Who was the most talented forward out of Dave Taylor or Tevita Pangai Junior?

[BooKhaki]

Taylor more talent, TPJ better athlete. Both fallen well short of potential, at least TPJ can still get there.

Taylor could throw a 20m cut out, and kick a 40/20.
TPJ is a brute with a silky offload.

 

[Mr Fourex]

RE Taylor
He just didn't have it in him.....as soon as it wasn't fun anymore he didn't want to play.

he had Alfie's skills in a gorilla's body.

 

[Scorchie]

They posted the Kemp/Locky try today on socials. That WoW jersey squad could’ve been something special

 

[BroncosAlways]

Dave Taylor by a long way lol What a shame he had such a malignant peaheart. Where did he eventually end up? Playing for the Cutters while looking like he ate George Rose?

Holy shit, 0:33 this might be the best unintentional “Alan!” meme I’ve ever seen in a real situation. The last yell by the ref got me.

 

[Wolfie]

Dave Taylor by a long way lol What a shame he had such a malignant peaheart. Where did he eventually end up? Playing for the Cutters while looking like he ate George Rose?

I dont think he actually had a pea heart tbh. He just didnt have the drive or determination to make the most of what he had. The bloke just wanted to go out on the field and play footy, but he didnt want to put in the hard work off the field to make him the best. I've said it before, but if you stuck the brain of Cooper Cronk in the body of Dave Taylor, you probably have one of the greatest players to have ever laced up a boot.

 

[WASSHHH]

It really isn’t even close - Taylor every day and twice on Sunday’s.

At Brendan’s he was kicking goals from the sideline - he quite literally had all the skills. He was just dumb and lazy.

TPJ had nowhere near the skills of Taylor and, as it turned out, was actually quite a toxic influence on the place.

 

[theshed]

I dont think he actually had a pea heart tbh. He just didnt have the drive or determination to make the most of what he had. The bloke just wanted to go out on the field and play footy, but he didnt want to put in the hard work off the field to make him the best. I've said it before, but if you stuck the brain of Cooper Cronk in the body of Dave Taylor, you probably have one of the greatest players to have ever laced up a boot.

Yeah I think on pure natural ability and skill Dave Taylor and Hayne are in a field of their own. Hayne is imo easily the most gifted NRL player to have existed.

Unfortunately neither had the character to be really special. If by some insane coincidence either landed, as you said, the brain and attitude of Cronk or Slater they’d be the MJ of league - that is there wouldn’t even be a debate about who’s the best.

 

[McHunt]

This is the Dave Taylor I remember:

Dave Taylor winds back the clock with a quick tap and kick in All Stars game

Former NRL player Dave Taylor gave the crowd what they wanted when he went for a quick tap in a Central Queensland Highlands All…

www.theroar.com.au

This is the Tevita Pangai I remember:

 

[Big Pete]

Hayne is imo easily the most gifted NRL player to have existed.

Of his generation? GI.

Just like Hayne, I don't think we ever got to see his best consistently.

 

[Sproj]

Of his generation? GI.

Just like Hayne, I don't think we ever got to see his best consistently.

I'm in list mode, so here you go based purely on talent, best 17 of that generation (and this is VERY arguable):

1. Slater (Hayne had that amazing season but so did Barba, Slater was there or there abouts though for basically his whole fullback career)
2. Hayne
3. Inglis
4. Folau
5. Yow Yeh
6. Marshall
7. Thurston
8. A.Fifita
9. Smith
10. D.Taylor
11. Thaiday
12. $.Williams
13. Taumololo

 

[WASSHHH]

I'm in list mode, so here you go based purely on talent, best 17 of that generation (and this is VERY arguable):

1. Slater (Hayne had that amazing season but so did Barba, Slater was there or there abouts though for basically his whole fullback career)
2. Hayne
3. Inglis
4. Folau
5. Yow Yeh
6. Marshall
7. Thurston
8. A.Fifita
9. Smith
10. D.Taylor
11. Thaiday
12. $.Williams
13. Taumololo

Lol.

Granted, I haven’t been on here for quite a while, but unless I missed a seismic development, I didn’t think you ever left ‘list mode’.

 

[Big Pete]

I'm in list mode, so here you go based purely on talent, best 17 of that generation (and this is VERY arguable):

1. Slater (Hayne had that amazing season but so did Barba, Slater was there or there abouts though for basically his whole fullback career)
2. Hayne
3. Inglis
4. Folau
5. Yow Yeh
6. Marshall
7. Thurston
8. A.Fifita
9. Smith
10. D.Taylor
11. Thaiday
12. $.Williams
13. Taumololo

The one thing your list largely has in common is that they were born in the 80s. The only exception is Taumalolo who was born in 93, so I'd safetly say he'd be apart of the current generation. One player that stood out to me was Radradra, but he was born '92 so I'd keep him off.

With that said, I'd push Folau to the wing and Hodges into the centres. It's tough to split him, Lyon and Gasnier but I don't think the other two had as high a ceiling as Hodgo did in 2006/07.

I'd have Sam Burgess in the pack ahead of Thaiday and would settle for Gal at 13.

 

[theshed]

This is the Dave Taylor I remember:

Dave Taylor winds back the clock with a quick tap and kick in All Stars game

Former NRL player Dave Taylor gave the crowd what they wanted when he went for a quick tap in a Central Queensland Highlands All…

www.theroar.com.au

This is the Tevita Pangai I remember:

Who’s that fleet footed 5/8 they keep calling Milford? Did Anthony have a brother?

 

[WASSHHH]

Who’s that fleet footed 5/8 they keep calling Milford? Did Anthony have a brother?

Worst thing Roberts did was leave the Broncos, or perhaps more accurately, go back to Sydney.

Truth be told though, Seibold was never going to be able to keep him on the straight and narrow either. Shame really.

That said, as quickly as I grew to like him, I disliked him even quicker after he elbowed Oates in the back of the head on the ground. Real dog shot.

 

[Mr Fourex]

Hayne is imo easily the most gifted NRL player to have existed.

Bold statement........some may even suggest ridiculous.

 

[McHunt]

Bold statement........some may even suggest ridiculous.

I'd pretty much forgotten how good Hayne was in his prime, so I went back and dug up some highlights from his Dally M winning year.

Everyone here agrees that Herbie is a "gun," and there's a push to move him to fullback because of it.

I want you to look at a guy who was a "gun" at fullback, and compare the set of skills he has compared to what we've seen from Herbie to date. Look at his general awareness of the players around him, his support play, his passing game, his step, his return, his defence, everything. Tally up how many traits you see he has that make a great fullback. He wasn't freakish and arsey, he was rock solid in every area. The same way Wally Lewis was no athlete, yet still a match-winner.

For me, though, JT was even better.

It should be a wakeup call to how one-dimensional we are in attack.

 

[Sproj]

I'd pretty much forgotten how good Hayne was in his prime, so I went back and dug up some highlights from his Dally M winning year.

Everyone here agrees that Herbie is a "gun," and there's a push to move him to fullback because of it.

I want you to look at a guy who was a "gun" at fullback, and compare the set of skills he has compared to what we've seen from Herbie to date. Look at his general awareness of the players around him, his support play, his passing game, his step, his return, his defence, everything. Tally up how many traits you see he has that make a great fullback. He wasn't freakish and arsey, he was rock solid in every area. The same way Wally Lewis was no athlete, yet still a match-winner.

For me, though, JT was even better.

It should be a wakeup call to how one-dimensional we are in attack.

I agree with your sentiment about our attack needing to develop but I think Mam and Walsh will really help with that but in terms of Herbie, give him a break man. Jayne wasn’t Jayne the moment he went to fullback. It took him time to develop and then he exploded. Herbie would need to be given time too. And no I’m not saying he will get to Jayne’s level at peak Jayne either, I’m just saying that it took him time and there’s a reason why Jayne’s season was so memorable, it was freakish.

The only players in recent memory who have come close are Barba and Slater and Slater did it year in, year out but again, that’s a big hint as to why he will one day likely be an immortal.

Herbie could every bit be as good as his contemporaries in Tedesco, Edwards, etc and that would be pretty impressive if he got to that level but again, it’s all moot as unless Walsh gets injured, he won’t be fullback anyway. We should just let Herbie be an elite centre and hopefully that’s enough for him because he’s already one of the best in the game there.

 

[theshed]

Bold statement........some may even suggest ridiculous.

I stand by it. I said “gifted”. He is the most gifted player but unfortunately he relied on his natural gifts and didn’t develop his game or have heart. But physically yes, he had everything an NRL player could ask for.

Please feel free to discuss why you disagree.