Jack Rayner deserves a mention here:
194 Games for South Sydney (1946-57 [was capt/coach 1949-57])
16 Games for NSw
5 Games for Australia
Coached AND Captained FIVE Grand Final successes [two runners up] (the coaching record only beaten by Wayne Bennett). Would have been six in a row 1950-1955 except for, in his words, dodgy reffing in 1952 under controversial circumstances.
And this man was a NSW Cop when being a cop meant being true as the day is long.
He was a gentleman in the truest sense of the word.
Jack Rayner was a man and player CLIVE CHURCHILL was in awe of.
Aside from the rules stipulating that the IMMORTAL status could only be ruled on on-field deeds and of players the judge had seen - hence no Dally Messenger, George Treweek, Dave Brown, Harold Horder... I still think some men carry themselves far and away higher ON and OFF the field than some proposed selections.
Ken Irvine, Ron Coote, Mick Cronin, Norm Provan, Mal Meninga, Peter Sterling are up there with the GREATS. Perhaps that is why I'd prefer the HALL OF FAME thing more than a select group. And anyway, who says Wally was better than Lockyer, etc. I'd prefer to honour ALL of them in some way. I don't even like team of the decade type things, because it's purely subjective.
It's funny, someone once said that when John Raper retired, there'd never be a better lock. But then we got Ron Coote. After he retired, the same was said again, and we got Ray Price. When Ray retired, there was the same chatter and we had Wayne Pearce, then Bradley Clyde... All marvellous, popular and GREAT lock forwards who dominated their era.
That's the beauty of footy cards. I have years and years of memories attached to each player. To have seen Blocker Roach, Benny Elias and Wayne Pearce for Balmain, and JT, Flo, Billy Moore, Larson and Fairleigh for the Bears or Clyde, Daley, Stuart, Meninga, Ferguson and Belcher
for the GREEN MACHINE, Brandy and Freddie and MG and Royce Simmons for PENRITH, or ET and Miller and Sparkles down in the Shire, or Langer, Walters, Renoulf, Carne, Lazarus and co in the buckin' Broncos, or Mini, Fitzy, Morley, Fittler for the chooks circa 2000-2004 or the Dogs of War, or Sterlo, Cronin, Price, Kenny, Ella and Grothe at Para or Smith, Cronk, Slater, Inglis at Melbourne...there are delicious memories of superstar teams and brilliant, breathtaking players. There's heaps to love, remember and cherish about RL.
Naming an Immortal...sure, it's fun and sells RLWs...but the enduring qualities, deeds and battles of RL is what should live on and on and on in my mind.
If they really, really want another Immortal...I would go Coote, Provan and Meninga.
Andrew Johns was brilliant, but like a lot of heroes, he let me down. And let's face it, for the first half of his career, he could never get the starter's 7 jersey in SoO NSW and Australia. If he was that dominant, you'd think it was his, and his alone. Yes...he was a brilliant player. AND I WILL NEVER FORGET THE LAST 10 SECONDS ON THE 1997 Grand Final without getting hairs rising on the back of my neck. But...I don't think he's the ants pants.
. just because nothing was reported, doesnt mean nothing happened
