Interesting one - I've gone for Blacky, based on pure entertainment value.

Apologies to any Joel Penny fans out there!

Was Dunemann not a stand off rather then a half back?

He played scrum half before Clinchy came back.

Stand-off Half
Scrum-half.

They are called halves because they are not forwards and not quite three-quarters.

I went for Black again for the entertainment value. Clinch was a class player and Dunneman worked harder in defence than most forwards but Black lifts the crowd, sparks excitement.

That was a tough one.

I have gone for Clinch. I think Ben is fantastic and exciting to watch, but I do miss the "Clinch Pinch" Nobody does it better.

i would go for clinch, but only just, a slightly better all round game, and like every body say's, the one one steas were first class, blacky is a much improved player this time around, more of a team player this time, was bit of a headless chicken first time around,but saying that did he score some great trys or what?, a very tough one, both great players in there own right,

Surely has to be Dunemann?

Absolutely quality all round player and when he was at his best for Fax he was tearing it up in Super League

I went for Dunemann. He was my favourite player at the time. Also the title is best Aussie half back in the 000's and i don't think Clinch was anywhere near as influential in his second spell. On paper that Clinch/Dunemann partnership was superb - we massively underachieved with those two at half back IMO

Clinch was 'Irish' apparently.

must admit i miss some of the pinches he did. the look on the other players face,. plus the look on the refs face one time when he scored and ref was still running other way. disallowed of course.

The referee's didn't like it at all from what i can recall! Rarely did they allow the try - probably because they had no idea how he had pinched it!

Ive gone for Clinch as he did it on a consitant level in the SL days (although technically his best days were with us in the 1990's, not 2000's)

Ben has the potential to be one of our best half backs & I love watching him play.

Dunny was a strong runner & tackler.

I know the positions but Half back and stand off are two different positions

A half back is a scrum half and a stand off is a five-eighth.

In England I think Stand off and scrum half are both classed as half back. In aussie they call the stand of five-eight.

Anyway, wheres Dane Dorahy on this list?!

You'd need 2 selections for him, the "On Trial Dane Dorahy" and the "Not bothered now he's got a contract Dane Dorahy"

Can't really vote for Black he's never been tested at superleague level like the other 2

Dunemann 100% consistent

I knew we were doomed as soon as we signed him. From memory, hasnt he only played for teams that ended up being relegated?

Andrew Duneman

Think he played for Wakefield didnt he?

that was it. didnt he pick up a bad injury there? I wouldnt even say he was Championship standard!

Scrum half and stand off are the half backs



As good as Black is hes doing it against very average defences.

No, a scrum half (half back) and a stand off (five eighth) are called halves not half backs. Half backs are an actual position, no 7 before squad numbers.

Halves are called halves because they are situated between the forwards and backs in order to distribute play between them. They are neither back not forward.

Stand offs are called stand offs because they stand off the scrum and direct play.

A scrum half (half back by it's other name) is called such because he links the scrum to the backs. He isn't a forward but links with them.

Now over the last few years they have fudged this with the incorporation of super league and the demise in this country of true stand offs.

Since the likes of Andy Gregory and Schoffield going, stand offs no longer dominate the kicking game for the team and are more support runners in the mould of McGuire at Leeds and McNally at Whitehaven. However Halifax had a proper stand off last year in Holroyd but he wasn't a half back, he was a stand off (no 6) as Ben black was the scrum half (half back, no 7)

That is why a dummy half is called so, because he does the role of the half back (scrum half) by taking the ball at the play the ball and either running or distributing. That is their job in traditional rugby sense.


The morale of this whole thing is that a half back is NOT a STAND OFF or vice-versa. They are Halves, not both half backs.

1 = Full Back
2 - 5 = Three Quarters
6,7 = Half Backs
8 - 13 = Forwards