Retired Players you miss the most

[liquor box]

I was watching a 2006 S14 game between NSW and QLD on foxtel the other day. It had a fight after about 10 seconds and then a couple more in the first few minutes

It was called Rugby Rivalries and they had a Crusaders v ACT final on as well.

While watching this game I realised how much I missed David Croft. He is probably the player I miss the most in the last few years, he would be right at home in the Mongrel thread as he always gave it all and could niggle the opposition very effectively.

I miss seeing blood on his head in almost every game and the passion he had for his team and team mates.

Who do you miss most?

on another note, I dont miss players wearing gloves at all

 

[dobduff11]

I agree gloves are stupid, the player I miss most is Christian Cullen. When I was a young'un (well moe than I am now) I remember watching the all blacks in the Tri Nations, Cullen was insane and was the reason I started playing rugby at my school.

I wish that I was older when he played so that I could have watched him in the Super 12, Tri Nations and the NPC.

Brilliant talent who im sure many people on this site miss even though he was an All Black

 

[DPK]

You know what, every now and then I miss Lote.

 

[rugbysmartarse]

Watched the nsw v refs game from 2006 (thanks reg) and I kind of miss del too. Coke whore finals ruining motherfather. But he was a character

 

[#1 Tah]

You know what, every now and then I miss Lote.

The nicest leaguie I ever met. I rekkon Hewat would give Beale a run for his money at 15

 

[kambah mick]

Tim Gavin.For some strange reason that I can't remember he was a favourite of mine.

 

[dobduff11]

What was wrong with big Dell in Union apart from the drugs, I remember that people complained about him alot.

Never seen this try before:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7NU8nJDHQQ

 

[topo]

I was watching a 2006 S14 game between NSW and QLD on foxtel the other day. It had a fight after about 10 seconds and then a couple more in the first few minutes

It was called Rugby Rivalries and they had a Crusaders v ACT final on as well.

While watching this game I realised how much I missed David Croft. He is probably the player I miss the most in the last few years, he would be right at home in the Mongrel thread as he always gave it all and could niggle the opposition very effectively.

I miss seeing blood on his head in almost every game and the passion he had for his team and team mates.

Who do you miss most?

on another note, I dont miss players wearing gloves at all

Was that the game where the ref pulled Waugh and Croft aside to try to stop them fighting? They both had bleeding head wounds and Waugh looked at the ref and said "Oh come on, we're just having a bit of fun"

 

[Lee Grant]

Cullen

Yeah he was good to watch. I had heard a lot about him before I saw him at the SFS in the first year of the Super12 IIRR - 1996. I didn't have Foxtel then; so it was my first look at him. The guys on the radio were rabbiting on about what a great 7s player he was. He was quiet for a while but then he demonstrated what they were talking about going through the Tahs once like shit through a goose. Another thing I remember was the Tahs put on 50 points against the Canes.

During the 90s he was the best broken field runner I ever saw and that includes Jason Robinson, a different type of player. I didn't rate him that highly in the naughties but that was compared to his own benchmark. At the test level the All Blacks gave him the run around a bit so they could get Goldie Wilson on the park; then his priceless pace gave way to injuries.



Another player I missed, a near contemporary of Cullen, was a healthy Ben Tune. What he could have been with a healthy career

Campese was good value too up until about the 1991 RWC when he was the player of the tournament. During most of the 80s when he still had his speed he was phenomenal with ball in hand unless they played him at fullback. He needed to play on the wing where the touchline helped him on defence.

But with the ball and conning defenders he was great to watch.

 

[cyclopath]

Kefu.
Whether it was dotting that try down for the win in John Eales' last Test, or the 2 or 3 good 'uns he put on Brennan in RWC 1999 (who deserved every one of them) I loved his presence. Seemed to enjoy playing a lot too.

 

[lincoln]

And I miss an Australian XI that used to win games - my interest here is players still in the game that are genuine 1st 22 test players.

I also miss David Croft (as well as Tony Shaw, David Codey, Simon Poidevin, Steve Finnane, et al) - we are longing for men who have a degree in "rugby" mongrel - passion with controlled aggression - maybe not Steve?

 

[RugbyReg]

What was wrong with big Dell in Union apart from the drugs, I remember that people complained about him alot.

Never seen this try before:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7NU8nJDHQQ

that was 2003, note the score at the time. It would have to go down as one of the best Wallaby v All Black times of the pro era.

He scored a very similar try v England that same year.

 

[DPK]

Never seen this try before:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7NU8nJDHQQ

What a bloody stupid decision to try and run over Muliaina at the end there.

 

[I like to watch]

Rathbone ..what happened? is he broken forever?
& a blast from the past Papworth...he had wonderful footwork.What a shame he went to league & got bashed out of the game

 

[Gnostic]

Willie O - Does it need to be explained?

Campo for the reasons Lee stated, but I would say up until 1994. I still remember his chip and regather off the boot of the Samoan to score.

Horan - simply the best 12 I have ever seen. Imagine the current Oz back line with a 12 like him to steady the ship beside Cooper.

 

[Johnny Blaze]

Tim Horan & Jason Little, Frank Bunce & Walter Little - Two of the great centre combo's of the past.

As for an induvidual player big Willy "O" I probably miss watching most. the guy was a tank, I clearly recall him "sorting out" a few Irish players in the '91 RWC Q/final after a cheap shot from the Irish captain.

 

[Bruce Ross]

like shit through a goose.

If it's your coinage, LG, you deserve to be knighted. If not you deserve a gong for keeping a classic phrase alive.

I spent much of my youth hanging around race tracks. I loved listening to the old blokes who'd come up in the depression years. Race course argot was wonderfully expressive and had a poetic quality.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Mark Ella would be at the top of my list. I'm sure I don't have to elaborate why.

Michael Jones, who completely redefined what a flanker is. One of the greatest natural athletes to play the game.

Laurent Cabannes, for more or less the same reason. The pace and skill of a back and the hardness of a forward. Part of a great generation of French rugby. He also came back from a horrific car crash to play at the top level. That's ticker.

Tim Horan. The greatest.

Philipe Sella. Saw him on the telly before the Aus v France game and it brought the memories flooding back of how great he was.

Serge Blanco. One of the most daring individual players I ever saw. On his day absolutely devastating.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Kefu.
Whether it was dotting that try down for the win in John Eales' last Test, or the 2 or 3 good 'uns he put on Brennan in RWC 1999 (who deserved every one of them) I loved his presence. Seemed to enjoy playing a lot too.

Did he ever. One of the great get squares in international rugby that.

 

[RugbyFuture]

Matthew burke now that was a kicker, and a brilliant member of the ryde-eastwood community, I remember him coming to my primary school once to promote playing for Hillview rugby and he was cool.

Tim Donnelly from playing with Eastwood