Since it is off-season, trying get some good discussions up. What is the best Eels 17, now i think it is difficult for someone like myself to add an overall greatest Eels 17 as i never saw the likes of Cronin, Sterling, Kenny, Price etc. All play, therefore not fair for me to add them as everyone would but miss others purely due to not being as big of a name in the 80's if that makes sense. But i will still do one anyway, or perhaps should do a modern day 17.
So i will do a modern day 17 from 2000 onwards.
1. Jarryd Hayne: Two Dally M medals, 23 Origins for NSW, 11 Tests for Australia, regardless of himself as a person he is the greatest Fullback, equal with Gutho, the club has had.
2. Luke Burt: 264 NRL games, the fact that he played that much considering he was never big, tall, overly skillful, didn't have a step or made rep teams, it is a massive feat. He was a player that gained respect for his footy brain and heart.
3. Clint Gutherson: Have to put the king in here somewhere. Gutho had a tough start with injuries but now is a consistent player and will go down as a club legend. Hope his career ends with a premiership ring or two.
4. Michael Jennings: He played over 100 games for the club and he had a rocky start, getting dropped from BA at one stage, but he became a world class defensive Centre for us, Sivo had his best year alongside Jenko.
5. Semi Radradra: The man was a magician, single handedly carried us to the top 4 in 2017. We tried for so long to replace Semi, but we never could and never will. Sivo was constantly uttered as a new Radradra, it was forced and now people realise how good he actually was to the club and the league.
6. Dylan Brown: Not many great Five-Eighths since 2000; the list includes Dykes, Buettner, Finch, Mortimer, Kelly, Roberts, Norman. So by process of elimination Brown is the man, though he is great and could be better.
7. Mitchell Moses: The 2nd best Halfback this club has ever had, not much else to say.
8. Nathan Cayless: Youngest captain in club history, led us to two Grand Finals, 259 games. Cayless was a leader, he led by example every week.
9. Brad Drew: This is based off one great year in 2001, but what a year it was, Dally M Hooker of the year. Reed Mahoney could make a case, but he didn't have a year like Drew in 2001.
10. Fuifui Moimoi: The cult hero. A few words can describe Fui; tough, smart, loyal, determined and durable. 201 games, deserved a better send off than he got, but was underrated in his footy smarts, just a quality player.
11. Nathan Hindmarsh: Quite arguably in the conversation for greatest Eel ever, definately the best of the modern era. 330 games, the only ever Eel to reach 300 for the club.
12. Isaiah Papali'i: Only two seasons, though won Dally M Second-rower of the year in 2021. Came out of nowhere, but showed BA was the only coach at this stage to get anything out of him. Had he stayed i think he would gotten us another win or two in 2023.
13. Daniel Wagon: Underrated, he was a lead by example player. I feel he may have suffered from being a tweener, he was used in so many positions from Centre to Five-Eighth to Second-Row to Lock, but his versatility made him a great player for the club.
14. Ben Smith: Penguin was a tough player, a quality Centre and Back-rower. Injuries derailed a career that was set to achieve more than what it actually did. But he deserves a bench spot.
15. Junior Paulo: From 2019 to 2022, one of the best props in the competition, represented the club in various rep teams and was dominate before he left for Canberra also.
16. Reagan Campbell-Gillard: One the best Props in the modern era, tough and consistent.
17. Glenn Morrison: Left field pick but he was a great player for us in his short time here. Got a great deal in Super League in 2007 but he was a late bloomer of a player and quite forgotten one.
Coach: Brian Smith.
Now this is my opinion, tried to stretch across many years, but if someone could do an older era team that would be great and could try and even make a greatest ever 17.
Replies
great side there...only differ is in the centres, Judas Lyon over Jenko.
I was going to put Lyon at Centre but thought maybe get so much backlash haha, but Jenko deserves it.
Good modern team IMO. Tahu would be worth a mention as a possible centre. Didn't play a huge amount of games but was very damaging.
2007 he killed it for us that year
Ken Thornett
Jarryd Hayne
Mick Cronin
Steve Ella
Eric Grothe snr
Brett Kenny
Peter Sterling
Ray Price
Dick Thornett
Nathan Hindmarsh
Bob O'Reilly
Steve Edge
Brian Hambly
Bench:
Fui Fui Moi Moi
Geoff Bugden
Semi Radradra
Ray Higgs
Reserves: Peter Wynn, Ron Hildith, Geoff Gerard
That's more like it PT.......and we have seen most of the era's concerned.
It makes the upstarts subsequent a worthless discussion.
JH and Semi and Hindy the only ones from the modern era.....most of those blokes in LB's side don't even go close!
That is why i wanted others to create a team as i did not see other era's to fairly comment.
Don't be sensitive LB, that's why we have old people on the site to correct you "young uns"
Oh no i wasn't being sensitive or knocking, generally saying that's what i wanted you oldies to do ahahah.
Young people grow old eventually
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