Not being funny but you reckon Murphy was better than Langer? or Johns?

I do.
Murphy had one fault. He never played for Wigan.

Cunningham is probably the man for me.

He is cool, calm and collected the majority of the time but knows when to lift the pace of a game and the rest of the Saints lads just follow him. He doesn't look arrogant on the pitch either and isn't a dirty player so you can't help but admire how he goes about his business.

He's probably the closest sort of leader there is to Andy Farrell in superleague at the moment and what we'd give for a player like that!

Yes, no doubt in my mind, easily better than Langer ( Sterling was better ), and although Johns was a brilliant player, not as good as Murphy, to do what he did, not only at Saints but at Leigh and Warrington as well marks him out as a legend ( over used word by many ) in our game.

Agreed, I thought Sorensen was ace. Hard as nails!

Nah - he was also a gobby knuckle dragging Neanderthal with the man management skills of a bar of soap.


I never saw him play, but I honestly can't see him being better than Johns. Maybe compared to his generation (pot bellied and part time) but in absolute terms I would think Johns would chew him up and spit him out.

Some would call that a bonus. Plus none of the others ever threw a phone at Uncle Mo

Players I would have loved at Saints and always admired (even though they played for the wrong teams)

Farrell - not at 13 but he was a class act and a true leader who always worried me - Wigan never really seemed beaten when he was playing.

Botica - Back in the day I would have killed to have him in the red vee

Terry O'Connor - a proper prop and a great club man - never dirty but hard as nails

Offiah - Amazing finisher and great to watch when he got space - scored one the best tries I've ever seen live at the old Wembley against Leeds.

Difficult to compare players who played at such different times. Different rule set etc Murphy was an amazing natural Rugby player though.

A good player then, would be a good player now, and vice versa, natural talent is a gift, fitness and conditioning can be worked on and improved.

I never saw him play either but My Dad reckoned he was the Best players He ever saw in over 50 years of watching the game! That's good enough for me!

PS

Bear in mind when you use this "Part Time-Pot Bellied" argument, The players you've been watching for the past 20 years (You can even include your own namesake if you like!) won't be as fit or as tactically aware etc etc as the players in 20 years time will be, does that make them No Good?

IF

It was possible to transport a team of players from the 60's to today Yes they would get a good hiding.
But
Give them the facilities, the pitches, the rules, the wages and everything else the players of today get and from the age of 13 then by the time they were 18 they would blow most of these men of today off the Park!

I would have had Phil Clarke in my Saints team anyday. Plus Offiah, Botica, Shaun Edwards

Plus the other 9 surely! They were all better than what you have now!

Then don't comment.
He was the best scrum half I've ever seen, but could also play at standoff and centre. He was quicker than Rob Burrow off the mark, but could maintain his place for a greater distance.

Ask any of the older posters on here about Murphy the player, and I'll guarantee you get a similar analysis of him.

I hated him, he was that good.

E, Hanly, K. Iro, M Dobson, S Briscoe & L. Gilmour, cant dislike those, the only other players i grudgily admire are Peacock, (all round leader), G, Ellis and I hate to admit it S. Long. I hate the guy but I would love him to have played at Wigan for longer than he did, the same goes for Gleeson hated him @ Saints & Wire, dont mind him now. Funny but I could never feel the same about Withers when he came hated him at Bradford, hated him at Wigan, Strange.

O and Murphy was better than Langer or Johns.

Actually it's not that cut and dried though now is it?


He would get totally "owned" today.


Now a seperate argument is whether the "stars" of yesteryear could cope with the play today.

The reality is some would (e.g. Hanley) some would not (e.g. Gregory)



Frankly though. Johns at his best gives a FAR better display of RL than Murphy at his best.

b
Johns played vs Athletes. Murphy played vs Fat Barstewards.