Re: Wigan v Sts discussion - THIS THREAD ONLY PLEASE : Fri May 12, 2023 9:01 am  

Stu M wrote:

Roby all being well breaks the Saints record number of appearances tomorrow. His 532nd game.

I wonder if anyone else in SL will ever break the SL record?

It always makes me laugh when the Aussies make a huge deal of one of theirs playing 200 games for example. Ben Hunt is on 350 I think now and they have never stopped talking about it. Granted the NRL is a tougher comp but still.....

I didn't expect us to fall off a cliff this year but next year with Roby retiring is a huge loss. This year looks like its been one year too many for him but its his leadership and influence we'll miss more than anything, similar to SOL with Wigan.

Since 1994 we've had 2 St Helens lads at No.9 for 29 years. It’s going to be weird not seeing him play.

Super leagues GOAT by a mile IMO.

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion - THIS THREAD ONLY PLEASE : Fri May 12, 2023 9:36 am  

Stu M wrote:

Roby all being well breaks the Saints record number of appearances tomorrow. His 532nd game.

I wonder if anyone else in SL will ever break the SL record?

It always makes me laugh when the Aussies make a huge deal of one of theirs playing 200 games for example. Ben Hunt is on 350 I think now and they have never stopped talking about it. Granted the NRL is a tougher comp but still.....

I didn't expect us to fall off a cliff this year but next year with Roby retiring is a huge loss. This year looks like its been one year too many for him but its his leadership and influence we'll miss more than anything, similar to SOL with Wigan.

Since 1994 we've had 2 St Helens lads at No.9 for 29 years. Its going to be weird not seeing him play.

Sadly leaves a massive hole in the overall game and happily an even bigger one in the Saints team

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion - THIS THREAD ONLY PLEASE : Fri May 12, 2023 2:28 pm  

Stu M wrote:

Roby all being well breaks the Saints record number of appearances tomorrow. His 532nd game.

I wonder if anyone else in SL will ever break the SL record?

It always makes me laugh when the Aussies make a huge deal of one of theirs playing 200 games for example. Ben Hunt is on 350 I think now and they have never stopped talking about it. Granted the NRL is a tougher comp but still.....

I didn't expect us to fall off a cliff this year but next year with Roby retiring is a huge loss. This year looks like its been one year too many for him but its his leadership and influence we'll miss more than anything, similar to SOL with Wigan.

Since 1994 we've had 2 St Helens lads at No.9 for 29 years. Its going to be weird not seeing him play.

Absolute legend of the game.

Hope he goes out the same way KC did

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion - THIS THREAD ONLY PLEASE : Fri May 12, 2023 2:30 pm  

NSW wrote:

Super leagues GOAT by a mile IMO.

SOL for me then Roby.

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion - THIS THREAD ONLY PLEASE : Fri May 12, 2023 2:41 pm  

Jason65 wrote:

SOL for me then Roby.

Hard to argue against either really

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion - THIS THREAD ONLY PLEASE : Fri May 12, 2023 3:04 pm  

Jason65 wrote:

SOL for me then Roby.

Considered it but SOL missed a lot of time with injury. Also under we’ve had a few bad years under Lockers.

Have saints every missed the playoffs with Roby?

Roby edges it for me.

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion - THIS THREAD ONLY PLEASE : Fri May 12, 2023 3:15 pm  

As much as I wouldn’t want to admit it, Roby has had a better career than Lockers. No shame in that because I agree that Roby is the best pound for pound player of the Superleague era, so that means he’s also had a better career than Farrell, Sculthorpe, Fielden, Cunningham, Long, Sinfield, Maguire and so on.

Roby just covers every single base. Quality, team player, individual threat, durable, longevity, an ability to reinvent himself, successful and a great ambassador. Many others cover most of those but Roby has done it over a freakish amount of time.

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion - THIS THREAD ONLY PLEASE : Fri May 12, 2023 3:21 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

What a player he’s been. There isn’t anybody across the whole game who would say a bad word about him. He’s the sort of character that will be sat in his local when he’s 60 years old and people will tell the youngsters that he is one of the best players of all time and they won’t believe it. The very best players roll with the punches that injuries and age being and adapt their game. He has been one of those and you can have nothing but respect for him.

Its interesting to hear Wigan fans views on this. I remember having a discussion with my mate at Wigan a couple of years ago about who was better- Cunningham or Roby. I said Cunningham purely because he changed his game from a marauding powerful runner in his early days to then more of a brilliant distributor, always choosing the right pass and hitting like a prop in defence.

However my mate said Roby due to his increased longevity and leading Saints through quite a few barren years (2008-14) and then 2015-18 whilst maintaining his levels. You can probably also argue that for the majority of his career Cunningham played in better Saints teams.

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion - THIS THREAD ONLY PLEASE : Fri May 12, 2023 3:53 pm  

Stu M wrote:

Its interesting to hear Wigan fans views on this. I remember having a discussion with my mate at Wigan a couple of years ago about who was better- Cunningham or Roby. I said Cunningham purely because he changed his game from a marauding powerful runner in his early days to then more of a brilliant distributor, always choosing the right pass and hitting like a prop in defence.

However my mate said Roby due to his increased longevity and leading Saints through quite a few barren years (2008-14) and then 2015-18 whilst maintaining his levels. You can probably also argue that for the majority of his career Cunningham played in better Saints teams.

I just think the longevity takes him above everyone for me. He’s done it in great sides, he’s done it as a individual threat with pace, as a player whose lost pace but found more guile and creativity, he’s carried poor sides and he’s had an indian summer leading another fantastic side. He’s won every honour you can win, from both an individual and team perspective and he’s won the WCC as a captain down under. I thought Cunningham was an amazing player but his unwillingness to turn out for GB knocks him down the list for me. He also didn’t do it over as long a period as Roby.

Re: Wigan v Sts discussion - THIS THREAD ONLY PLEASE : Fri May 12, 2023 4:47 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

Roby just covers every single base. Quality, team player, individual threat, durable, longevity, an ability to reinvent himself, successful and a great ambassador. Many others cover most of those but Roby has done it over a freakish amount of time.

Agree with that TBH