It's the ultimate showdown. The 2 greatest clubs of their respective times. Both having Rugby League Legends in them. This is a match for the ages. So, who wins? Is it the Norm Provan led Dragons or the Ray Price led Eels? Well, let's look at the team lists to start with. These team lists are a combination of players who played throughout each Premiership winning year their respective clubs:
Parramatta Eels
1. Paul Taylor
2. Neil Hunt
3. Michael Cronin
4. Steve Ella
5. Eric Grothe Snr
6. Brett Kenny
7. Peter Sterling
8. Bob O'Reilly
9. Steve Edge
10. Stan Jurd
11. Peter Wynn
12. Steve Sharp
13. Ray Price (c)
14. Paul Mares
15. Geoff Bugden
16. John Muggleton
17. Mark Laurie
Coach: Jack Gibson
This team has brilliance all over the park. The key here is the halves combination. Brett Kenny is the danger man in attack. He has a frightening turn of speed and knows how to find the try-line. Peter Sterling is the brains behind the attack. He's the orchestrator with his pin point kicking game and footy brain. The outside backs are not to be messed with. Neil Hunt's tough as nails and Eric Grothe will always leave his mark. Both Ella and Cronin can find the try-line and Cronin's radar like boot will keep Parra a step ahead. The forwards are formidable and would send a shiver through any forward pack from any era. Led by Bob O'Reilly, this pack is as tough as they come.
St George
1. Graham Langlands
2. Eddie Lumsden
3. Reg Gasnier
4. Billy Smith
5. Johnny King
6. Brian Clay
7. Bobby Bugden
8. Elton Rasmussen
9. Ken Kearney
10. Kevin Ryan
11. Norm Provan (Captain/Coach)
12. Harry Bath
13. John Raper
14. Ian Walsh
15. Billy Wilson
16. Brian Graham
17. Peter Provan
Coach: Norm Provan
This team is quite strong across the park. It's main weapon lies in it's forward pack. Led by Norm Provan and Kevin Ryan it's formidably strong and tough. Whilst the halves aren't at the same level as the Parramatta halves, quick, early ball to Gasnier could provide a good battle between he and Ella. Lumsden is St George's Brett Kenny and he has a knack of finding the try-line when he plays grand finals.
This is without bias but I think the Parramatta team of the 80's is stronger. They are a team of strength everywhere. The only place St George are lacking in are the halves. They simply won't be able to match the combination of Kenny and Sterling. When those 2 are one they are the best halves in the game. Early ball to either Cronin or Ella will give them enough time to turn their opposites inside out. Any ball given to Grothe in space will result in carnage of the defending team. The St George pack, whilst tough, simply doesn't have the power that the Parramatta pack does. Led by O'Reilly and Price it's powerful and fit. With Gibson as coach this Parramatta team is practically unstoppable.
Over to you: Thoughts/comments?
Replies
A lot to think about
i think we would have been able to out defend them, that eels team is a killer in defence, i think we would have taken them by 10 points to be precise :)
can't assume parra would be fitter- the fitness of the st George team was a strength.
saints would have better ball control but would play very simple footy
parra would obviously play with more width.
so going to hedge my bets
six tackle rule we win cause our kicking game and more attacking backline, our fowards would contain them
in the grind of unlimited tackle saints win, they hold onto ball their foward pack would grind it out all day. they would be relentless
in saying all that parras 3 in a row is more impressive than saints 11 in a row
why? saints were in an era were they were the millionaires. they bought players, bought them homes in the area, you had to play were you lived. saints recruited and retained. there was competition only from wests for a short period.
parra - they competed agInst Kerry packers roosters, manly, Canterbury, singos jets for a year. we were not millionaires. we had players jetting off in off season to play in England. we built our team on juniors. the game was inherently more competitive and faster and players stronger
now same if a team won three in a row know- it would be more impressive than parra, with better training , salary cap equalization and better ability to keep an eye on changes to the game through professionalism and saturation tv coverage
I don't think that Saints would definitely win if it was played with unlimited tackles. The Parramatta forward pack is formidable. How many times do those Saints forwards want to run into O'Reilly and Price? Mind you, give Parramatta the ball with unlimited tackles and with our width of play we'd tear them to shreds.
Interesting comment on how if a team of the modern game won 3 Comps in a row it would be impressive. Melbourne couldn't do it when they were cheating. Then again, in 06 they faced a Broncos team that was cheating more than Melbourne and in '08 700K of their cap was suspended.
Which stats did you want?
Although I really love the Eels I think I would have to favour the St.George team of the 60's in this.
Parra would smash them - Average age of the Parra Team is in their 50's, sure they'd be slow now, but that Saints side is full of 70-80 year olds... No contest.
Too hard to compare. The 60's was a completely different time to the 80's. I will say one thing in Parra's favour, their backline would win. I think it was Ray Warren who said the Parra backline is the best backline he has ever seen and he would of been around in the 60's supporting the game or had great knowledge on the 60's a decade or so later.
Batman.
-
1
-
2
-
3
of 3 Next