The Bulldogs best ever forward?

[DogsOfWar1704]

I grew up watching big Willie Mason and he was my favourite forward.

 

[hotdogs]

ogre was the hardest head down run hard forward ,Darren britt was consistently great and hit and spin /offload master.Dymock was ahead of game in skill and attatck.Bella apart from gf shocker was a great forward.mason was one of kind in build and athleticism.mcarthy ,dunn,lagnmack,kelly,list goes on.Dogs have had so many and different and wonderful forwards in alot of eras so extremely hard to pick.

 

[D0GMATIC]

Steve Folkes

 

[Spoonman84]

Steve Folkes

Was just about to say Folkesy! He played in 6 GF’s and won 4 of them and I doubt that will ever be matched. His style of play being tough and uncompromising is what the club is built on and he played well above his weight in one of the hardest and roughest eras of footy.

 

[Moedogg]

Frank the Tank! Noticed when we really turned to shit after he left? Guy was a weapon on the edge. Speed, power and skill.

He shits on Jackson and RFM, none of them break tackles like he does, offload or backup a line break.

 

[Flanagun]

See my profile pic!

 

[gbrussell]

It is really difficult to pick from different eras when a lot of people on a forum are not old enough to have seen players who played 50 years ago or more. To me the forward who got the Berries as we were then known into an era where we started to be competitive was Kevin Ryan who was our captain coach in the late 60's early 70's. Nicknamed Kandos for good reason. Hard as a rock.

A few years later we had Bobby McCarthy for a couple of years and he showed a young team including the Mortimer and the Hughes brothers how to win. 2 years after he finished we were in the GF and then went on a run of 4 premierships in 8 years

Players of past eras didn't have the superior training methods that are available today. Hence the game was slower then but I dare say that past players had to use passing skills to create space with a 3 yard and then a 5 metre rule in existence.

It is also difficult to pick best ever teams when those judging the thing have only been watching the game for 20 years or less.

A perfect example of this is very few on this forum have seen Les Johns play. Certainly the best and most skill full fullback of my lifetime and in a three way contest with Steve Mortimer and Terry Lamb as the best Bulldog of my lifetime.

 

[Blue_boost]

of the Bling Boys, Mason and SBW stand out even though I REALLY didn't appreciate their exits from the club in 2007 and 2008

I don't think any player since is in the conversation

The blingboys never took a hard hitup out of our 20m zone.. always took a hitup when we were attacking the opposition line in their 20.. soft.

I still say David Stagg was our best ever, when he left our team fell apart, didn't have the workrate to cover him.. Bruce McGuire tony grimaldi were tackling bags too

darren Smith was our Mitch aubbisson

 

[liljohny]

Glen Hughes hands down!

 

[Kelpie03]

Sonny Bill Williams our best ever and daylight second

Yes you can't go past SBW for pure talent, (mind you in agreeing with you I have to block out of my mind the other things he did).
After him and day light I would have Mase, I must add we have had some really great forwards, since I started following in 1967.

 

[Mozzie]

Steve Price for me but David Gillespie was amazing as was Tunks, Kelly and Pritchard. Soft spot for Staggs not the best but I love the guys who do the clean up work so the stars can shine. Maybe that's where Lewis is heading in the future in another team more than likely.

 

[Rockdog]

Agree with most of what people have said.
Gee we’ve had some hard nuts over the years.
have to mention:
Jason Hetherington, hard as and uncompromising.
Ogre when carrying the ball sent Bryce Gibbs to Disney Land.
Geoff Robinson wreaking ball dismantled the Eels wall.
Roy Asotasi, Tank Pritchard, Cement Gillespie, Peter Kelly, Paul Langmack, Sam Kasiano,
To name a few.

 

[Cujo]

Forget his fair or unfair runs as coach but hard to go past Dean Pay , ( honored mentions - Jim dymoch , Darren smith )
All 3 Consistency such is the real measure but tough , class , ball playing & winners

DymocK & Pay are certainly in my top 10...though Jason over Darren if we are talking forwards.. Robbo & Folkes could be in it...Dunn...Langmack.....Billy...PK....Tunks...Cement...certainly Price...Ogre...Ryan....honorable mentions for guys who didn't play long enough for us......Asotasi & Sargent (slaughter)...SBW before the revolt & subsequent efforts with the cocks... hard to narrow it down.....love the hard nuts in the pigs but especially loved DymocK & J Smith for their ability to use the ball in attack!!!

 

[Chrisaaar]

Frank the Tank! Noticed when we really turned to shit after he left? Guy was a weapon on the edge. Speed, power and skill.

He shits on Jackson and RFM, none of them break tackles like he does, offload or backup a line break.

Remember that hit he put on Wade Graham?

Believe we were down at that point and we needed a lift, step up Frank who absolutely destroyed him and took him out of the game.

I can't recall if we won that game but it was so good to see lol

Back when footy was a tough man's sport, none of this social media darling shit


Edit: found it

This is also a cracker

 

[Cujo]

Remember that hit he put on Wade Graham?

Believe we were down at that point and we needed a lift, step up Frank who absolutely destroyed him and took him out of the game.

I can't recall if we won that game but it was so good to see lol

Back when footy was a tough man's sport, none of this social media darling shit


Edit: found it

This is also a cracker

Yeah he was a weapon once he had the ball but had feet for hands, dropping far too many easy balls & was more of a liability in defense aside from the periodic destruction of an opponent ......human highlight reel though!
Thanks for the memories!!

 

[Dingo]

Mark O'Meley

 

[bradtalo]

Sonny Bill Williams our best ever and daylight second

I agree. From his first season in first grade (first few games even) I remember thinking he was the best forward I'd ever seen and I still haven't seen better skill wise from a forward. I really loved watching Mark O'Meley also both in attack and defence.

 

[UmoGus]

I wasn't around to see him, but my old man says he's never seen someone put fear into the opposition like David Gillespie did.

For me it has to be the Ogre. The way he dropped his centre of gravity into tackles was ridiculous. That hitup that almost killed Bryce Gibbs is my single favourite play in dogs history.

 

[S.B.W_Jnr]

Roy Asotasi for me best consistent forward we've had. He debut from memory 2002? And this best were between 2004 to 2006 especially 2006 what a unit he was!.

 

[Diatribe 2000]

Andrew Ryan incredibly underrated
Not saying our best ever but bloody good
Watched that top 5 rivalries vs roosters On Fox on the weekend while I was doing the Ironing and he was enormous in both the GF and the Utai Slam game
Going back further - Dymock, Smith , Pay in the 90s
Simon Gillies played just about the best final series of anyone in 95
Loved Kelly and Gillespie, so brutal