Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

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Timbo
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by Timbo »

The way he’s proving to be a natural leader, I’m wishing we held onto Mark Nicholls at the moment.
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by 1992 »

John Bateman.
I do not see us giving up those big leads with him on the side.
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by Rickmando »

Timbo wrote: September 12, 2021, 4:52 pm The way he’s proving to be a natural leader, I’m wishing we held onto Mark Nicholls at the moment.
Good call. He never took a backwards step for us.

All the big names were tough to lose - there’s been some good ones mentioned already in this thread (Volcano 😭).

But in the same vein of low-key players like Nicholls - I was quite upset when we lost Mick Monaghan and Mick Robertson in successive years to the Eagles. Thought they were the exact type of players who played above their weight each week and made the team better. Given the success of Manly in those subsequent years, I felt like my assessment of them was proved right.
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by Timbo »

Rickmando wrote: September 12, 2021, 6:39 pm
Timbo wrote: September 12, 2021, 4:52 pm The way he’s proving to be a natural leader, I’m wishing we held onto Mark Nicholls at the moment.
Good call. He never took a backwards step for us.

All the big names were tough to lose - there’s been some good ones mentioned already in this thread (Volcano 😭).

But in the same vein of low-key players like Nicholls - I was quite upset when we lost Mick Monaghan and Mick Robertson in successive years to the Eagles. Thought they were the exact type of players who played above their weight each week and made the team better. Given the success of Manly in those subsequent years, I felt like my assessment of them was proved right.
Mick Monaghan **** stung because you had that plank Elliot saying publicly that he was the best halfback at the club then continually picking blokes like Brad Drew ahead of him and then ***surprised Pikachu face*** he gets fed up and left.
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by greeneyed »

The loss of Michael Monaghan… that sure was a debacle.
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by Finchy »

Azza wrote: September 12, 2021, 12:05 pmDarren Buser.
The illegitimate love-child of Darren Porter and James Buser?
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by Green_Hammock »

John Bateman, Milford.

Carney, Dugan, Ferguson if they could have worked out their off field behaviour.

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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by Hong Kong Raider »

Lazarus who was still in his prime (I understand it was salary cap related), Ben Kennedy who went on to do well with Manly and Newcastle, winning a premiership with Newy, Luke Priddis (ditto Brisbane and Penrith - even got Clive Churchill in 2003 and beat Ricky's Roosters).

As to most recently probably Bateman. It's also noted that Paul Vaughan played for NSW and Aust after leaving us and Junior Paulo for NSW. David Barnhill in the early 90s as well. 2 GFs with St George and NSW rep selection. But not the same heights as the first three.

I was thinking of Joey as well but his non pass in the GF was a stuff up - probably not as monumental as Patrick Herbert's last night but still in a big game should have passed instead of taking contact. He did the same thing in the 2016 semi v Cronulla in the first half when we lost by 2
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by doobyntus »

Stuart and Clyde. Would have loved to have seen them end their careers at the Raiders. Might have got a few more years out of them and another premiership if they weren't booted.
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by GreenMachine »

Teddy.
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by Sleek the Elite »

Some good shouts here for Luke Priddis and David Barnhill. Both were players we developed through the lower grades and let go to other clubs where they won comps (in the case of Priddis) and played in GFs (in the case of Barnhill). Both probably would have stayed if we prioritised them but we didn't.

Big Mal opted for Simon Woolford ahead of Priddis (who was bigger and stronger, slightly younger and had a more distinguished junior career). As with any organisation, personalities come into it and I think Woolford's strong personality won out over Priddis' superior football ability.

Barnhill left after a fire sale when we rorted the salary cap along with many others including Lazzo. I liked his style of play (very aggressive) and he went on to play many more years at the top. Of the young up and comers we had at the time, I think he's one we should have made more of an effort to keep. That one's on Sheensy, not Big Mal. Even the best get it wrong occasionally.
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by Roger Kenworthy »

Barnhill is a great shout.

Wiki for sentimentality and Kennedy for onfield impact. Add Kennedy to our pack in 2000 or 2003 and we're in the race for a GF spot.
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by greeneyed »

The really mystifying thing with Priddis is that he finished 1997 as starting hooker and started 1998 in that spot too. The Raiders lost the opening two games of 1998, he got dropped to be the bench… and never made it back to the starting role… when most fans were crying out for him to be restored to the starting team. I could never work that out.
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by Roger Kenworthy »

greeneyed wrote: September 13, 2021, 9:26 pm The really mystifying thing with Priddis is that he finished 1997 as starting hooker and started 1998 in that spot too. The Raiders lost the opening two games of 1998, he got dropped to be the bench… and never made it back to the starting role… when most fans were crying out for him to be restored to the starting team. I could never work that out.
Woolford must have had his twitchy eye going when Mal suggested he move to 14.

I barely saw any of 97 - 99 when it moved to pay tv here in NZ. Relied on radio for the most part.
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by Hong Kong Raider »

Sleek the Elite wrote: September 13, 2021, 8:45 pm Some good shouts here for Luke Priddis and David Barnhill. Both were players we developed through the lower grades and let go to other clubs where they won comps (in the case of Priddis) and played in GFs (in the case of Barnhill). Both probably would have stayed if we prioritised them but we didn't.

Big Mal opted for Simon Woolford ahead of Priddis (who was bigger and stronger, slightly younger and had a more distinguished junior career). As with any organisation, personalities come into it and I think Woolford's strong personality won out over Priddis' superior football ability.

Barnhill left after a fire sale when we rorted the salary cap along with many others including Lazzo. I liked his style of play (very aggressive) and he went on to play many more years at the top. Of the young up and comers we had at the time, I think he's one we should have made more of an effort to keep. That one's on Sheensy, not Big Mal. Even the best get it wrong occasionally.
I remember in 1991 Ros Kelly had white buckets in shopping malls asking us to donate to save the Raiders! Unbelievable considering Mal and some of the rest of the team were on big $$$$$
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by Sleek the Elite »

Hong Kong Raider wrote: September 13, 2021, 11:50 pm
Sleek the Elite wrote: September 13, 2021, 8:45 pm Some good shouts here for Luke Priddis and David Barnhill. Both were players we developed through the lower grades and let go to other clubs where they won comps (in the case of Priddis) and played in GFs (in the case of Barnhill). Both probably would have stayed if we prioritised them but we didn't.

Big Mal opted for Simon Woolford ahead of Priddis (who was bigger and stronger, slightly younger and had a more distinguished junior career). As with any organisation, personalities come into it and I think Woolford's strong personality won out over Priddis' superior football ability.

Barnhill left after a fire sale when we rorted the salary cap along with many others including Lazzo. I liked his style of play (very aggressive) and he went on to play many more years at the top. Of the young up and comers we had at the time, I think he's one we should have made more of an effort to keep. That one's on Sheensy, not Big Mal. Even the best get it wrong occasionally.
I remember in 1991 Ros Kelly had white buckets in shopping malls asking us to donate to save the Raiders! Unbelievable considering Mal and some of the rest of the team were on big $$$$$
I donated. I was a uni student with no money at the time. People loved that team and wanted to keep it.

From memory, any money raised that way got added to the side's salary cap for the following season. We ended up having a full salary cap after the ARL initially reduced it by about $300k for salary cap breaches. Those donations were part of the reason we were able to keep the nucleus of a strong side - Mal, Brad, Laurie, Ricky, Badge and Boxhead. Lazzo left b/c all of those guys were prioritised ahead of him. Five of the six made it through to 1994 and delivered us another premiership.
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by papabear »

RTW wrote: September 11, 2021, 8:47 pm 1. Clyde/Stuart I don’t think it changed our fortunes but hated seeing them on Bulldogs colours.
2. Wiki absolutely loved him as a player and it stunk how they got him.
3. Ben Kennedy out of all my choices he is the one that would have really made a difference if he stayed


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john bateman isnt in the same conversation as ben kennedy.

Also lesley vainokolo deserves mention guy was an absolute beast for us.
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by gerg »

RTW wrote:1. Clyde/Stuart I don’t think it changed our fortunes but hated seeing them on Bulldogs colours.
2. Wiki absolutely loved him as a player and it stunk how they got him.
3. Ben Kennedy out of all my choices he is the one that would have really made a difference if he stayed


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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by yeh raiders »

Lesley Vainikolo. Loved him.

Does James Tedesco count?
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by nachopants »

Mark McLinden .... looooooooved him
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by Lui_Bon »

William Zillman. HSS reminds me of him, before all the operations. Zillman's, that is.
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by dubby »

Barnhill and Nicholls because they're both Leeton boys.

Losing Lazarus sucked. He was the best prop in the world at that point. Losing Wiki due to cheating is hard to understand.

Ricky and Clyde in dogs colours was wrong. Ricky was past his best then, but deserved better. We don't win a premiership without him.

Priddis was so superior to Woolford I'll never understand why he left.

Bateman was a big loss. But he was also a massive flog.
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by FuiFui BradBrad »

For me it was Schif and Wiki. A part of me died when Schif left.

Left of field choice goes to JayCar. I really enjoyed watching him when he was with us. He was starting to grow on me. Shame what happened to him.
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by Kryptonite »

Stuart, Clyde for semantics but Ben Kennedy for raw winning talent
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by twistedbydesign »

In sentimental terms, I can't go past McLinden and Vainokolo. Both favourites of mine when I was a kid who left the club at a fairly young age.

When it comes to players who I think on reflection could fundamentally have changed the direction of the club, it's Kennedy, Priddis and Carney. Michael Monaghan wasn't quite in this class, but I definitely agree that moving him on was up there for the dumbest decisions we've made. What I wouldn't give to have a player of his quality starting in the 7 jersey next season....!
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by Billy Walker »

Still not over Sean Hoppe moving to the bears
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Re: Who is the one player you wish had never left the Raiders?

Post by sprintman »

George Williams. Damn he was good for Warrington this morning, so good that he was invisible…
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