All time kiwi league team

Siam

Was thinking about league greats.

Thought we could spit ball some players and refine to a 13 or 17

1 Kemble, RTS,
2 Dane Ohara, Sean Hoppe , Vatuvei
3 James Leulawue (sp) Ruben Wiki, McCracken, Blackmore, Dean Bell
4 Kev Iro, Fred Ah Kuoi
5 help...
6 Olsen Filapaina, Benji, Gene Ngamu
7 Clayton Friend, Gary Freeman, Stacey, Johnson
8 Kev Tamati, Waewera Hargreves, Brent Todd, Quentin Pongia
9 Howie Tamati, Isaac Luke,
10 John Lomax,
11 help
12 Mark Graham
13 Tawera Nikau

As you can see I have retrograde amnesia.
Would love to be reminded of the names I've missed

KiwiMurph

Vatuvei played a lot more at 5 than 2.

SBW at 11?

Bones

@Siam the other Iro, the Paul's, Lauitiiti...

Duluth

Ridge

booboo

@Siam said in All time kiwi league team:

3 James Leulawue (sp)

Lew Ah Lie

Ask Darryl Eastlake

booboo

@Siam said in All time kiwi league team:

Was thinking about league greats.

Thought we could spit ball some players and refine to a 13 or 17

1 Kemble, RTS,
2 Dane Ohara, Sean Hoppe , Vatuvei
3 James Leulawue (sp) Ruben Wiki, McCracken, Blackmore, Dean Bell
4 Kev Iro, Fred Ah Kuoi
5 help...
6 Olsen Filapaina, Benji, Gene Ngamu
7 Clayton Friend, Gary Freeman, Stacey, Johnson
8 Kev Tamati, Waewera Hargreves, Brent Todd, Quentin Pongia
9 Howie Tamati, Isaac Luke,
10 John Lomax,
11 help
12 Mark Graham
13 Tawera Nikau

As you can see I have retrograde amnesia.
Would love to be reminded of the names I've missed

11 Kurt Sorensen ?

Siam

@booboo Dane was handy too

Ridge
Halligan

canefan

Reuben Wiki could play 11. Or anywhere in the forward pack

Nepia

Taumalolo and Bromwich (definitely over JWH) are surely in the frame of the modern players. I know the rule is to hate on Blair now but he had a long Kiwi career back when he was good. Roy Asotasi another prop option.

Hugh McGahan and Jeremy Smith for lock. Mannering and Kearney (the player) for the second row.

To put the best team on the field Bell or Iro could go to wing I guess.

Foran as a 6 option - ahead of Ngamu I reckon on the rankings.

Richie Barnett for the wing.

I wonder if there are any oldies on here that can name the 50s and 60s big names?

Sneakdefreak

My all-time Kiwis squad would probably be:

1 Matthew Ridge 2. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 3. Dean Bell 4. Nigel Vagana 5. Manu Vatuvei 6. Gary Freeman 7. Stacey Jones 8. Quentin Pongia 9. Jock Butterfield 10. Maunga Emery 11. Sonny Bill Williams 12. Mark Graham 13. Simon Mannering
Bench: 14. Lance Hohaia 15. Kevin Tamati 16. Rueben Wiki 17. Ali Lauiti'iti

Nepia

@Sneakdefreak said in All time kiwi league team:

My all-time Kiwis squad would probably be:

1 Matthew Ridge 2. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 3. Dean Bell 4. Nigel Vagana 5. Manu Vatuvei 6. Gary Freeman 7. Stacey Jones 8. Quentin Pongia 9. Jock Butterfield 10. Maunga Emery 11. Sonny Bill Williams 12. Mark Graham 13. Simon Mannering
Bench: 14. Lance Hohaia 15. Kevin Tamati 16. Rueben Wiki 17. Ali Lauiti'iti

Mine would smash yours - when I come up with it (I'll only pick players I've seen play Koro Sneak ).

Sneakdefreak

@Nepia Maunga Emery was Stacey Jones' grandfather. Him, Jock Butterfield (who I think was nick-named "The Sleepy Fox") and Sam Edwards were the toughest son-of-a-bitch front row in Kiwis league history. Jock has played the most matches for the Kiwis (I think).

Nepia

@Sneakdefreak said in All time kiwi league team:

@Nepia Maunga Emery was Stacey Jones' grandfather. Him, Jock Butterfield (who I think was nick-named "The Sleepy Fox") and Sam Edwards were the toughest son-of-a-bitch front row in Kiwis league history. Jock has played the most matches for the Kiwis (I think).

I know who they are, but obviously never saw them play. If it was based on any era then Nepia, Bert Cooke and Karl Ifwersen would make my team. Two former Magpies and all three ABs and if you read about Ifwersen he was supposedly a god on the field.

kiwiinmelb

We have had some great players , I go back a bit more than most here I imagine ,

I grew up down at carlaw park ,

here are a couple of guns I saw play as a kid ,

Roger Bailey , started as a centre , finished at 6 ,

he was our Wally Lewis , just had that ability to pull off the crucial play to win a game ,

Another that came after him , Dennis Williams , also a centre that finished as a 6 ,

Picked for the kiwis at 17 years old , scored with his first touch of the ball stepping through pommy tacklers , was that kind of magic player ,

Siam

@Nepia that's what I was after thanks. I cringed with memory loss typing Gene friggin Ngamu!

kiwiinmelb

Another couple that would be hard to leave out would be the Sorenson brothers , Dane front row , kurt second row

Both were considered the best in the world in their positions at the time ,

they were the first players playing overseas to be selected for the kiwis , before that if you went overseas , ( not too many did ) you said goodbye to the kiwi jersey ,

I tend to think the kiwi jersey meant more a lot back then , all our best players were playing at home, mostly for auckland clubs , ( gee that was a great comp back then, big crowds down at carlaw park every sunday for game of the round ) , and the pinnacle for them was kiwi selection

Siam

Do we think that Mark Graham was the best? A pine tree type. Always grew up thinking that. Maybe Stacey surpassed?

Siam

Graeme West from the old Wigan days

canefan

Kevin Tamati gets an honourable mention

For giving Greg Dowling a TASTE OF KIWI!!!!

kiwiinmelb

@Siam said in All time kiwi league team:

Do we think that Mark Graham was the best? A pine tree type. Always grew up thinking that. Maybe Stacey surpassed?

Mark graham was an absolute gun

The Silver Fern

All time kiwi league team