The 9th Immortal

[Flanagun]

Brad Morrin for 9th Immortal!

 

[CroydonDog]

Brad Morrin for 9th Immortal!

No way is Brad Morrin better than John Timu.

 

[Oatley Dog]

i understand the origins of the "immortal" concept in league with it being a RLW concept before it being bought by the game... i also knew that pre-WWII players were not included as the judges did not have an opportunity to watch them play... and i don't really have an issue with that policy for two reasons

firstly, how to properly judge players from the formative stages of the game and when the rules were so different and there is no or very little film of such exploits... that is not to say that i am not appreciative of what the likes of Messenger, Brian Bevan, Dave Brown, Horder etc. achieved, but it is too difficult a task IMO to elevate and distinguish between these players without actual people that watched them and/or film of them... and i do not limit this to Rugby League... for example, i am a big football fan and i am always interested in reading about the likes of Sindelar, Meazza, Leonidas etc. but i do not believe they can be judged in the same manner that post-WWII players like Di Stefano, Puskas, Kubala, Pele, Cruyff, Maradona etc. can

secondly, it skews the award if it is done one way for 35+ years and then it fundamentally changes with a change of ownership

it is what the Hall of Fame is for which has been owned by the game from the outset

Messenger was effectively the Bradman of his time. There aren't a lot of people around nor a lot of footage of his cricket skills but everyone knows that Bradman is top then daylight. The same was said of Messenger and for mine it is a blight on process that a bloke like Gasnier who was finished in footy at what 26 is ahead of the bloke who defined the game around the world. If it comes to the people in more recent times being assessed against the contribution of Messenger who was a brilliant league and union player before that then the system is fundamentally flawed. You only have to read a few books on the history of league to get a good understanding of just how good he was. Blokes like bevan I'm not so sure about because if I remember correctly he scored all his tries in England. If I have the right bloke then how can he be an NRL immortal? Maybe an ESL immortal?

 

[alchemist]

Messenger was effectively the Bradman of his time. There aren't a lot of people around nor a lot of footage of his cricket skills but everyone knows that Bradman is top then daylight. The same was said of Messenger and for mine it is a blight on process that a bloke like Gasnier who was finished in footy at what 26 is ahead of the bloke who defined the game around the world. If it comes to the people in more recent times being assessed against the contribution of Messenger who was a brilliant league and union player before that then the system is fundamentally flawed. You only have to read a few books on the history of league to get a good understanding of just how good he was. Blokes like bevan I'm not so sure about because if I remember correctly he scored all his tries in England. If I have the right bloke then how can he be an NRL immortal? Maybe an ESL immortal?

fair points... i guess i would just add that from a cricketing perspective, there is more footage of it as cricket has historically been a pastime and the records of the players in cricket are a lot easier to compare than in league

 

[Flanagun]

No way is Brad Morrin better than John Timu.

Timu was actually pretty good!

Lol at the immortals as a concept though....their names will live on forever......at least if you live on Australia's east coast....to everyone else, they might as well have never lived :P

 

[Oatley Dog]

Timu was actually pretty good!

Lol at the immortals as a concept though....their names will live on forever......at least if you live on Australia's east coast....to everyone else, they might as well have never lived :P

Exactly how I feel about that silly game soccer. Still I don't read about it and don't care. they could play the WC final over my back fence and I still wouldn't watch it. League on the other hand.....that's the beauty of choice.

 

[Realist90]

They’ll give it mal Maninga so he can be the first aboriginal to receive it aka diversity. Aka end of white supremacy in nrl lol.

 

[maroondog72]

It's gotta be mbye after tonight