Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years
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If Michael Jones ain't in the top 5 I'm going to burn this fucken place down!!!
It's only longevity and leadership that makes it a contest with McCaw
For the young and impressionable, the iceman changed the way a 7 can be. He can't be discarded with bright and shiny Smiths or Retallicks
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@Siam said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
If Michael Jones ain't in the top 5 I'm going to burn this fucken place down!!!
It's only longevity and leadership that makes it a contest with McCaw
For the young and impressionable, the iceman changed the way a 7 can be. He can't be discarded with bright and shiny Smiths or Retallicks
@Nepia is currently jerking it to this post
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@MN5 said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
@Crucial said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
@hydro11 said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
@Crucial said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
The forgotten man of these conversations is Dougie Howlett.
Not saying he would end up in my selection but certainly worth a mention as the record try scorer in black. Considering that players like Cully, Rok, Wilson, Bender and Lomu are below him on the table and even BB after way more tests is going to be stretching to catch him I just find it interesting that his name doesn’t get mentionedHonestly, I would take Rococoko ahead of Howlett. Savea had a better strike rate than Howlett but he isn't in the conversation.
He wouldn’t be in my top five ABs just find it interesting that our record try scorer gets pretty much ignored even when people widen their lists
I think it’s probably cos people realise scoring tries isn’t everything. Shit, even Caleb Ralph got nine of them at test level.
And Mark Ellis got like 6 in one game.
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@mariner4life said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
@Siam said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
If Michael Jones ain't in the top 5 I'm going to burn this fucken place down!!!
It's only longevity and leadership that makes it a contest with McCaw
For the young and impressionable, the iceman changed the way a 7 can be. He can't be discarded with bright and shiny Smiths or Retallicks
@Nepia is currently jerking it to this post
I've already eaten the biscuit
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@mariner4life said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
The one that kills me is Jeff Wilson is my favourite player ever and i am not even considering him.
I think there are a lot of wingers in the Goldie category when it comes to discussions like this.
If you look at selections so far it appears for outside backs there’s Lomu out on his own with most selecting him in their top 5.
Then there’s the next tier of Cullen, JK, who get a few mentions.
Then there’s a bunch of really good players that might make a top 10 list eg Goldie, Howlett, Rok, Umaga, Mils, Ozzy, Stu Wilson
Man we’ve had some quality.
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@Siam MJ makes a great 6th man on my list
I know many will scoff but for me it was a line ball call between MJ and Zinzan.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
@Siam MJ makes a great 6th man on my list
I know many will scoff but for me it was a line ball call between MJ and Zinzan.
To paraphrase McConaughy in A Time To Kill - just imagine him in red and black jersey.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
@Siam MJ makes a great 6th man on my list
I know many will scoff but for me it was a line ball call between MJ and Zinzan.
Zinny was the man.
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@mariner4life said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
@ACT-Crusader said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
@Siam MJ makes a great 6th man on my list
I know many will scoff but for me it was a line ball call between MJ and Zinzan.
Zinny was the man.
Zinny and JK are in my middle 5 along with Kaino, BBBR and whoever of Cullen or Fitzy missed out on the 5th spot.
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Maybe it was because of my age that Zinny’s freakish talent and skills for a number 8 had more of an impact on me than MJ’s game.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
Maybe it was because of my age that Zinny’s freakish talent and skills for a number 8 had more of an impact on me than MJ’s game.
They were contemporaries. Did you not see early MJ? I doubt there was much that Zinny could do that MJ couldn't on a rugby field.
I say this as a huge Zinny fan.
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@Nepia said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
@ACT-Crusader said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
Maybe it was because of my age that Zinny’s freakish talent and skills for a number 8 had more of an impact on me than MJ’s game.
They were contemporaries. Did you not see early MJ? I doubt there was much that Zinny could do that MJ couldn't on a rugby field.
I say this as a huge Zinny fan.
I did. My earliest test memories is watching the 87 RWC even though the old man tells me that I watched the 86 Bledisloe series with him.
For me Zinny was abrasive as Buck, but then quick on his feet (not as quick as MJ mind you), a great passing game both ways and could put the ball on his boot.
MJ was a very different player to Brooke.
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Bernie Fraser
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I need 7: Jones, McCaw, Cullen, Lomu, A Smith, Carter, Nonu.
Ignoring that I've picked 2 x 7s, if I try to think of better players I've seen in those positions, from anywhere, I struggle. Rupeni Caucau maybe. Tim Horan maybe.I think Coles is a better player than Fitzpatrick, and Doug Howlett probably wouldn't make my top 5 Auckland wingers.
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Just curious but some of the 100 club didn’t make even a comment, didn’t see Woodcock or Mils even get a mention. Mils I get, but does Tony get a mention?
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@bayimports said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
Just curious but some of the 100 club didn’t make even a comment, didn’t see Woodcock or Mils even get a mention. Mils I get, but does Tony get a mention?
Special shout out to the greatest AB centurian that hasn’t scored a try
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@ACT-Crusader said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
@bayimports said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
Just curious but some of the 100 club didn’t make even a comment, didn’t see Woodcock or Mils even get a mention. Mils I get, but does Tony get a mention?
Special shout out to the greatest AB centurian that hasn’t scored a try
I think a prop on a list like this is like a keeper in cricket.
You’re extremely unlikely to get a second thought.
As good as Mils was he was no Cullen.
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@bayimports said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
Just curious but some of the 100 club didn’t make even a comment, didn’t see Woodcock or Mils even get a mention. Mils I get, but does Tony get a mention?
He does now. Top 5 AB's of last 50 years? Nah. Top player - great bloke by all accounts - Harbour legend - but not one for the ages across all positions.
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@Crucial said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
@booboo said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
@Chris-B said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
@dogmeat said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
@bayimports said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
Since Meads was voted player of last century from NZ rugby he is in.
The criteria is from Lions 71 Tour on. You cannot pick Meads on that basis. He played four tests, captained poorly (not his forte) to our only series defeat against the Lions and was dropped.
Actually, my intention was that anyone who played in those tests can be considered for the entirety of their careers.
Fair enough. I had the same thought as @dogmeat.
Then leaving out Meads is a cardinal sin, and neglecting Sir Brian will probably book you a few years in Hades as well.
My revised list:
McCaw
Meads
Fitzy
Jonah
LochoreThe criteria is unfortunate. Two AB greats had their swan songs just within the period given.
I left them out as to me they would be part of the 100 year greatest or 'greatest between 1920 and 1970' discussions (and be the first on the list)I had in mind 50 years because that's including most of the people that at least some of us have seen play - including TV footage. Much beyond that and it's hearsay.
Including their whole career because otherwise it is e.g. BG Williams, but without South Africa in 1970. Dogmeat already explained Meads. Going, Lochore and Kirkpatrick others that you'd be sawing in half.
And, it forces pencils to be sharpened!
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@booboo said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
@Chris-B said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
@dogmeat said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
@bayimports said in Five Greatest ABs of the past 50 years:
Since Meads was voted player of last century from NZ rugby he is in.
The criteria is from Lions 71 Tour on. You cannot pick Meads on that basis. He played four tests, captained poorly (not his forte) to our only series defeat against the Lions and was dropped.
Actually, my intention was that anyone who played in those tests can be considered for the entirety of their careers.
Fair enough. I had the same thought as @dogmeat.
Then leaving out Meads is a cardinal sin, and neglecting Sir Brian will probably book you a few years in Hades as well.
My revised list:
McCaw
Meads
Fitzy
Jonah
LochoreAre you old enough to have seen meads and lochore play?
