ha ha, I don't blame you.
To be honest, I actually liked him as a player, I also find a lot of who you like has a lot to do with how you feel when you go, I used to like Pickering and Shick (spelling) but becuase in loved going in those days, I remember them as better than they probably were!!

Always difficult to compare players from different eras. How about the best TEAM to play, in that all they players played together in the same team.
1. Flowers
2. Gay
3. Eager
4. Maloney
5. Rogers
6. Orr
7. Davies
8. Sykes
9. Raper
10. Sampson
11. Harland
12. Fritz
13. Vowles.

OR
1. Steadman
2. Ellis
3. Blackmore
4. Anderson
5. Middleton
6. Kemp
7. Ford
8. Crooks
9. Russell
10. Ketteridge/Sampson
11. Morrison
12. Smales
13. Nikau.

1. Steadman
2. Plange
3. Joyner
4. Blackmore
5. St John Ellis

6. Hardisty
7. Hepworth

8. Hartley
9. K. Beardmore
10. Crooks
11. K. Ward
12. Bryant
13. Reilly

14. Nikau
15. Eagar
16. Vowles
17. B. Lockwood'"

I saw him play when he was at Manly. For me he is the best player this country has ever produced, and as a Wakey fan that's hard to say. Physically, mentally and ability. He was a bit of an animal but who wasn't then.

For me what set him apart and why I rate him above all others is because of how he made it in Oz.

He went there with a reputation as a hard case. This did not impress the Aussies or the press. The talk was that he would be put in his place as soon as he played his first game, he was after all a soft pom. Malcolm was having non of it and was utterly unfazed. In his first few games he made it his mission to seek out and destroy the hard man of every team he faced. He succeeded and nobody called him a soft pom EVER again.

Can you imagine that now. If we could put a tenth of Malcolm's attitude, guts and drive in the 17 who face Australia next year we would destroy them. Sadly we don't make em like that anymore. Plenty of hard men and a few thugs but none with the brains to match.

He hasn't lost it either...he trains in the gym with the intensity of a guy half his age..more often than not wearing Manly training gear.

I fully accept that Steady wasn't the best coach we have ever had, but this topic is about players not coaches and in my opinion he was the best full back that I have seen (pushed close by Derek Edwards and Gary Belcher).

I also accept Craig Huby's commitment to the club, unfortunately he is not in the same class as Dennis Hartley was - read Malcolm Reilly's autobiography where he states that the only person who ever scared him on the pitch was Dennis!! (quite a compliment). The only 2 other props to come close to Dennis were Crooksy & Kevin Ward - so I put Wardy to 2nd row where he started his career.

I heard he actually started at centre.

I forgot about Danny Orr. I think I will swap Chase out for him. First time round he was outstanding and gets extra points for staying so long and then coming back too.
I am wondering if I should squeeze Tony Merchant in somewhere too.

its hard to just name one team. Especially at second row/loose forward

One of the best I've ever seen for commitment was Danny Nutley when we got relegated in 2004 - he gave 110% in every match no matter what the scoreline was. Sadly this is the attitude that we have been lacking at times

1. Belcher
2. Plange
3. Joyner
4. Blackmore
5. St John Ellis

6. Kemp
7. Ford

8. Sampson
9. Beardmore
10. Crooks
11. K. Ward
12. Nikau
13. Reilly

14. Steadman
15. Gibbs
16. Vowles
17. England

Your eyesight must be great as Danny Nutley played for Castleford in the 2006 season!!!

1. Belcher
2. Plange
3. Joyner
4. Blackmore
5. St John Ellis

6. Steadman
7. Chase

8. K. Ward
9. Beardmore
10. Crooks
11. Lidner
12. Nikau
13. Reilly

14. Sampson
15. Gibbs
16. Nutley
17. Kemp

oopsy.... the point still stands though lol

He did way back in his Stanley Rangers days - but not in Cas 1st Team.

Garry Belcher was a great player, but i don't think he played many games i remember him having to cut is stay short after a bad injury against ST'S where he nearly had is balls torn off

You mean the same Nutley who asked for and was given an improved and extended contract and then announced he wanted to leave at the end of the season? Then went and made derogatory comments about the club in an interview as soon as he got back to Aus?
Good player but no respect for the club at all.

He lasted half a season but was sheer class.

he was, plus he never turned is back on Cas, he wanted to come back but for some reason Cas declined to take him back, since moving to summer we don't get players like him coming over,

Don't think anyone on this thread has mentioned Bob Beardmore, he must be up there with the best? Isn't he?

He was a fantastic player it was sad his season at Cas was cut short.

I was lucky enough to see most of his games at Canberra in the late eighties on video (anybody else used to get the Micron Video tapes from the video shop off Bradley Street)?...what a backline they had...Belcher,Ferguson,Meninga,Daley,Stuart etc

The 1989 Aussie Grand Final is one of the best R.L games ive ever seen!

He was great....i went with Mike Ford in by side but it was a close call. Not only Bob but Brad Davis and Danny Brough wouldn't have looked out of place in and best XIII.

Bob was a very good player, i went to school with Kev, & Bob, i just watched them both a Wembley against KR, he was one of the best but there is a fare few to pick from

as an outsider surprised not to hear bruce burton or knocker norton mentioned i suppose knocker may have "matured" in australia and come back a better player than when he left but i thought burton who was at the centre of the "high speed cas" days would warrant a mention also not a great player but the best kicker ive seen sammy lloyd

Likewise with Derek Edwards, cannot believe some of the older fans on here have not mentioned him.