Just watched a programme on MUTV. Sporting Reds: Adrian Morley. I have always followed his career from the day he made his debut at the Leeds Rhinos 20 years ago. What an outstanding Rugby League player this guy has been and still is. His hunger and desire is still remarkable for a player of 37 years of age, playing in the toughest position on a RL field. People seem to rave on about Jamie Peacock (and rightly so as he too has been a sensational player for club & country) but not many give Moz the respect he truly deserves. Not only has he killed it over here, he mastered it over in Australia and that in itself a testament to him. Still love watching the sending off at the DW 12 years ago when he poleaxed Robbie Kearns!!!

Any Mancs who have MUTV its well worth a watch!

He's been shocking since his second to last year at Warrington. But a great player in his day.

WHY? It was an utterly STUPID act of thuggery which put his teammates under enormous pressure from the first minute.

We shouldn't forget that Morley was prone to repeated brain-farts of this calibre right up to 30. It's one of the reasons I don't consider him in the same league as Peacock or Graham.

I think Graham has a brain fart or two every so often

The only time Graham seriously over-stepped the mark was the biting incident. I suppose you could throw in his recent ban, too. But two major errors in over a decade at the very top isn't anything to cry about. With Morley I wouldn't know where to begin.

Besides, Graham is a better player than Morley ever was.

Whilst I agree with you, the vast majority of wire fans would take issue with that statement.

Morley was an above average player (not great) for many, many years until he went to Australia where he really improved. And yet for all that improvement (which took him to being arguably the best prop in the world) - he soon slid down the opposite side of the form bell curve. His time at the absolute top was far too short-lived whereas Graham was outstanding from the age of 20 and has never been anything less.

Aside from over-the-top zeal and big hits I can't think of any department in which Morley is superior to Graham.

Yeah nothing wrong with having a nibble on billy slaters ear is the ?

Is this something else you've invented from my lips?

I think it would be really good to see St pete and Mugwump in a ring for a charity fund raiser. Cage match. Bare knuckle.

I've seen many a grudge on here, but this is getting ridiculous. Someone else mentioned sexual tension, but I wouldn't go that far...

Morley was one of the best forwards in the world for a decade. Both as a 2nd row, and then as a prop.

Don't agree with that at all. Morley never reached anything like his potential until he went to the NRL. In the NRL he had two seasons at the absolute top. Whilst widely respected as a fierce competitor he was being surpassed by younger, better forwards who simply had more to their games.

He couldn't sustain the pace in the NRL (indeed, he was on the verge of being banned out of existence due to persistent high tackling) - so he returned to SL where he gained a career extension.

I'm not saying Morley was a bad player. But as forwards go he was a bit of an anachronism. A throwback to the Aussie "enforcer" forwards of the eighties such as Gillespie or Roberts. As far as skills go he was incredibly limited and couldn't compete with the newer generation of multi-skilled forwards.

Someone talking a bit of sense on this thread. Morley has been one of the best forwards in the world for a long period of time. He was a very good player in his time at Leeds and improved dramatically in Aus.
He was pretty good whilst at Warrington and came to Salford in his twilight years. I was originally against this but I've been impressed with him in his time here and he certainly puts a shift in. He's had some cracking games and doesn't let the side down. Ask any player who's played against him!
Saddened, I didn't hear many Saints fans saying Kevin Ward was "Shiocking" in his twilight years at saints.
Give the man some respect as a great player and great ambassador of our great game.

Above average??? Morley was a brilliant prop. The Aussies hated him. Graham has great ball handling skills (Oi Oiiiiii!!!!) but still, I'd have loved to have seen Morley at Saints.

I'm more than happy to have a boxing match. I don't agree with and blood testing during my training or post fight tho

I agree! Mozza was brilliant player here and become world class in the NRL. One of the modern greats and also set the bench mark for british players playing in the NRL in the super league era. I'm pretty sure the Burgess brothers and jammer wouldnt have been chased if it wasn't fkr the impact mozza had.

It's amazing how so many people can't read plain English.

I DIDN'T say Adrian Morley wasn't a great player.
I DID say Adrian Morley was the best prop in the world.
I DID say Adrian Morley's time at the top was relatively short lived.
I DID say James Graham - considered over the duration of his career and based on the entirety of his skills is a better player than Morley ever was.

Can't people be happy enough with Morley being considered the best prop in the world for eighteen months/two years? Or is it that unless I consider him equally as good as Graham (or better) - which he demonstrably wasn't - they'll all cry?

It seems so.

Pathetic.

Some say that GB would've won by 40 points if he hadn't been sent off.

Based on Britain's performances over the last forty years against Australia I'd love to know on what basis "some people" might possibly think that...

Looks like he's declined the offer. All money couid go to Danny jones

Morley was a very good second row in England, then moved up to prop in Australia. He led the Roosters forward pack in defence in a way I haven't seen any other forward bar Sam Burgess do. He was also always on the verge of being sent off however, because (in the NRL at least) he never got rid of his tendency to swing the arm every now and then.

I'd put him behind Burgess because Burgess was a far better player with the ball (although this was an area Morley did develop a lot). He'd be ahead of Ellis, who was absolutely outstanding for the Tigers. Still undecided as to where I'd put Graham on the list - he can be great but I'd love to see him in a team with better halfbacks so he could use his skill more selectively.

One thing's for sure, if we had Burgess, Morley, Graham and Gareth Ellis all at their peak, I'd genuinely say England had a better pack than Australia. Sadly we don't seem to produce enough of them to get them all on the field at their peak at the same time.

This is broadly what I'm saying. No one would ever suggest Morley was a great forward until he moved to Australia. Whereas Graham was outstanding from the age of 21/22 in SL - and then got even better in the NRL.

Considered over the duration of his career Morley spent far too long as a "talented but raw" forward with not enough time spent as the real deal. Like Jamie Peacock you could never accuse Graham of being anything less than at the top of his game (in the context of the competition he played in) since he matured physically.



Given that neither the Roosters nor the Bunnies are or were in any way short of talent I'd argue that Graham has achieved beyond both. Even the most one-eyed of the Dogs fans admit their side isn't particularly great and yet through Graham's almost single-handed intervention have still managed to achieve two finals.

Like I said - they love him more than Terry Lamb. And any time a Dogs fan says that - you know it's serious.

Good lord they are the same age, but By the Time Peacock had got round to being a Bradford Regular Morley had won a challenge cup, played in a Superleague Grand Final and had decided to Sign for an NRL club. As Good a Ball player James Graham is and As good a Leader Peacock is they dont have a highlights reel Like Morley's.

If he is the last of a dying Breed then shame on the game. I'd rather see Adrian Morley smashing Awen Guttenbeel as revenge for him 12 months earlier smashing a halfback and Standing over him giving it billy big balls...than James Grahams histrionics.

James Graham is all mouth in those situations.....like the "Run again son" to Jason King...I hate Graham's Mouthy stuff it simply means your bark's worse than your bite (I once gave Chris Arkwright a spray... then I ran a ball back from under the sticks he smashed me and gently held my face in a puddle for a while...you learn these things...)

you probably haven't seen enough of Morley in the NRL to make that odd comment. So Its fair enough.
James Graham is a superb ball playing forward and an Absolute Tackling machine, Id have him at wires anyday...but out of Morley's league not a chance......

Absolutely spot on.

Anyone see Morley try to head but the Huddesfield player twice last night and gets off with a talking too?