Who were rugby league’s best 40 tacklers in 40 years across BRL and Queensland Cup local footy?
Who were rugby league’s hardest hitters across the past 40 years of local BRL and Queensland Cup rugby league? Some of league’s finest are helping us count down the toughest tacklers. Today, it’s numbers 30-21
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Who were rugby league’s best 40 bone crunching big hitters across the last 40 years of local BRL or Queensland Cup rugby league?
After canvassing an array of past players and coaches, we present the second in a four-part instalment, the biggest hitters, No.21-30.
Yesterday we featured part 1, the BONE CRUNCHING BEST: No. 31-40
No. 21.
KIERAN LANDER
A Wests junior who established himself in the BRL with the Ipswich Jets, the biggest complement one can pay Lander was that when oppositions did video on Ipswich, opponents would mutter about not running in Lander’s direction. “He was a tough bugger,’’ said former long serving BRL player and coach, Wayne Treleaven.
No. 22.
BILLY MCCONNICIE
Ipswich have had some tough combatants over the years and Billy McConnicie comfortably makes this list. Appropriately he was nicknamed Madness and he hit like a bucking bull trying to shake a Cowboys off his back. Hardman to get past in the defensive line.
No. 23.
DAN STAINS
The former Toowoomba and Brisbane Brothers backrower was an ideal build for a heavy hitter and he found plenty of ribs and sternums in his time. He played a huge game for Brothers against Wynnum-Manly in the 1986 BRL grand final and it was little surprise that Jack Gibson, who loved his defensive tough men, was able to lure him to Sydney to play for Cronulla. Stains then went on to play State of Origin for Queensland.
No. 24
DANNY BURKE
Redcliffe second rower Danny Burke marches into the best ever hitters group with ease, according to current Souths Logan coach Jon Buchanan. “He was not a massive man and probably the perfect No13 for today,’’ Buchanan said. He said Redcliffe had some tough boys in the pack during the Neil Wharton-Anthony Griffin-coached era, and Burke was among the best in the defensive line.
No. 25.
BRYAN NIEBLING
The ex-Valleys and Redcliffe workhorse Niebling is best known as a defensive specialist who helped hold the middle for Queensland on State of Origin night. Nielbing was a bit like a loyal medieval soldier walking the castle battlement in protection of his king, except on the rugby league field his King was Wally Lewis. In Origins he would keep bigger NSW forwards from dominating which gave Lewis a chance to orchestrate his backline. Former Queensland and Australian forward of the 1970s and fellow second rower David Wright loved the way Nielbing played and called for his inclusion in this list.
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No. 26
PETER LEHMANN
The former Brisbane Brothers five-eigh is the dark horse on this list of the BRL’s big hitters, but for two of the codes great coaches, Jack Gibson and Wayne Bennett, his inclusion would not surprise. The Brisbane schoolteacher was known as Marceau Marcel – the famous mime actor – because of his quiet demeanour. But there was nothing subdued about his tackling. “Once you get the wind taken out, you remember them next time,’’ said former Test half Mark Murray said. “He got under me one day at Corbett Park and took wind out of me. He was not a big bloke, but he had a good shot in him,’’ Murray added
No. 27
JOHN GRIEVE
A Bundaberg kid, Grieve initially went to Manly-Warringah and won a premiership with Sunshine Coast in the Queensland Cup while contracted with the Sea Eagles. He then joined Wynnum and became a premiership player. “He was strong, as hard as a rock. He did not look like he’d throw his weight around, but he was one of the best hitters I have coached,’’ said Jon Buchanan. “I reckon a lot of boys who played against him would say he hit really hard. I was lucky in 2013-14, I often had him and David Stagg and Mitchell Dodd on the same side of the field,’’ Buchanan reflected.
No. 28
JOHN BRUCE
Queensland Cup and Queensland residents coach Jon Buchanan rates Bruce as one of the hardest hitters he had seen. “A lot of players rated him,’’ Buchanan praised. Through the mid to late 2000s when Bruce was at the peak of his powers he had a fantastic tackle technique.
No. 29.
PETER RYAN
The defensive reputation of raw-boned Peter Ryan was constructed during almost 150 NRL (Super League) matches for the Brisbane Broncos. But before then, the Downlands College old boy quickly built a big-hitting reputation while playing for Wests Panthers in the BRL. While not the type of defender you would see on highlights’ reels, Ryan was a consistently strong defender with a great tackle technique and comfortably sits among our top 50 BRL/Queensland Cup’s big hitters.
No. 30
JIM HUNTER
A butcher by trade, Hunter and his brother came to Brisbane from the tough Penrith junior league system. The biggest complement you can give a defensive hardman is when word goes out that players from other teams were chattering about his hitting power, which is exactly what happened with this largely unheralded BRL player from the early 1990s.