There's still people around who would have seen Bevan play, albeit for most it would have been watching the live game, no TV replays or pundits questioning his defence or ability to field a high ball or whatever the critics would say. Yes, his record is amazing, 740 tries from 620 apps, but for some he's just a legend because other people have told them he is.

Probably the same people though who were not old enough to see Jack Fish score 215 tries and 262 goals in his 321 apps from 1898-1911, which makes him perhaps a legend too, just not as current as Bevan.

So Bevan gets the nod over Fish, whilst for people who have only say watched the game for the last 30 or less years, is their opinion of "legends" they have actually watched and judged really any less valid, regardless of whether its Hicks, Grose, Monaghan ?

They are making an informed personal choice based on what they've actually seen.

It will always be the fallibility of this sort of poll, yet regardless of the names that end up in the Legends XIII if just a few more people learn, and understand, not only about the past greats, but also appreciate those players fans now see as their modern favorites, then the debate can only be a good thing from all sides.

To have the world record holder for tries scored, for him to have played for us for pretty much all of his career and not to classify him as a legend would be perverse, whether you’ve seen him or not.

I never saw Pele play but he’s obviously a legend.

Or Don Bradman.

The best ever have to be legends, surely...

And Bevan is best try scorer ever.

Should I add a debating point that players from different generations were often paying a fundamentally different form of rugby league (or football, or cricket), with different rules and different social circumstances (e.g. full time workers playing at weekends etc compared to full time professional players, and all that comes in between, and often a mix of the two).

Sure, let's not forget these long standing legends, but just to always include them without consideration of other players, and other people's points of view, is just lazy.

Yeah, I don’t disagree. Just take the last 40 years in cricket and England all rounders. Are all three of the following legends? Botham, Flintoff, Stokes... and if so, how do they compare to the legends of yesteryear, e.g. Sir Garfield Sobers?

Couldn't be ar5ed about clicking on it, as the outcome will be top heavy with recent players (not a whinge, just an observation) .

I remember reading something about these polls. The voting demographic always seems to be hugely weighted to the under 25's, hence relatively new things always seem to win/complete the majority of the top 10

Top 100
Films
Footballers
Movie Stars
Groups/pop stars
Celebrity chefs
Children's TV shows
For examples

Oooooooh now we're talking. Let me see, top 3.

Films - The Empire Strikes Back, Billy Liar, My Fair Lady
Footballers - Bryan Robson, Paolo Rossi, Ryan Giggs
Movie Stars - Audrey Hepburn, Tom Courtenay, Russel Crowe
Groups/pop stars - The Smiths, The Clash, The Detroit Cobras
Celebrity chefs - Nigella Lawson, Nigella Lawson, Nigella Lawson
Children's TV shows - Tiswas (Sally James mainly), Banana Splits, The Tweenies

Films - Life of Brian, Jaws, Gladiator
Footballers - Bob Latchford, Maradonna, Francesco Totti
Movie Stars - Roy Scheider, Rodert de Niro, Scarlett Johansson
Groups/pop stars - Motorhead, Venom, Twisted Sister
Celebrity chefs - Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall , Nigella Lawson, Rick Stein
Children's TV shows - Tiswas (Sally James mainly), Banana Splits, Wacky Races

Films - Goodfellas, Star Wars, Raging Bull
Footballers - Paolo Maldini, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Ruud Gullit
Movie Stars - Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Bradley Cooper
Groups/pop stars - The Small Faces, The Who, The Smiths
Celebrity chefs - Nigella Lawson, Gordon Ramsey, Simon Rimmer
Children's TV shows - MASK, Thundercats, He-Man

oohhh, this is fun

Films - Yellowbeard, Apocalypse now, Predator
Footballers - Maradona, Duncan Ferguson, Redondo
Movie Stars - Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken..... i think thats it
Groups/pop stars - At The Drive In, Brand New, Megadeth
Celebrity chefs - you what?
Children's TV shows - I hate them all equally, but there is a special place in Hell for Mr Tumble and Paw Patrol

Films... 12 angry men, Chinatown, Jurassic park
Footballers... Zidane, Ronaldo (original/fat), Tugay
Movie Stars... Audrey Hepburn, Jack Nicholson, Susan sarandon
Groups/pop stars... Godspeed You! Black emperor, Leonard Cohen, rage against the machine
Celebrity chefs... Nigel Slater, Rachael khoo, huge furry whatshisname
Children's TV shows... Mask, knightmare, pirates of dark water

Do enjoy a list.

"Legends"
1. Johnson
2. B Bevan
3. Challinor
4. Cullen
5. J Bevan
6. Helme
7. Gordon
8. Boyd
9. M Monaghan
10. Chisnall
11. Roberts
12. Eccles
13. M Gregory

Other stuff:
Films; Return of the King, Apocalypse Now, Twelve Monkeys
Footballers; Hoddle, Best, Ardiles
Movie Stars; Ollie Reed, Allen, Wayne
Pop Groups/Stars; Guthrie, Dylan, Hackett
Chefs; Delia (where R U) Smith, Jamie (pucka) Oliver, Keith Floyd
Kids TV; Mary, Mungo and Midge, Trumpton, Bod

films steptoe and son ride again rocky horror picture show duel
footballers zola terry mcdermot gascoigne
movie stars susan sarandon gene wilder sid james
groups the smiths scho and the bunnymen squeeze
celeb chefs none zzzzzzzzzzzzz
kids tv shows chuckle brothers wacky races tom and jerry

A Bombay ehawk would've left more

Derailtastic

Oh no, what have I created?

Go on, then
Films...The Long Good Friday, Excalibur, Blazing Saddles
Footballers.....Lake, Kinkladze, Goater.


Messi, Yaya, Silva(D)
Music. Genesis
Chefs Nigella, Sophie Dahl both for their cooking ability, obviously
Kids TV, Pipkins, Tiswas, Wacky Races, Stop The Pigeon

I like the cut of your jib, Sir

Films dead mans shoes, martyrs (French version) American history x
Footballers Ian rush razor ruddock and Robbie fowler
Movie Stars Christian bale denzel Washington Michelle phieffer ( batman 2)
Groups/pop stars prince Bowie the fratellies
Celebrity chefs none
Children's TV shows fun house wackaday and going live

blazing saddles..what a film..the do gooder brigade would go off there heads if this was put on telly..gunna dig this out of my collection and give it a viewing...gene wilder what a guy

It's also because the recent era has been the most successful since the Bevan days, so you would expect a higher proportion of recent players. One of the main criticisms of TS was that he didn't win more trophies with the squad he had available - which isn't a charge that gets put against Brian Johnson or Tony Barrow.

If this thread had been created in 2007, I wonder which recent players would be getting nominations for legend status and having the older guard up in arms. Danny Nutley, Nick Fozzard, Sid Domic and Toa Kohe-Love might have been good shouts.

Shawshank redemption, point break,
Gladiator.

Fowler Gerrard Carra

Densel Washington, Morgan freeman Patrick Swayze

Gordon Ramsey rick stein m roux

Chuckle brothers ,

Got add comedians jasper carrot

Films Star Wars: (A New Hope), Grease, Convoy, Close Encounters, Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Footballers: Sammy McCilroy, Gerry Armstrong, Pat Jennings.
Movie Stars: George Formby, Laurel and Hardy, Will Hay.
Music: George Formby, Barry Manilow, Wham!...Tbh as you can see most everything, except that ragga rnb shat.
TV Chefs, Gary Rhodes, Graham Kerr (The Galloping Gourmet), Brian Turner.
Kids TV: Joe 90, Clopper Castle, Magic Roundabout.

Sheriff's comin'

Films Some Like it Hot, Jason and the Argonauts, Napoleon Dynamite (obviously) Kes
Footballers Best Law Charlton Cantona
Movie Stars Marilyn Munroe, Robert de Nero, Oliver Reed
Music Led Zepplin, Genesis, Pink Floyd
TV Chefs Keith Floyd
Kids TV Fireball XL5, Thunderbirds, Banana Splits

I forgot about Planes, Trains & Automobiles!!

That’d be one of my many options for number 3 in my list after Casablanca and Goodfellas or Goodfellas and Casablanca.

We are way to far away from the title of the thread, I thought I would try to pull us back:

In my time finally I would have to say Legend status goes to Mike Gregory for everything that he was.

My old fella would have been torn between Harry Bath and Brian Bevan.