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Wandering Warrior wrote:

SJ wrote:Possibly. WW
You keep the coil wheels turning,the precision tools sharpened and you will stay afloat. (SURD)

Not possibly, it's a fact. He's the main cog in the team, ask anybody that goes watching Wigan!

Exactly without Lockers none of the players show any sign of leadership, our last player was Matty Smith.

Josie's friend wrote:

Wandering Warrior wrote:

SJ wrote:Possibly. WW
You keep the coil wheels turning,the precision tools sharpened and you will stay afloat. (SURD)

Not possibly, it's a fact. He's the main cog in the team, ask anybody that goes watching Wigan!

Exactly without Lockers none of the players show any sign of leadership, our last player was Matty Smith.

bang on...... lockers was captaining the team way too early...... his leadership qualities only bloomed late in his career......matty was a talker and we took a back step replacing him with tommy( regardless of how people didnt rate matty)........ he was one of the best organisers/ in field kickers we have had for a while

Firestarter wrote:

Josie's friend wrote:

Wandering Warrior wrote: Not possibly, it's a fact. He's the main cog in the team, ask anybody that goes watching Wigan!

Exactly without Lockers none of the players show any sign of leadership, our last player was Matty Smith.

bang on...... lockers was captaining the team way too early...... his leadership qualities only bloomed late in his career......matty was a talker and we took a back step replacing him with tommy( regardless of how people didnt rate matty)........ he was one of the best organisers/ in field kickers we have had for a while

I agree with you he wasn't world class, few are but to jettison him was folly as last seasons trials proved

Forget Smith. He could not lead a supermarket trolley around Tescos.

In the WC Lockers proved he was still world class and his loss for the final was a huge blow for England.

Lockers is one of those players who when surrounded by even better players than he is at his club, excels to greater levels. Players like Smith and also Sinfield found their level in SL. Neither ever looked comfortable at international level whereas Lockers looked an even better player than at club level. Look at Gale. He's another who for Cas has been great but for England found wanting. Others step up and look better, Lockers being the best of the lot IMO.

I never advocate players leaving Wigan for the NRL but had Lockers done so I am absolutely convinced he would have won the Dally M in the NRL.

DaveO wrote:Forget Smith. He could not lead a supermarket trolley around Tescos.

In the WC Lockers proved he was still world class and his loss for the final was a huge blow for England.

Lockers is one of those players who when surrounded by even better players than he is at his club, excels to greater levels. Players like Smith and also Sinfield found their level in SL. Neither ever looked comfortable at international level whereas Lockers looked an even better player than at club level. Look at Gale. He's another who for Cas has been great but for England found wanting. Others step up and look better, Lockers being the best of the lot IMO.

I never advocate players leaving Wigan for the NRL but had Lockers done so I am absolutely convinced he would have won the Dally M in the NRL.

I totally agree Dave.

shaunedwardsfan​club​ wrote:

DaveO wrote:Forget Smith. He could not lead a supermarket trolley around Tescos.

In the WC Lockers proved he was still world class and his loss for the final was a huge blow for England.

Lockers is one of those players who when surrounded by even better players than he is at his club, excels to greater levels. Players like Smith and also Sinfield found their level in SL. Neither ever looked comfortable at international level whereas Lockers looked an even better player than at club level. Look at Gale. He's another who for Cas has been great but for England found wanting. Others step up and look better, Lockers being the best of the lot IMO.

I never advocate players leaving Wigan for the NRL but had Lockers done so I am absolutely convinced he would have won the Dally M in the NRL.

I totally agree Dave.

Me too!!

On another RL site a person who posts on here selected his/her team, left Williams out and preferred a 20 year old "project player" to Lockers at loose or indeed in the team!
Presumably the latter must have been based on a few you tube clips and a bagfull of SW's ripping it up BS?
The mind boggles at the selection and you could almost think it's a wind up except for it being a serial of silly comments!:lol:

jasonnlouise wrote:Personally I'd say he was a better loose forward than Burgess can't disagree about number one he's an awesome forward

Agree that Taumalolo is light years ahead of any other player currently wearing the 13 shirt however Burgess is arguably the best “all round forward” in the world game today!

We all love our NRL & those who watch regular see Big Sam’s influence on his Souths team. He’s equally adept at any role in the pack (not seen him at 9 yet!) & can pop up in the center too,twice last season I recall after GI blew up.

The bunnies have clearly struggled recently but they rely so heavily on Sam & Inglis it’s actually got to the point they can’t function effectively if one or both are missing!

The Aussie commentators/fans love him to the point he’s rated on a par with their all time greats. I was looking through some Aussie forums last week where they picked their all time best ever 17,based on players watched live in the NRL.

Burgess featured pretty much in all bar a couple of the 80 or so squads chosen! (A few QLD only teams ????) Mozza,Mal Reilly,Kev Ward also got in quite a few selections as did Jimmy Graham but no Pommie has ever made an impact on the Australian RL viewer like Big Sam has done.

Wikimann wrote:

jasonnlouise wrote:Personally I'd say he was a better loose forward than Burgess can't disagree about number one he's an awesome forward

Agree that Taumalolo is light years ahead of any other player currently wearing the 13 shirt however Burgess is arguably the best “all round forward” in the world game today!

We all love our NRL & those who watch regular see Big Sam’s influence on his Souths team. He’s equally adept at any role in the pack (not seen him at 9 yet!) & can pop up in the center too,twice last season I recall after GI blew up.

The bunnies have clearly struggled recently but they rely so heavily on Sam & Inglis it’s actually got to the point they can’t function effectively if one or both are missing!

The Aussie commentators/fans love him to the point he’s rated on a par with their all time greats. I was looking through some Aussie forums last week where they picked their all time best ever 17,based on players watched live in the NRL.

Burgess featured pretty much in all bar a couple of the 80 or so squads chosen! (A few QLD only teams ????) Mozza,Mal Reilly,Kev Ward also got in quite a few selections as did Jimmy Graham but no Pommie has ever made an impact on the Australian RL viewer like Big Sam has done.

I suppose it depends on what you look for in your 13, Burgess is a better all round pack player than lockers but has no-where near the skill set of lockers.

Lockers can kick and pass as good as any half back in the league, that left to right pass against saints he did a couple of years back a full tilt an example of how good he is.

Thats what makes lockers such a freak of a player

Wigan_forever19​85​ wrote:

Wikimann wrote:

jasonnlouise wrote:Personally I'd say he was a better loose forward than Burgess can't disagree about number one he's an awesome forward

Agree that Taumalolo is light years ahead of any other player currently wearing the 13 shirt however Burgess is arguably the best “all round forward” in the world game today!

We all love our NRL & those who watch regular see Big Sam’s influence on his Souths team. He’s equally adept at any role in the pack (not seen him at 9 yet!) & can pop up in the center too,twice last season I recall after GI blew up.

The bunnies have clearly struggled recently but they rely so heavily on Sam & Inglis it’s actually got to the point they can’t function effectively if one or both are missing!

The Aussie commentators/fans love him to the point he’s rated on a par with their all time greats. I was looking through some Aussie forums last week where they picked their all time best ever 17,based on players watched live in the NRL.

Burgess featured pretty much in all bar a couple of the 80 or so squads chosen! (A few QLD only teams ????) Mozza,Mal Reilly,Kev Ward also got in quite a few selections as did Jimmy Graham but no Pommie has ever made an impact on the Australian RL viewer like Big Sam has done.

I suppose it depends on what you look for in your 13, Burgess is a better all round pack player than lockers but has no-where near the skill set of lockers.

Lockers can kick and pass as good as any half back in the league, that left to right pass against saints he did a couple of years back a full tilt an example of how good he is.

Thats what makes lockers such a freak of a player

Totally agree ???? & it’s evident even from all those squads I mentioned that were chosen on those Aussie forums,that it’s very much a ‘generational’ thing in most
cases.

It was noticeable that many of the people picking the teams were clearly of an age that never got to see the great ball handling locks in the flesh as it were.

Only a few picked the likes of Ray Price,Wayne Pearce,Gavin Miller,Bob Lindner or Bradley Clyde,all of whom were superbly skilfull & amongst the best ever 13’s.
A few even picked SBW which caused real consternation but tbf he was actually a very good modern day ball handler with size/pace & hits in his armoury. Possibly closer to the Big Sam or Ellery type of player than an old school traditional lock as he played in various pack/back positions himself including 5/8 or center at times.

An older poster mentioned Johnny Raper & was disgusted so few had chosen him as he was probably ‘THE’ best ever seen exponent of the 13 art but that’s the problem in itself,hardly anyone would have ever watched him play live.

GB always had those ball handling locks,something the Aussies always admired about our game & still mention to this day.

Lockers & Sculthorpe (sadly 2 of the last we will probably see) being part of that rich tradition that was always there in this country going right back to the days of Vinny Karalius,who I never saw play at his prime due to my age but did get to meet him plenty when he retired to live on the IOM not too far from me.

Big Sam is the pinnacle of a new generation of the do it all pack monster that seems to be the way to go now in Australia,a combination of Paul Harragon’s intimidating size & power mixed with Steve Menzies handling & offloading ability with Ben Kennedy’s relentless tackling technique!
It’s clearly a mould that most NRL coaches have chosen to look at replicating in the modern game.