Does Gene Miles deserve more recognition?

[GCBRONCO]

There was a lot of controversy over the decision to sack Lewis as captain of the Broncos, Gene Miles went on to be his replacement, some consider him a traitor and a backstabber, but I've been reading from various books from different perspectives and I don't see it as a clear cut as that. This is something that has always troubled me as to why he doesn't get more recognition when he captained the Broncos. We may not have won premierships during his captaincy but we certainly improved as a side during it, I'm not arguing it was Lewis's fault we failed to meet the standards in 1988-1989 that were set by the club, I just feel Miles deserves more recognition.

Thoughts?

 

[Big Pete]

Thankfully I don't think Gene carries around that reputation anymore.

When it first happened, obviously that was the agenda some fans ran with because they were upset with the decision to sack Wally. Once the emotion faded and the Broncos went onto win their first premiership not long after, fans were more open to Geno's side of the story.

He's definitely a great of the club and one of the best players of his era. For a centre, was incredibly gifted and unlike a few players of his era, I reckon he could have been great even now if he was coming through the ranks.

My only problem is that if there are any 'large' centres/second row with talent it's 'they can be the next Gene Miles!' and I hate that tag. I think Jack Reed got it which forced me to snap.

But one thing I will say, and maybe it's just a reflection of the age group that posts here but a lot of the 1988-91 Broncos are vastly underrated and rarely get spoken of. It seems as if whenever we reminisce about the Broncos, we basically touch on 98-onwards and rarely anything else.

 

[austin71]

People are already getting bored with the cricket I see lol

 

[Huge]

I must have been always the way I am now, that is I tend to look past the shit dished up in the media. I say that because at the time of Wally's demise as captain, Gene Miles had nothing to answer for as far as I remember . It was entirely WB deciding that he couldn't have a non trainer setting a bad example and setting himself apart from the rest of the team. Wally, great that he is, simply didn't believe he needed to do as much as the others and WB was smart enough to know that would eventually lead to problems. Miles was simply the next best person for the job, I never blamed him one bit. He would have been a top grader in any era.

 

[Charmamba]

People are already getting bored with the cricket I see lol

Just seeing the word puts me to sleep.

 

[1910]

There was a lot of controversy over the decision to sack Lewis as captain of the Broncos, Gene Miles went on to be his replacement, some consider him a traitor and a backstabber, but I've been reading from various books from different perspectives and I don't see it as a clear cut as that. This is something that has always troubled me as to why he doesn't get more recognition when he captained the Broncos. We may not have won premierships during his captaincy but we certainly improved as a side during it, I'm not arguing it was Lewis's fault we failed to meet the standards in 1988-1989 that were set by the club, I just feel Miles deserves more recognition.

Thoughts?

I don't think fans ever turned on Miles, Wally and Miles had a bit of a falling out over it. Ribot and Bennett coped the brunt of the reaction.

Miles is similar to all those original players they are remembered for their form for Wynnum etc and Origin not the Broncos. Miles and Lewis were both close to 30 by the end of the '89 season.

Miles was a great centre and up to his knee injury in '85 was unstoppabe. 86 he was back to his best in the best club side ever: Pre-Season competition, State League Final, Presidents Cup and Premiership.

Lewis had played first grade since 1978. He was set in his ways and didn't have a great relationship with younger players- they wouldn't come to him because of who he was and he wouldn't go to them incase he looked like a knob forcing himself on kids.

Giles joined the club for '90 and weights and training started, it was hard for a lot of those older guys and Lewis was injured most of the year anyway with his shoulder and knee op before the season even started and then two hamstring injuries and his arm during the season and he only played 9 games all year.

Miles was let go as well at the end of '91 and went to Wigan which he was bitter over.

 

[1910]

I must have been always the way I am now, that is I tend to look past the **** dished up in the media. I say that because at the time of Wally's demise as captain, Gene Miles had nothing to answer for as far as I remember . It was entirely WB deciding that he couldn't have a non trainer setting a bad example and setting himself apart from the rest of the team. Wally, great that he is, simply didn't believe he needed to do as much as the others and WB was smart enough to know that would eventually lead to problems. Miles was simply the next best person for the job, I never blamed him one bit. He would have been a top grader in any era.

That's harsh he didn't ever set himself apart, like all those guys he was a product of his time. He'd played first grade since 1978 in a less than professional era, 1990 saw Giles arrive and that start to change- hard to expect a group of 30 year olds to change what they'd been doing for 10 years.

Miles was exactly the same as Lewis- Miles adapted well to Giles and the new methods but Lewis wasn't given a chance he was injured for the whole of 1990.

 

[Huge]

That's harsh he didn't ever set himself apart, like all those guys he was a product of his time. He'd played first grade since 1978 in a less than professional era, 1990 saw Giles arrive and that start to change- hard to expect a group of 30 year olds to change what they'd been doing for 10 years.

Miles was exactly the same as Lewis- Miles adapted well to Giles and the new methods but Lewis wasn't given a chance he was injured for the whole of 1990.

What I wrote was meant to show that by having a lazy attitude to training, something Wally freely admitted, Wally was setting himself apart. I did not intend that Wally thought his shit didn't stink. Wally did have a chance to show a bigger commitment to training as he was not injured for the 'whole of 1990' as you say. He played 8 games of season 1990 before breaking his arm in round 13. Also Gene Miles was a few months older but had grown up in the exact same environment.

 

[1910]

What I wrote was meant to show that by having a lazy attitude to training, something Wally freely admitted, Wally was setting himself apart. I did not intend that Wally thought his **** didn't stink. Wally did have a chance to show a bigger commitment to training as he was not injured for the 'whole of 1990' as you say. He played 8 games of season 1990 before breaking his arm in round 13. Also Gene Miles was a few months older but had grown up in the exact same environment.

He had two operations on his knee and shoulder in the off-season and then during the year did two hamstrings and broke his arm.

The second hamstring was Giles' fault.

9 games in a year, missing Tests and an Origin, Roo Tour, pre-season and 3 operations and coming back for the last 20 minutes of a Prelim Final thrashing and you don't think that could be classed as missing the year?

You're wrong too, Wally had been playing first grade since 1978- two years more than Miles.

 

[Huge]

He had two operations on his knee and shoulder in the off-season and then during the year did two hamstrings and broke his arm.

The second hamstring was Giles' fault.

9 games in a year, missing Tests and an Origin, Roo Tour, pre-season and 3 operations and coming back for the last 20 minutes of a Prelim Final thrashing and you don't think that could be classed as missing the year?

You're wrong too, Wally had been playing first grade since 1978- two years more than Miles.

Strange ! I'm unsure what you're talking about with your last line as I've never said anything about how long either player played first grade so a bit difficult to be 'wrong' when no statement has been made. I didn't say Wally didn't miss out on some things and I didn't say he didn't face obstacles, he most certainly did but he did play almost half the season in 1990. I only pointed out that he had the opportunity to impress with his attitude to training.

He himself said he was a lazy trainer and it was an issue with Frank Stanton too. I thought it was a travesty that he missed going on tour especially when I remember him being wheelbarrowed around on his arm which was broken in round 13. The tour was still weeks/months away and he had passed the physical yet they ruled him out. I think it was because he was going to break some record held by a newsouthwelshman.

 

[FaithinHook]

Strange ! I'm unsure what you're talking about with your last line as I've never said anything about how long either player played first grade so a bit difficult to be 'wrong' when no statement has been made

Well, what can I say! GCB you have certainly opened a can of worms an set the cat amongst the pigeons with starting this thread! Probably (imho) the two most outspoken (AND knowledgable) subscribers on this blog going at it head to toe! I am gonna get the popcorn on an wait for the next round in this battle between 1910 an Huge.. Cant wait

 

[1910]

Strange ! I'm unsure what you're talking about with your last line as I've never said anything about how long either player played first grade so a bit difficult to be 'wrong' when no statement has been made. I didn't say Wally didn't miss out on some things and I didn't say he didn't face obstacles, he most certainly did but he did play almost half the season in 1990. I only pointed out that he had the opportunity to impress with his attitude to training.

He himself said he was a lazy trainer and it was an issue with Frank Stanton too. I thought it was a travesty that he missed going on tour especially when I remember him being wheelbarrowed around on his arm which was broken in round 13. The tour was still weeks/months away and he had passed the physical yet they ruled him out. I think it was because he was going to break some record held by a newsouthwelshman.

You claimed that they grew up in the same environment, but one was playing first grade for Valleys and one was playing in Townsville.

He didn't play anywhere near half the season. 9 club games, two Origins out of a possible three Origins, two mid Year Tests, 18 Australian games on Tour and 25 club games.

11 games v 48 games.

I am not disputing Wally's lack of professional attitude- but he wasn't Robinson Crusoe and if given a fit year and not disaster after disaster he could well have found the attitude he needed to.

He played the Raiders on the 16th off the bench, then the squad was announced two weeks later. Wally did his physical on the 18th for Gibbs and Cross and failed. The conspiracy theory has always been that the NSWRL didn't want him to pass Churchill.

 

[Socnorb]

Well, what can I say! GCB you have certainly opened a can of worms an set the cat amongst the pigeons with starting this thread! Probably (imho) the two most outspoken (AND knowledgable) subscribers on this blog going at it head to toe! I am gonna get the popcorn on an wait for the next round in this battle between 1910 an Huge.. Cant wait

Who's head and who's toe?

 

[Mr Fourex]

There was a lot of controversy over the decision to sack Lewis as captain of the Broncos, Gene Miles went on to be his replacement, some consider him a traitor and a backstabber, but I've been reading from various books from different perspectives and I don't see it as a clear cut as that. This is something that has always troubled me as to why he doesn't get more recognition when he captained the Broncos. We may not have won premierships during his captaincy but we certainly improved as a side during it, I'm not arguing it was Lewis's fault we failed to meet the standards in 1988-1989 that were set by the club, I just feel Miles deserves more recognition.

Thoughts?

I never blamed Gene for what Bennett did to Wal.

But then again, I never hated on Wayne much either, in fact I respected it. Making difficult decisions, the right ones, is the hallmark of every great leader.

 

[GCBRONCO]

I never blamed Gene for what Bennett did to Wal.

But then again, I never hated on Wayne much either, in fact I respected it. Making difficult decisions, the right ones, is the hallmark of every great leader.

I can understand how Wally felt a bit betrayed by Gene, after all they were extremely tight friends, Wayne was in a pretty tough position really, the club had failed to deliver on the first two seasons, he felt the club needed more dedicated leadership both on and off the field, on the field I don't doubt his abilities there as such but I have heard off the field the younger players felt he was not so approachable, he was a lazy trainer which isn't ideal from a leadership figure(one of the main reason's Bennett brought Peter Jackson to the club) and he was also growing more preoccupied with his media commitments. Gene gave up his rep commitments, focused on his own game and the captaincy and I feel became a better player then the earlier years at the Broncos.

I feel for Wally in 1990, it was definitely a season I wish turned out a lot better then it did, I would have loved to have seen him fully fit for the majority of the season at lock(much like Miles I felt Lewis's final years would end up in the backrow), with Kerrod Walters at hooker, Kevin Walters and Allan Langer in the halves and Hauff at fullback, we may have done better in the finals because of it.

The Broncos offered him basically a deal that suggested he should go elsewhere, he went to the Seagulls and really ended his career far worse then it deserved.

 

[Huge]

I may regret this but anyhoo... 1910 has forgotten more than I will ever know about what happened in the past. If in any way I got it wrong , I apologise. My respect for Wally is hard to quantify but it is immense, he made me a believer. When he ran on the field, I believed. I got to witness a golden age where we downtrodden Qlders got respect, Wally , Gene ,WB and many other lesser lights all contributed to earn us the honour we were traditionally denied. They built what we have today ,we were backward hicks in the eyes of the southern clique.

We owe a debt to them including the QRL stalwarts who finally stood up and the Brisbane Broncos who gave us a focal point. Never let it be said that the Broncos hurt rugby league in this state. In fact it was the opposite, they elevated us despite the damage to our state league, damage that had to happen.

I witnessed the highs and lows of the transition and if I could have I would have run through a brick wall for Qld and Wally Lewis. So, that said, Wally got a rough deal through an incredibly tough 1990 and his career ended without a fairytale ending but unless my drunken head got it wrong, he finished his last game as a winner. If I remember it correctly,the Gold Coast were leading by a couple, a desperation bomb was hoisted and Wally caught it on the full, hanging onto it until the hooter blew...a winner to the very end.

 

[Big Pete]

Whenever I talk footy with the folks and the conversation turns to Wally, they'll bring up his last game against Penrith. Never heard about him having to take a bomb, I do know the Gold Coast had to win a scrum against the feed to score a vital try.

Looking at the Gold Coast's record that year. Seemed like a case of 'so close yet so far'.

 

[1910]

I may regret this but anyhoo... 1910 has forgotten more than I will ever know about what happened in the past. If in any way I got it wrong , I apologise. My respect for Wally is hard to quantify but it is immense, he made me a believer. When he ran on the field, I believed. I got to witness a golden age where we downtrodden Qlders got respect, Wally , Gene ,WB and many other lesser lights all contributed to earn us the honour we were traditionally denied. They built what we have today ,we were backward hicks in the eyes of the southern clique.

We owe a debt to them including the QRL stalwarts who finally stood up and the Brisbane Broncos who gave us a focal point. Never let it be said that the Broncos hurt rugby league in this state. In fact it was the opposite, they elevated us despite the damage to our state league, damage that had to happen.

I witnessed the highs and lows of the transition and if I could have I would have run through a brick wall for Qld and Wally Lewis. So, that said, Wally got a rough deal through an incredibly tough 1990 and his career ended without a fairytale ending but unless my drunken head got it wrong, he finished his last game as a winner. If I remember it correctly,the Gold Coast were leading by a couple, a desperation bomb was hoisted and Wally caught it on the full, hanging onto it until the hooter blew...a winner to the very end.

No issues at all.

Sorry no bomb was a grubber behind the line.

Seagulls vs Panthers, round 22 1992 - YouTube