Which southeast city can boast a league line-up that would challenge any State of Origin side?
PUNDITS are puzzling over “the best” Maroons team of all time. Here’s a line-up that would challenge the best of them — and all players are from the same city. So which city claims some of the game’s greatest?
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Queensland’s most capped State of Origin referee David Manson has poured over four decades of talent to name his Logan City rugby league dream team.
Mr Manson, who officiated in 10 Origins between 1989 and 1997, has pulled together an astonishing galaxy of footballing stars worthy of competing in any era.
At a time when State of Origin fever starts to take hold ahead of the 2016 series opener in Sydney next Wednesday (June 1), Mr Manson has named his own Queensland line-up - composed entirely of players whose origins hark back to Logan City.
And those that are aware of Logan City’s reputation as a rugby league nursery won’t be surprised to see the line-up includes nine past and present Maroons stars.
Included in Manson’s are current Queensland players Cameron Smith, Josh Papalii and Corey Parker, while the former Origin players Israel Folau and Lote Tuqiri, brothers Darren and Jason Smith, Gavin Jones and Tonie Carroll also get the nod.
Carroll is a Beenleigh State High School student while the Smith brothers and Jones started their rugby league careers with the now defunct Souths Woodridge.
The Logan Dream Team line-up is:
– Fullback: William Zillman (Rochedale Brothers)
– Winger: Israel Folau: (Marsden High)
– Centre: Junior Sa’u: (Logan Brothers)
– Centre: Darren Smith: (Souths Woodridge)
– Wing: Lote Tuqiri (Logan Brothers)
– Five-eight: Corey Norman (Marsden High)
– Halfback: Chris Sandow (Marsden High)
– Lock: Jason Smith (Souths Woodridge)
– Second row: Tonie Carroll (Waterford)
– Second row: Corey Parker (Logan Brothers)
– Prop: Josh Papalii (Logan Brothers)
– Hooker: Cameron Smith (c) (Logan Brothers)
– Prop: Gavin Jones (Souths Woodridge)
“The quality of player this area has produced is amazing,’’ Manson said. “It has always been a nursery.
“I remember when I was a young referee, the quality of football player in this area was second to none.’’
Six former Logan Brothers Junior Rugby League Club players feature in Manson’s “dream team”, an honour current club president Matt Mead is happy to agree with - with one exception.
“However, Brad Meyers would have been in with Gavin Jones to be omitted due to the fact Meyers is a Test player,” Mead said.
“This Logan City Dream Team – if all played in the same era – would be unstoppable in the NRL, boasting nine State of Origin reps, and nine Test players with Corey Norman destined to pull on the Maroons jersey.
“In my opinion the Logan district is the richest rugby league nursery in the entire country.”
One of the lynchpins of the forward pack, Queensland and Australian representative player and Broncos captain, Corey Parker echoed Mead’s sentiments.
“There’s a few that aren’t there either - no Brad Meyers, no Tookey, no Winterstein,” Parker said.
“That’s not a bad side, is it?
“Who knows (if it would go close to the grand final) but you’ve got Jason Smith and Darren Smith ... I guess it reinforces the talent that comes out of Logan. It’s great.”
Maroons halfback Cooper Cronk knows the talent of three players in the side almost better than anyone.
The playmaker has run out behind Smith week-in, week-out with Melbourne Storm for the past decade. The 32-year-old also kicked to Folau’s corner several times a game while Folau played for the Storm in 2007 and 2008, and has lined up alongside Parker in more than 10 origin clashes.
“There’s no doubt my allegiance is with Cameron there. I’ve played the majority of my football with him, both Melbourne Storm, Queensland and Australia and he’s a very influential figure on and off the field and he’s definitely made the games of football I’ve played with him a lot easier,” Cronk said.
“He’s a special player and he deserves all the accolades that are going to come his way in the next week or so (when he surpasses Darren Lockyer’s record of 36 State of Origin appearances).
“He’s doing something that no one else has done before and he deserves it because he’s reliable, he always turns up, gets his job done, and the thing with Cameron is he makes the job of everyone else around him a lot easier because he’s very good at his job and influences the game from dummy half.”
The strength of Manson’s side is evident when you consider who did not make the side.
The list of worthy contenders includes:
Current NRL first grade: Tautau Moga (Marsden High), Ricky Leutele, Antonio Winterstein (Logan Brothers), JJ Felise (Logan Brothers), Sam Mataora (Newcastle).
Former internationals: Martin Gleeson (Slacks Creek, England), Brad Meyers (Rochedale Brothers, Australia, 2001), Gerard Beale (Logan Brothers, New Zealand),
Former NRL: Mark Tookey (Woodridge High), Billy Dart (Logan City Scorpions), Paul Fisher (Logan City Scorpions).
Current Junior Kangaroos: Jaydn Su’a Marsde High),
Junior Kiwis: Greg Leleisiuao (Woodridge High)
Do you agree with Manson’s Dream Team? Who do you think should have made the side?
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