SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

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Who is the next player to be voted off the island?

Gary Belcher
2
7%
Brad Clyde
1
3%
Jason Croker
15
52%
Laurie Daley
0
No votes
Mal Meninga
0
No votes
Ricky Stuart
1
3%
Steve Walters
0
No votes
Ruben Wiki
10
34%
 
Total votes: 29

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greeneyed
Don Furner
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SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by greeneyed »

SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Back in 2007, the members of The Greenhouse voted on their top ten greatest ever Canberra Raiders. It was a survivor-style poll... and this was the top ten back then:

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Now, after 40 seasons of The Green Machine, we're voting again... and we'll see how the list might change. The starting point was the top 30 players selected in our poll for the 40 Year Dream Team.

In the first four polls we voted 20 players off the island. We are now voting off players one by one, to decide the top ten in order.

In the last poll, Josh Papalii was declared the ninth greatest Raider. Now we decide on No. 8. Who should be the next player voted off the island?

The records of all the players with the club can be found here.

You have ONE votes in this poll. You may NOT change your vote from here so select carefully. Remember, you are voting players OFF the island.
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greeneyed
Don Furner
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by greeneyed »

Between Croker and Wiki for me… I went Croker.
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bonehead
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by bonehead »

I went wiki, he chose to leave and I'm down to trying to find reasons

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Edrick The Entertainer
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by Hong Kong Raider »

bonehead wrote: July 22, 2022, 1:58 pm I went wiki, he chose to leave and I'm down to trying to find reasons

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So did I but there's not much between them. Both are premiership winners, both played in different positions for the club with distinction, both represented their countries. Croker was fast starting as a winger, strong enough to hang off the goalposts. I leaned on Croker due to his longevity, first to 300 games and try scoring record before being broken by his namesake.
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Botman
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by Botman »

in lock step with GE this time around, it was between Croker and Wiki for me and i went Croker
Both have similar records at the club so it comes down for me as to who was the better player. For me it was Wiki, so Croker goes next
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greeneyed
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by greeneyed »

We keep these open for at least a week, seven days up tomorrow and still quite close.
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Roger Kenworthy
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by Roger Kenworthy »

Botman wrote: July 22, 2022, 2:04 pm in lock step with GE this time around, it was between Croker and Wiki for me and i went Croker
Both have similar records at the club so it comes down for me as to who was the better player. For me it was Wiki, so Croker goes next
Wiki was the better player by a fair margin too. Croker staying is a funny reason to vote for him, I can't imagine many teams were chasing him from 2001 onwards and especially not at what we were paying him. We had the chance to wrap up Wiki early in 2004 but we lowballed him.
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greeneyed
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by greeneyed »

Roger Kenworthy wrote: July 28, 2022, 9:36 pm
Botman wrote: July 22, 2022, 2:04 pm in lock step with GE this time around, it was between Croker and Wiki for me and i went Croker
Both have similar records at the club so it comes down for me as to who was the better player. For me it was Wiki, so Croker goes next
Wiki was the better player by a fair margin too. Croker staying is a funny reason to vote for him, I can't imagine many teams were chasing him from 2001 onwards and especially not at what we were paying him. We had the chance to wrap up Wiki early in 2004 but we lowballed him.
And the Warriors cheated the salary cap with their offer to Wiki.
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Botman
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by Botman »

Fully agree. Records and contributions being fairly to pretty much equal, i think Wiki was a significantly better footballer
So it wasnt a tough call for me. Surprised to see it going agianst WIki
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greeneyed
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by greeneyed »

But it’s going against Croker right now.
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Botman
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by Botman »

It wasnt when i started that post 40 minutes ago! Or maybe i just need to call it a night. :lol: IDK IDK
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by Sid »

I'm late to these threads, have any alliances been formed?

**** it all in advance if this joke has already been made.

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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by Roger Kenworthy »

Sid wrote: July 29, 2022, 8:40 am I'm late to these threads, have any alliances been formed?

**** it all in advance if this joke has already been made.

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Definitely something in play as Stick and Clyde have somehow received votes this round.
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by Seiffert82 »

I've got Wiki above both Boxhead and Toots.

That really was a special era of players. It's unbelievable that these guys all played together. We really should have had 1 or 2 more premierships in that period, maybe 1988, 1993 and/or 1995.

We were specials in 93 if it wasn't for Sticky's broken leg.

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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by The Nickman »

95 really should've been a premiership too. Although Manly were Minor Premiers (both us and them only lost two regular season games each), our team on paper was vastly superior to theirs, and that Dogs team that actually won the GF can only really be described as "plucky" at best!
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Botman
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by Botman »

Wiki above Walters? WOW! Curious to hear why that is.

IMO, that's not even close, with all due respect to Wiki who was indeed absolutely awesome. Walters is the second best modern day hooker in the history of the game IMO (behind only Cam Smith).
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Turt
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by Turt »

greeneyed wrote: July 22, 2022, 1:47 pm Between Croker and Wiki for me… I went Croker.
Totally agree, but I went Wiki
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by Seiffert82 »

Botman wrote:Wiki above Walters? WOW! Curious to hear why that is.

IMO, that's not even close, with all due respect to Wiki who was indeed absolutely awesome. Walters is the second best modern day hooker in the history of the game IMO (behind only Cam Smith).
Interesting that you consider Walters a modern day dummy half. In my mind Elias was much closer to an early iteration of Cameron Smith - much more ball playing in his repertoire and a neat short kicking game. Both players could play 7 no problem. Walters was definitely not that player.

Boxhead bridged the transition from an old style hooker to what is now just a specialist dummy half. Walters was able to control a scrum when it was actually contested and was also a master of rucking the ball back to steal posession in the ruck. He was also a next-level elite defender. He had a solid running game and his attacking 'style' was much more akin to Brandon Smith than Cameron Smith, but significantly better. Ultimately though, it was Stuart, O'Sullivan and Daley who pulled the strings in attack.

To that extent, I know that Walters is often seen as the second best 9 (or 12) of all time, behind Cameron Smith, but they were completely different players and a direct comparison is almost impossible to make.

Ruben Wiki was a force of nature. He totally embodied the spirit of determination. I've rarely seen a harder or more intimidating defender or ball runner. He's a completely different player to Walters, but during the transition period of our club in the late 90s, when all those great players left or retired, he stood head and shoulders above the rest as a leader. Like Croker he easily transitioned from the backs to the forwards, but he was the cornerstone of our pack for years. He also played 55 tests for NZ over a 13 year period, compared to Walter's 20 tests for Australia, mostly between 91 and 94.

So, both awesome in their own right, but Wiki was immense at club and test level. He's rightly a legend in New Zealand Rugby League for that reason.

I suspect most others will have different views and I also suspect many fans on this site will have never really watched Walters career that closely, or Wiki's for that matter. They're both now the stuff of Raiders folklore. If you're under 30 you probably don't even remember watching Boxhead play for us.




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Roger Kenworthy
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by Roger Kenworthy »

Wiki had a few down years between 97 and 2001 to my memory. He wasn't elite (top 5-10) for his position throughout those years as he transitioned into the forwards. That costs him in a match up with the elite and uber-consistent Walters.

Wiki vs Belcher is more or a debate for mine. Belcher's consistency wins that one IMO.
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by Seiffert82 »

Walters was uber consistent but was only regarded as the best hooker in the country in 5 seasons. He wasn't dominant in that position throughout his entire career, as much as it's often made out.

Totally subjective opinions of course.



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Roger Kenworthy
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by Roger Kenworthy »

Yeah everyone remaining other than Croker were in the top 2 or 3 players on their position for 5-10 years. No rights or wrongs, unless Nickman comments.
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by The Nickman »

I voted Belcher. Can’t believe he’s still in the conversation
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greeneyed
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Re: SURVIVOR POLL VII: Top ten greatest ever Raiders

Post by greeneyed »

Poll declared. Jason Croker is the eighth greatest Raider of all time.
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