Who do you think should be considered the best RL player of all time?

Neil Fox

Wally Lewis is without a doubt the finest RL player that i have ever seen, Although i can't speak for players that were playing prior to 1977 when i started watching the game

Awkward question, maybe the way to get an idea would be to ask who the best player your side has had? as a KR fan I would put forward Roger Milward, from other teams two that stand out for me are Alex Murphy & Elery Hanley all three of them were outstanding as individuals & leaders at club & country level, they also redefined what it is to be a rugby player. but even after watching the game over 50 years there will be players from earlier that I have no idea about. From across the river I would nominate Johny Whiteley. I expect that every poster could find many more players deserving to be considered the best.

Ellery Hanley...............

No contest

Hanley must be up there.

For sheer effectiveness though i always loved watching big Mal

Ryan Bailey

Pfft. He was just lucky to be playing at a time when the refs never looked for offside...

An almost impossible question to answer.

The biggest problem is that certain people of certain ages can only comment on their particular era.

Also, comparing players in different positions is sometimes tough. And finally players who played in particularly successful and dominant sides can perhaps appear better than they really were.

That said, having a recollection of roughly 1990 onwards and having a season ticket at Saints throughout that period, I would say off the top of my head:

1. Darren Lockyer
2. Andrew Johns
3. Paul Sculthorpe
4. Andy Farrell
5. Keiron Cunningham

Probably Alf Ellaby.

Wally Lewis. Watched him stroll around with gumshield in hand until he was interested. He was quality.

Ps agree with biff, didn't see his post.

You mean Peter Fox surely.

Neil Fox

Career highest point scorer of all time which will probably never be overtaken

6,220 358t, 2,575g, including 4 one-point dg
(6,578 points when adjusted to 4pt tries)

Scored at a time when UK Rugby League was the greatest standard in the world also includes points from Test matches against Australia and New Zealand, challenge Cup Finals amongst other high profile games.

It's always a difficult question this. You can only be judged in your own era, so based on that I would say Wally Lewis. I am not old enough to have actually seen him play but I've seen plenty of old footage and the guy was something else.

That said though, the game has moved at such a pace in terms of professionalism, fitness and technique that in reality, if you sent a even a mediocre modern day player back to the 80s he would rip them to shreds. So by that definition the best player ever has to be whoever you regard as the best player in the world right now (or at least in the last 5 years). For me that would be Cameron Smith.

Totally agree. However some can overcome that with foresight. Lewis was one.