No, it has to be Sean O'Verated.



More seriously, I can only pick the players I have seen, and I couldn't pick just one, so ...

Andrew Ettinghausen
Jason Robinson
Mal Meninga
Keith Senior
Martin Offiah
Darren Lockyer
Andrew Johns
Shane Webke
Danny Buderus
Kevin Ward
Gorden Tallis
Adrian Morley
Ellery

I just don't understand why people think guys like Gregory would be head and shoulders above anyone else if they were around today.

With modern training etc I'm sure he would still be a very good player in the modern game. But he wouldn't stand out any more than any other good halfbacks these days.

There's a tribute to Gregory on YouTube. Some of the breaks he makes in that video are against pathetic defensive lines. I've seen Richard Horne make breaks like that all through his career against much better defenders, and yet Horne will be remembered as a slightly above average Superleague half back. He also creates a try with a long cut out pass, but he has to turn his back to the defensive line because he can't pass well enough to his right. Hardly "skills that current halves could only dream of."

These players were indeed greats of the game, and should be remembered. They all played their part in pushing the boundaries of the game and were the best of their generation. However it's disrespectful to modern players who are more professional and work much harder to suggest that the old guys would be head and shoulders above if they played today, because it's simply not true.

Makes great story, not much of it factual. Didn't happen.

Andy Gregory? Seriously?

Couldn't pass any distance to his left. Hardly indicative of a world class half-back.

I think if you were looking for one player to stabuild a side around I would go for Ellery Hanley. Probably no such thing as best ever player given the different roles players have and the fact its a team game.

From England Boston and Murphy. Both were players who as good as any in their own positions but could equally slot into others.
Murphy played at #3, #6 and #7 in major finals Boston played at #2, #4 and #6. In todays game I expect Murphy to be a #6 and Boston a #1

From Australia Andrew Johns and Brett Kenny. Whilst Lewis was undoubtedly a great player Kenny had outstanding pace that just edges it IMO.

This thread is hopeless. I explained why Andrew Johns was the best player of all time: he possessed an array of attacking and defensive skills that no other player has possessed. Nobody has been able to refute my argument. Instead everyone just emotes about how good some other player was in one or two skills.

Andrew Johns had all the skills of a rugby league player in abundance. No other player has had all of them.

I question with so many right answers (and probably twice as many wrong one). I remember watching Murphy play, Allan Langer being so quick of mind he left his teammates guessing, Mal Meninga, You need to ask how you measure a good player. if you look at a great player being a player who was asked to do a job and did it far better than any other ................ Brian Bevan. Honestly I would not personally call him the greatest as he only had one role.............but god, didnt he do it well. Trying scoring ability, nobody to touch him.

IN YOUR OPINION, that doesn't make it a correct one....and seeing as you can't read, Jonathan Davies WAS a better all round player. He had better vision, better kicking, better off the mark speed, better elusiveness. Johns could pass better..that's it. Now, you were saying about refuting..there you go.

Look, I know he's the greatest player you've had since Neil Fox but he did have off-days and this was one of them. I was there to see it and as a neutral so there's no bias from me.

Gary Freeman scored 2 tries in the 24-8 home win and Lewis got Wakefield's consolation effort - it was 5 tries to one in favour of Castleford.

I gave the main reason why it happened previously - the 'King' had been on the pi55 all night. If Freeman didn't 'run rings round' Lewis he certainly out-played him.

It was exactly that lack of professionalism that cost Lewis his place in the test team on the '82 Kangaroo tour - even though he was vice-captain. He didn't even make the sub's bench when Australia won the opening test at Boothferry Park.

Just because you keep saying it, won't make it true.

He wasn't that fast, he wasn't that elusive a runner, and you've overrated his defensive attributes.