VOTE BroncosHQ's Best Ever 17 - Lock

[Big Pete]

Nominees
Terry Matterson
Corey Parker
Tonie Carroll
Peter Ryan
Kevin Campion
Darren Smith
Gene Miles
Wally Lewis

Please select one of the nominated players. If you select other please identify them in this thread.

 

[GCBRONCO]

Tough one this one, comes down to Matterson, Carroll and Parker for me, have to give it some thought.

 

[Big Pete]

Wanted to get this and the second row list out at around the same time so voters could configure the backrow how they saw fit.

I remember back in 07 when the Broncos announced they were assembling a squad of the 20 best players and how it inspired a lot of message boards like this to put together their best 17. For the most part, I haven't seen too many changes to how that team would look, with one exception and that's the lock position. Ever since Parker came into replace TC in 2009, I believe he improved markedly as a player and did a fantastic job of establishing himself as one of the best premier backrows in the game and I'd dare say in that narrow time period he's been our best player week in, week out. So he's done a great job to break into a team that I thought was made of stone.

Quick rundown...

Matterson still holds the record for most appearances at a lock and was a pivotal part of our early success. A very skillful player, the only downside to him is the lack of a representative status. While some may argue that this team should be about Broncos performances and Broncos performances only, I believe it's important that these players were good enough to force the selectors hands. Terry rarely put up a case in that regard and in such a tight race it counts against him.

TC is a victim of his own versatility and inability to stay on the field. On his day, TC was one of the most imposing players in the game who could make even the toughest players wince as he drove his shoulder into their bread baskets. Was also very handy close to the line as he'd shift out to the right fringe where him and Locky would combine.

Ryan was another player who could really hurt you in defence. Not as well rounded as other candidates but worth a shout as he played his role in a couple of our premiership victories, highlighted by a crunching tackle on livewire Sharks fullback, David Peachey.

Campo was a tough nut journey men lock who made his name up in Brisbane and provided some starch (love that word in the RL vernacular) to the club. No thrills, all grit but he complimented the team well.

Next three in Smith, Miles and Lewis are just options for those who couldn't vote them into the position they wanted and wanted to include them elsewhere.

Notable omissions

Carlaw - Played more games than either Lewis or Miles, just doesn't have the status and was a better player out-wide.

Others: Harrison, Gillett, Lee, Stagg, Eastwood, Thaiday.

Harrison, Lee, Stagg and Eastwood could have been in the conversation had they stayed with the club or played more games. All had makings of good locks but played their best footy elsewhere or just never overcame their injuries. Gillett & Thaiday figuratively could be in the conversation but both are always thought of as fringe runners.

 

[Porthoz]

Eenie, meenie, moe... Parker it is.

 

[Morkel]

Tunza.

 

[Battler]

Carroll was one of my favourite players, but I reckon Parker has become the more accomplished of the two of late.

 

[mitch222]

Parker in his later years has just shaded Carroll here even though Carroll was a loyal soldier for so many years and his hitman ability was unrivalled. The way he looked after Locky throughout his career was a sight to see as I cant think of any other player who were a tandem in defence.

 

[GCBRONCO]

Matterson still holds the record for most appearances at a lock and was a pivotal part of our early success. A very skillful player, the only downside to him is the lack of a representative status. While some may argue that this team should be about Broncos performances and Broncos performances only, I believe it's important that these players were good enough to force the selectors hands. Terry rarely put up a case in that regard and in such a tight race it counts against him.

TBH from my perspective I don't care too much about rep status when it comes to deciding this, Steve Renouf for example though was a regular in rep sides never really replicated the same form at that level as he did at club level, not that I'm standing here claiming Matterson is on the same level of Renouf, just that I think a rep career can give a false indication of how good a player they were, I don't think Matterson or Johns really struggled to make a case for selection, rather that there was such quality for NSW to go with in their positions, it was always going to be a hard case for them to crack those sides, the real question is would they crack it at the level given the chance on a more frequent opportunity, I don't doubt they would. Each to their own mate, my opinion is no more or less valid then yours.

Having said that I'll go with Corey Parker, initially in his career I dismissed him as another solid forward coming through the ranks, the type that would come on, go through the workload but wouldn't really be the sort to trouble the opposition that match, over time I was proved wrong in a different sense, he still had the workload to offer(and it improved dramatically) but he developed a real offloading game to give an extra dimension to his attacking game, I agree with Big Pete, week in and week out Parker for sometime has been our best with consistency and his one player we will definitely miss when he retires or moves on.

Matterson and Tunsa unlucky but at the end of the day I feel Parker was the better player of the three.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

I can't decide between Tunza and Parker. They are were/are both exceptional locks

 

[GCBRONCO]

You would have to think he would make the bench, make an ideal impact forward that's for sure!

 

[Big Pete]

TBH from my perspective I don't care too much about rep status when it comes to deciding this, Steve Renouf for example though was a regular in rep sides never really replicated the same form at that level as he did at club level, not that I'm standing here claiming Matterson is on the same level of Renouf, just that I think a rep career can give a false indication of how good a player they were, I don't think Matterson or Johns really struggled to make a case for selection, rather that there was such quality for NSW to go with in their positions, it was always going to be a hard case for them to crack those sides, the real question is would they crack it at the level given the chance on a more frequent opportunity, I don't doubt they would. Each to their own mate, my opinion is no more or less valid then yours.

Rep status isn't the end all to be end all but it counts when you're trying to split hairs, as is the case with Matterson and Parker.

Corey Parker experienced an even greater challenge than Matterson. Not only was Parker trying to break into a champion Queensland line-up, he had to completely change the mind of selectors who had written him off way back in 2005 as a club player.

6 years later he gets a start and then goes onto break into the Australian team.

That on top of what I said about him being our most consistent performer since 2009 gives him the edge.

 

[GCBRONCO]

Rep status isn't the end all to be end all but it counts when you're trying to split hairs, as is the case with Matterson and Parker.

Corey Parker experienced an even greater challenge than Matterson. Not only was Parker trying to break into a champion Queensland line-up, he had to completely change the mind of selectors who had written him off way back in 2005 as a club player.

6 years later he gets a start and then goes onto break into the Australian team.

That on top of what I said about him being our most consistent performer since 2009 gives him the edge.

That's a fair enough argument, but IMO what made him a better player was how he developed at the Broncos and it took a lot of work to get there, rather then cracking the Queensland side, which granted at the time was a big achievement in itself but was more of a product of what he became because of the work he put in, having said that IMO SOO from a team strength perspective from both sides, more so in NSW's case was a lot stronger in Matterson's timeframe then say it is now for both sides, lets not kid ourselves NSW are no where near as strong compared to the sides they could field during than, not that I'm dismissing Parker's achievement or Queensland's for that matter a champion side that was hard for the majority of players to crack, I just don't think Matterson was any less a player for it, doesn't mean I think his the best lock we have had either.

 

[Big Pete]

Parker's ability to break in and retain his spot is an objective indication of his achievement and superiority over Matterson.

Plus, Queensland were a far more successful team when Parker made the spot his own than any period of Matterson's career.

 

[Ari Gold]

I guess it depends if this is a paper team or a hypothetical team you intend to field. I feel Parker has achieved slightly more than Tunza but if you were actually going to a field a team with all our superstars in it then Tunza is easily a better fit as I feel Parker's qualities would be less valuable when you have guys like Tallis, Webcke and Lazarus around.

 

[GCBRONCO]

Parker's ability to break in and retain his spot is an objective indication of his achievement and superiority over Matterson.

Plus, Queensland were a far more successful team when Parker made the spot his own than any period of Matterson's career.

Open for debate really, the sides NSW have fielded in the last 9 serie's are amongst the weakest they have fielded in SOO history, which I think even the Queensland side of 1995 wouldn't have much trouble against and they faced a far superior NSW outfit in that series, I don't think the side that won 8 in a row would have been anywhere as successful against the sides NSW put out during Matterson's career.

At the end of the day I don't think it really matters, I still think Parker overall is the better player when it comes to the crunch, but I don't think any less of Matterson for not being a regular rep player, at club level he was outstanding that counts more IMO, then how you go at rep level, Thaiday could learn a lot from that.

 

[GCBRONCO]

Interesting 6-4 currently between Parker and Carroll, still open.

 

[Super Freak]

Tunza.

He ran hard and he tackled hard. His defense was a sight I loved seeing for many years. Parker just doesn't have the same mongrel that Tunza had.

Parker is in my team, but just not at lock.

 

[ningnangnong]

Voted for Tunza in the second row, so I won't double dip - went with Parker here.

He's always been solid for us, but the amount of improvement in his game over the course of the previous five years is just phenomenal. He's turned into an absolute powerhouse.

The one shining light in quite a drab period.