be mentioned in the same breat as Chang. Reg Gasnier and John Raper Billy Smith are so much better than these guys it's not even worth talking about.
james maloney is the most slept on half of all time. that bloke, when he was on, was as good as anyone on this list, he won 2 premierships with separate clubs as a crucial piece. absolute weapon, legend of the game, but just never gets talked about for some reason
P.S Kenny played for Australia 17 times and they won 16 times and the only one they lost Kenny went off injured at half time when there was not much difference in the scores.
I came from a rugby league family background as a child and am a Souths supporter having been watching the game since 1959. Any list of rugby league greatest players that does not have Bret Kenny at the top let alone left out in your club list, that included Lamb and Lyons who played in the same Kenny era and were the 3rd and 4th string 5/8s behind Kenny and Lewis, does not know what they are talking about. Objectively as to what counts in rugby league achievements nobody ticks all the boxes in rugby league like Kenny including creating a box all on his own of scoring two tries in three consecutive grand finals and in a later grand final win having two tries wrongly disallowed ( the first is obvious and the second try in 1986 was not a double movement if you see the head on shot not available to the ref near 40 meters back behind the play and the camera shot on media was over the ref's shoulder). These performances overshadowed Kenny often scoring two tries in the prior finals to get the Eels into the grand.. NSW beat Qld 8 games to 4 with Kenny v Lewis at 5/8 with Kenny often scoring or setting up the winning Origin try. One of only 2 players in the A-team for the only two unbeaten Kangaroo sides not to forget to the English Challenge Cup final. Two CC medals and a Dally M, Golden Boot, Lance Todd trophy. For objectivity ask Billy Boston or Eddie Ward who Australia's best player was. The English are objective and not jaundiced by club favorites in Australia. Another error in your list is Fittler as the best Penrith player (not Cleary) and the Panthers won their first premiership in 1991 with and through Fittler not Easts where he followed the money. Arthur Beetson played until1980 so should be included as the best Easts player and best forward ever..
Amen. Brett Kenny kept Wally out of 5/8 at Test level (and towelled him up at Origin level) and Mal out of centre yet never rates a mention in immortal discussions, yet somehow Mal Meninga was judged an immortal in a Canberra side that featured Lazarus, Stuart, Clyde, Walters and Daley. I knew Changa Langlands and he said Steve Rogers was the best centre since Gasnier, back in 2002.
Gallen was a great player but I loved it when he was picked for NSW as a Qld fan. He won us a few games with dumb penalties at the end of close games, he did get the stupid out of his game mostly at the end.
I once had a huge argument with my brother because I said Gallen was overrated. If you watch his games closely he gets around 8m per run and gets dominated onto to his back almost every time. Big workrate, shit efficiency. I pissed myself when they said he lost 10\11 series! 🤣
@@joshhicks4591 everytime there's a quick play the ball, instead of going to the playmakers he'd take a hitup, trying to get big meters. Most selfish play, and he did it all the time. I don't know how his coaches didn't chew him out over it, half the time he'd kill the momentum.
I’m a blues fan. In the Gallen era, they played so dumb. Just bashing it up only making 3 Qld defenders commit. It was a disgrace and they lost more games than Qld won.
You agree that Mal was their best player? They lost the '91 GF because Daley and Sticky played injured. In '93, Sticky busted his ankle and they faded in the semis. Mal was at least 4th, behind Bradley Clyde, as well.
@@kathp6862 Steve Rogers leaving for the Dragons always dropped him down a level for me, but I cannot disagree with about Gavin Miller he was the heart and soul of the club and unlike Gal he didn't hog the ball.
@isilas476 ET was a star, so good he got his partner Mcgaw a spot in the nsw and Australian team, they dominated, unimaginable now, picking players to compliment your star centre, that is reserved for halves these days
Amongst Bronco fans there may be some heavy debate. Wally Lewis, Gordon Tallis, etc. From my persective, I would pick Allan Langer. The NRL had to make several rule changes to stop him and for me he had more impact on the Broncos winning titles than Lockyer did. Just saying!
I don't really like 'lists' but this is well thought through. I think Benji was a better player than Farrah. Andrew Johns was the greatest player I've seen play the game, my preference, but Cameron Smith and Jonathan Thurston were just unreal. Cameron's playmaking and kicking to control games makes him so worthy of #1 spot. Thanks for the trip down memory lane of the greatest players to play this beautiful sport 👌🏉
Bro i was pumped when i heard the news.... Bro i cried with joy...JFH is the final piece to the puzzle for the club...AFB i love what he has done for us.....UP THE MIGHTY WARRIORS...
I’m sorry, but how could you not even mention Boyd Cordner for the Roosters. He played in all 3 Premierships, captained the 2 in a row, as well as captained 4 origin series, winning two of those. He also won a World Cup with Australia. Mal Meninga couldn’t even be content with just Smith as captain, picking Cordner as Vice-Captain.
@@izzy031096 No one sucks Cooper Cronks dick more than me, but if we’re talking about the Club and considering longevity as well as success, it has to be Cordner. Cronk was only there for two years, great years, but only two.
Always knew you would rate Cameron Smith as the greatest. He is undoubtedly the greatest Koala (protected species) in the history of the game. He got away with so many things at all levels of the game that no other player has in the past and dare I say it ever will in the future. Apart from this his obvious talent and longevity in the game made him the only choice. He was very fortunate to have played with so many talented players over such an extended time and I can't help but wonder if he would be rated so highly if he had played for a lesser less successful team as the Storm over his career.
Cam Smith and Richie McCaw have a lot in common. Both great leaders who played on great teams. But when you look at their skillset, they never did anything that extraordinary and in my opinion were outshone by other players in terms of athleticism and skill.
I think he was just in the right place at the right time with just enough skill. If he had played 10 years earlier say in 1990 he would have been smashed to oblivion for his antics but he played in an era where thats not done and if he played now he would have been penalised so often he would have ended up being unaffective he played when it wasnt as violent and when it wasnt as scrutinised. But yes he had some skill no doubt and tbh if he played for my team id love him so would most but he didnt so boooo
Daylight between Andrew Johns and the rest the game Actually changed. Plus he could tackle unlike Thurston and Smith was generally 2nd or 3rd into tackle.
He changed the game by being forced to wear number 9 at rep level until better halves retired and was the best 7 in the world from 2001-2005 with zero competition in the positon until thurstan took his crown. Over rated channel 9 golden boy.
He was put into 9 cos the coaches wanted their club player to play there. Anderson-kimmorley, Fulton-Toovey. So the fact that he was a half and was still better than every other specialist hooker, tells me a different story.
Seriously rate Thurston. But no defence and couldn't run straight at the line. Putting Johns at hookers was these guys going " oh fuck we will look stupid leaving this guy out' best 7 world wide 1996 to 2007. Guys I don't love the guy but like Ali this cunts the greatest someone has to be
GOAT is still Johnny Raper. More premierships, best player in a team with three other immortals, captained Australia to World Cup when it still meant something, won the equivalent of the Dally M multiple times and did it it without needing to backchat the Referee every match. When the Immortal concept first happened in 1981 he was the almost unanimous choice for the first Immortal across 70 odd years of Rugby League. Recency bias can make us sometimes forget those who went before but Johnny Raper was a superstar who remains the GOAT despite Cameron Smith's undoubted brilliance.
Hey champ, Brandy only has one Ring to his name. Played in two Grand Finals, '90 and '91 and won in the second GF. I'm a Manly fan, but a league fan as well. I was at the 1990 GF when they lost to the Raiders.
It’s not about winning. You can be the best in the club but in a shit team. Like Joey towards the end. Brandy shits all over Cleary. So does Simmons and Cartwright, I’m not even a panfers fan.
Brandy up there is so Ryan Girdler never seen player take so many intercepts score long range tries even with all his injuries he probably up there one best Allround centres to ever play his goal kicking got better the older he got was intercept freak
I dunno if current players should be in the list. Yeah nah Cleary is a brilliant player but he's really only played in the NRL for a short amount of time compared to others on the list for other clubs.... anyway all good mate, great vid as always!
Nathan’s doing really well for us now but Greg ‘Brandy’ Alexander was our first real ‘star’ and our first premiership captain so it could easily be him. Freddy was class as well of course but he ended up playing most of his career for the Roosters.
Lockyer is the greatest all around player of all time. Thurstan and smith are the best ever in their positions but lockyer is the best 6 ever and a top 5 all time fullback as well. smith's leadership and longevity is unmatched but that doesnt make him the greatest player. The only person to be the best player in the world in 2 positions, carrying a depleting broncos squad to a premiership over the strongest storm squad they ever produced and likely would have lead the broncs to another gf if he didnt have his face broken in 2011.
I can see a case for Gaz but Trent Barrett was more influential for the Dragons, he carried that side at times, but rarely played for NSW or Australia because he was behind Brad Fittler and Laurie Daley, and was agonisingly close to winning the comp in 1999, Gaz's 2010 comp win was a perfect culmination of team and coach, he was just lucky to be in it
Nice to see minichiello not getting credit…. Bastards… he had over 300 games played in origin and won them, played for Australia and Italy, won two premierships. Not to mention a golden boot award.
@@jamesphillips3240Laugh it away with no rebuttal. What a clown. Benji dominated for a few seasons. Took the Tigers on his back as a kid. Was the most influential player of that generation. Johns was also better than JT, you can make an argument with Smith.
@@izzy031096 do you think Anthony Milford is one of the all time greats? Very similar career to benji. Hit the ground running and then did nothing. Was also extremely injury prone. Do you think JT Johns and Lockyer if they moved to multiple clubs would have sat on the bench for the majority of those games. He couldn’t even get a game at the broncs. He wasn’t that good. Had one great year on the back of Scott prince feeding him. My $$$ is on you being an8 year old when benji started his first grade career. Your thoughts are blinded by your youth. Clown!
Ranking johns at 3? What’s your guide dog’s name? Most of your selections are based on stats. Smith was able to play 8 million games cos he was was 3rd man in or grabbing at defenders. Never stood in front of big men and sat them on their arse. Same with Jonathon “turnstile” Thurston. He had the shoulders of a brown snake. You’re basing these top two on the number of games and rep games. I will take johns everyday of the week and twice on sundays.
I absolutely love this channel and it’s content, but to put Benji Marshall above Greg Inglis is a crime. Not even close in my opinion. (Not a bias south’s fan, Broncos fan).
@@fale892 yeah but in that clip he said he played his whole career there, and the two years he spent in france were part of his career. If he’d said he played his whole nrl career there, like he did for other players in the vid, I wouldn’t have said anything
Joey never played in premierships (except super league where Joey won the 9th position as top 8 sides were super league) he had very few SOO wins as a blue, there are several players who were better than him too.
I'm not a Tigers fan, but Chris Lawrence was a great player for them as well. Just like Marshall and Farah, he would've been another good pick for the Tigers 👍🏿🙌🏿👏🏿
It had to be Cameron Smith, for not just Storm but for Origin and Union . He’s such a sportsman and such a fantastic role model for younger players, brilliant Captain and easily one of my all time favourite players in the game I’d say him, Jonathan Thurston and Darren Lockyer are my favourite players and on this list. Billy Slater would be another of my favourites
I'm an Eels fan, but I have to say Hindmarsh would probably be our greatest player. He may not have won any grand finals but would always turn up for the Eels no matter what and what his achieved, becoming the first nrl player to make 12,000 tackles and winning dally m 2nd row of the year 5 times it's pretty great
For the dragons, have you only looked at players since the Illawarra merger? But you mentioned considering a few players from before the merger..Bradley Clyde, Mark Coyne. The point is, why wouldn't you pick a player from their golden 11-in-a-row era like Johnny Raper, Reg Gasnier, Norm Provan, Graham Langlands etc? Mark Gasnier pales in comparison to those blokes.
Yeah I'm with u mate. Seems like a few of the clubs who have had true legends of the game going back a century, but it's only modern day players going back to the 80's that get a mention.
Good list, putting smith and thurston ahead of johns is like putting lebron and kobe ahead of jordan imo. Smiths only edge is longevity and thurston doesnt have an edge on johns at all
Wow you needa give yourself one ya gronk taking eccies does not enhance you skills at all ya muppet Thurston couldn’t tackle Joey was the complete player
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Well reasoned list. I still think Johns should be #1. Cowboys and Storm were still through and through good and great teams (respectively) without Thurston and Smith, but Knights and the Blues were absolutely abysmal the minute Johns left the field.
As soon as u mentioned that none of the greats from the last century are ncluded I turned off, another box that should have been ticked is off field indiscretions and bringing the game to disrepute
I see your point but Smith's stats are undeniable. Played the most games ever, won 5 comps, 11 origin series, got to 8 gfs. He doesn't have flashy highlights or all the skills of Joey but.. He defended tactically, slowing the play-the-ball, innovated different ways to bend the interpretation of several rules to his favour. Hypnotized the refs, controlled tempo, changed game-plans halfway through a game to fool the opposition, counted defenders and targeted weak points, targeted player's weaknesses in a masterful way. Teams adapted their style of play to mimic the storm, which was orchestrated by the mastermind - C.Smith. Everything he did worked and he won all the time.
