Re: All time Leeds team : Mon Jan 10, 2022 3:53 pm  

I don't remember seeing Ellery Hanley play. It says 91-95 on wiki, so his last season must've been my 1st, as we'd just signed Entat from PSG when I first watched a game on Sky with my old man in a bar in Gran Canaria.

Re: All time Leeds team : Mon Jan 10, 2022 4:04 pm  

Entat came to us from Avignon. But he couldn't dislodge Holroyd from the team by that point. 94/95 was Ellery's last year, but what an incredible one it was for him personally.

Re: All time Leeds team : Mon Jan 10, 2022 4:13 pm  

Entat went to PSG from us. Think we signed him from Avignon.

Hanley was the best ever for me. Past his best when he came to Leeds, but still one hell of a player.

[Bullseye]

Re: All time Leeds team : Mon Jan 10, 2022 4:18 pm  

Often wonder what Leeds could've achieved if they'd not had all the cliques and fallings out in that 80s and early 90s era. So many talented players came through the club. When you read accounts of what it was like behind the scenes (books by Bentley, Schofield, Crooks, Gregory, Bamford and Laughton) it's a wonder you did as well as you did.

The imports alone from that era make a heck of a team:

Gurr
Grothe
Jackson
Innes
Currie
Lyons
Coleman
Backo
Clark
Tunks
Paterson
Izzard
Laurie

Ettingshausen
Jones
Iro
Fullerton Smith
Bell

Re: All time Leeds team : Mon Jan 10, 2022 4:35 pm  

I’m going to be slightly different. I’ve been season ticket holder since 1980 but watched a few games before then.

Given to so hard I’ve come up with a new format and have gone for my favourite loiners and Rhinos teams so have. Pre and post SL team…I even thought about selecting a UK only team (one for another thread perhaps and even a best overseas team?)

Maybe not the ‘best ever’ (although several undoubtedly are) but a combination of best/my favourites… Anyway….here goes.

PRE SL TEAM

1. ET
2. ALAN SMITH
3. GARRY SCHOFIELD
4. TONY CURRIE
5. JOHN ATKINSON
6. JOHN HOLMES
7. CLIFF LYONS
8. LEE CROOKS (didn’t want to be here and injured a lot but still great on his day)
9. DAVID WARD
10. STEVE PITCHFORD
11. CRAIG IZZARD
12. GRAEME ECCLES
13. ELLERY HANLEY

SL TEAM

1. BRENT WEBB (really wanted to pick Harris but deciding factor over Webb was his departure and return from union)
2. SCOTT DONALD
3. TONY CARROLL ( not here long but still 31 try’s in 50 games and unstoppable when in the mood)
4. KEITH SENIOR
5. RYAN HALL
6. MAGSY
7 BURROW
8. KYLIE
9. DANNY BUDERUS
10. JAMIE PEACOCK
11. ALI
12. ADRIAN MORLEY
13 SIR KEV

Re: All time Leeds team : Mon Jan 10, 2022 5:19 pm  

LeedsLurch wrote:

not a lot to add to those already mentioned but for the longer suffering fans on here the only glaring ommision i can see is Cliff Lyons. Came to us from Manly i believe and was relatively unkown and went on to play State of Origin and Australia

Oooof what a player Cliffy was. Had a tremendous career. Great shout.

Amazed people have picked Tonie Carroll i have to say but its all personal choices and opinions.

Re: All time Leeds team : Mon Jan 10, 2022 6:10 pm  

cheekydiddles wrote:

I’m going to be slightly different. I’ve been season ticket holder since 1980 but watched a few games before then.

Given to so hard I’ve come up with a new format and have gone for my favourite loiners and Rhinos teams so have. Pre and post SL team…I even thought about selecting a UK only team (one for another thread perhaps and even a best overseas team?)

Maybe not the ‘best ever’ (although several undoubtedly are) but a combination of best/my favourites… Anyway….here goes.

PRE SL TEAM

1. ET
2. ALAN SMITH
3. GARRY SCHOFIELD
4. TONY CURRIE
5. JOHN ATKINSON
6. JOHN HOLMES
7. CLIFF LYONS
8. LEE CROOKS (didn’t want to be here and injured a lot but still great on his day)
9. DAVID WARD
10. STEVE PITCHFORD
11. CRAIG IZZARD
12. GRAEME ECCLES
13. ELLERY HANLEY

SL TEAM

1. BRENT WEBB (really wanted to pick Harris but deciding factor over Webb was his departure and return from union)
2. SCOTT DONALD
3. TONY CARROLL ( not here long but still 31 try’s in 50 games and unstoppable when in the mood)
4. KEITH SENIOR
5. RYAN HALL
6. MAGSY
7 BURROW
8. KYLIE
9. DANNY BUDERUS
10. JAMIE PEACOCK
11. ALI
12. ADRIAN MORLEY
13 SIR KEV

Two cracking sides them

Re: All time Leeds team : Mon Jan 10, 2022 7:12 pm  

Once were Loiners wrote:

This is really hard isn't it....I started watching in 1981. My team for what its worth:

1. Brent Webb - really good extra playmaker without over-egging it, and quick.
2. John Bentley - I know he had flaws but when he was on he could turn a game
3. Garry Schofield - people forget just how good a centre young Schofield was. Utter class.
4. Keith Senior - big and fast and not afraid to get stuck in.
5. Ryan Hall - big and a very good finisher
6. Kevin Sinfield - captain, goalkicker and heart of the team
7. Danny McGuire - not sure what was better, the 2004 speed merchant or the 2015+ playmaker
8. Kylie Leuluai - solid as rock
9. Matt Diskin - 4 championships and a Harry Sunderland Award.
10. Jamie Peacock - best prop to play for Leeds by a distance
11. Gareth Ellis - really good player in attack and defence
12. Adrian Morley - saw him stand up to the Aussies on his own several times
13. Ellery Hanley - best player I've seen for Leeds.

Subs:
14. Iestyn Harris - probably the most naturally gifted player I've seen for Leeds. Not afraid to try to change a game, hence sub.
15. Barrie McDermott - actually a really good intimidating prop at his best
16. Paul DIxon - tough as teak and could play prop at a push.
17. Ali Lauiti'iti - superb impact forward.

Bentley's probably the one I'll get shot down most for, but I was really struggling for a right wing. Ford (not for us sadly)? ET (hardly played there and wasn't his best position)? Cummins (just no)? Grothe (16 games doesn't make him much of a Leeds player to me)? Fallon (I liked him but not the greatest)? Donald (speedy but not much else for mine)? Smith (not a winger)? We just haven't had a genuine standout winger aside from Hall for mine. I'm really hoping Fusitu'a will become a winger we all love to watch.

Anyway, all good fun and I'll probably look at my own list in horror tomorrow.....

In last 40 years the winger with the best big game record is Tom Briscoe, nobody has picked him as second choice behind Ryan Hall. We’ve had plenty who have failed to deliver in big games but bar losing the ball v Catalans , Briscoe has a long list of big game high performance and success.

Re: All time Leeds team : Mon Jan 10, 2022 7:16 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

Often wonder what Leeds could've achieved if they'd not had all the cliques and fallings out in that 80s and early 90s era. So many talented players came through the club. When you read accounts of what it was like behind the scenes (books by Bentley, Schofield, Crooks, Gregory, Bamford and Laughton) it's a wonder you did as well as you did.

The imports alone from that era make a heck of a team:

Gurr
Grothe
Jackson
Innes
Currie
Lyons
Coleman
Backo
Clark
Tunks
Paterson
Izzard
Laurie

Ettingshausen
Jones
Iro
Fullerton Smith
Bell

Some very good players and a few like Gavin Jones who flattered to deceive, which probably summed up that era in total they rarely failed to disappoint

Re: All time Leeds team : Mon Jan 10, 2022 7:21 pm  

The Ghost of '99 wrote:

1 Harris
2 Bai
3 Schofield
4 Senior (I tried, but I couldn't quite justify Brad Godden)
5 Hall
6 Sinfield
7 McGuire
8 Leuluai
9 Buderus
10 Peacock
11 Morley
12 Ellis
13 Hanley (c)

14 Burrow
15 Lauiti'iti
16 Prior
17 Ablett

Coach - this isn't a project of the type which would suit Tony Smith although I'm sure he could do it. It might more suited to McDermott, possibly to Douggie (although the changing room might be a bloodbath) and definitely to Bluey. But let's be honest Graham Murray is the man for the job here.

Close calls: Glanville just loses out to Ellis because we don't need Glanville's seniority here and there should be enough aggression elsewhere whilst Ellis offers more in attack; Goulding misses out to McGuire/Burrow because of longevity, Godden and Innes to Senior likewise, Fallon and Donald to Bai for Bai's sheer physical presence. I thought about Izzard and ET but just couldn't justify them being in based on short Leeds careers.

It's a mythical team of course. In reality I think Harris/Schofield/Sinfield/McGuire/Buderus/Hanley/Burrow would either be the most amazing thing ever or they'd all just be trying to take control and it would be chaos.

you must have seen holmes and cliff lyons