Top 3 Best Non-Current Knights Players

Billy said:
Ben Kennedy was better than Harragon.
If he hadn't left the club and had a few of his best years after leaving it wouldn't be in doubt.

Johns
Buderus
Kennedy
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Kennedy not getting a contract hurt me hard, one of my favourite players for the club. I think its clear 1 and 2 AJ and Buds, 3rd is subjective i think all three listed could be it.
 
Think we need to define some terms here. Is it “best ever players who happened to play for the Knights”, or “best Knights”?

It’s very hard to go past Chief when you’re talking about the most important players in the history of the club. Yeah BK was likely a better player in his pomp but also he wasn’t actually at the club *that* long.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Think we need to define some terms here. Is it “best ever players who happened to play for the Knights”, or “best Knights”?

It’s very hard to go past Chief when you’re talking about the most important players in the history of the club. Yeah BK was likely a better player in his pomp but also he wasn’t actually at the club *that* long.
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If it’s best player regardless of length of tenure here the you’d put David Fairleigh close to the top three, for 2000. Or Brian Carney who was Dally M winger of the year for his one season here in 2006.

So length of time at the club has to play a big role, I think.

So many things you could bring into it, Chief was first choice for NSW and Australia pretty much from 1992 to 1998. Not wanting to degrade BK in any way, but his great end to 2001 came after he was dropped from Origin after game one, and that was a huge motivating factor for him, if I recall correctly.

Both played through injuries that would have stopped most other players, so can’t fault them both there.

I just think that Chief was such an amazing leader of the club. Without BK we may not have won the 2001 GF. Without Chief I personally doubt the club would even have made the finals 1992-1997. He lifted other players to his level, and carried us on his back all the way to a premiership. I haven’t seen many better captain’s hands than the 1997 GF, and he brought that most weeks.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Think we need to define some terms here. Is it “best ever players who happened to play for the Knights”, or “best Knights”?

It’s very hard to go past Chief when you’re talking about the most important players in the history of the club. Yeah BK was likely a better player in his pomp but also he wasn’t actually at the club *that* long.
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Was going with best ever Knights Bah.
 
Interesting question. Not going to consider two great, great players in Steve Walters and Craig Gower because their careers here were certainly footnotes. Did Willie Mason have a more decorated career then the chief? The guy who surpasses all three of them for me and could squeeze in to the list of top 3 former knights would be Brett Kimmorley. But his best days weren't in red and blue. Then you get in to the argument of the difference between "great" and "best". Question was best, so I'd go Joey, Bedsy and BK. But if it was greatest I'd go Joey, Bedsy and Chief.

And you'll all hate me for saying this, but a conversation about the best players to have played for the Knights would have to include Darius. He had a great career outside what he did here.

Anyway, great question...
 
Owey said:
Interesting question. Not going to consider two great, great players in Steve Walters and Craig Gower because their careers here were certainly footnotes. Did Willie Mason have a more decorated career then the chief? The guy who surpasses all three of them for me and could squeeze in to the list of top 3 former knights would be Brett Kimmorley. But his best days weren't in red and blue. Then you get in to the argument of the difference between "great" and "best". Question was best, so I'd go Joey, Bedsy and BK. But if it was greatest I'd go Joey, Bedsy and Chief.

And you'll all hate me for saying this, but a conversation about the best players to have played for the Knights would have to include Darius. He had a great career outside what he did here.

Anyway, great question...
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If we’re going NRL Hall of Famers, regardless of their form while here and how long they spent here, then we’re looking at Joey, Buderus and Steve Walters.
 
I know it isn’t popular here but I also rated Darius, a part from the end and how it all played out, he did do some good things, was also one of the only 17 fella’s to play a Prelim Final for the Knights since 2001 Grand Final season to the present day, 16 as Buderus was in both.

But I couldn’t pick him in a Knights squad over Robbie O’Davis, for some one outside of Newy, he was as Newy as they came and stayed here for so long. Didn’t even play Super League in England I believe, Joey, Bedsy, Gidley’s etc all did, that’s why I have him at three, and on the day against Manly in 1997, I don’t think the Knights win without him.
 
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Owey said:
Interesting question. Not going to consider two great, great players in Steve Walters and Craig Gower because their careers here were certainly footnotes. Did Willie Mason have a more decorated career then the chief? The guy who surpasses all three of them for me and could squeeze in to the list of top 3 former knights would be Brett Kimmorley. But his best days weren't in red and blue. Then you get in to the argument of the difference between "great" and "best". Question was best, so I'd go Joey, Bedsy and BK. But if it was greatest I'd go Joey, Bedsy and Chief.

And you'll all hate me for saying this, but a conversation about the best players to have played for the Knights would have to include Darius. He had a great career outside what he did here.

Anyway, great question...
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I've never understood how team accolades, or being lucky enough to be in a gun team, equate to anything in regards to best player conversations.
IMO, or the way I understand the way to judge who's a better player, you have to watch them play. How may GF wins they have, team win %, origin wins or other records, try records etc dont mean anything when it comes to judging a player's quality. Anyway, so Darius... A good player no doubt, but the accolades attributed to him are more a reflection of the awesome teams he was in, as opposed to how good he was IMO. He was elite, but not in knights top 3 ever conversations, not even close.
So I agree it's
1. A John's
2. D Buderus
And I am unsure who is number 3, who is the best footballer? I think gun to my head it's chief slightly over BK, but I may answer differently tomorrow, it's that close. Just like John's and Buderus, chief and made those around him better players.
 
Johns
Daylight
Buderus
Chief
As great as BK was he didn’t contribute what Chief did for us overall.

Honourable mentions to O’Davis, Matt and Kurt Gidley, Steve Simpson and Tony Butterfield.
 
michael_dean222 said:
I know it isn’t popular here but I also rated Darius, a part from the end and how it all played out, he did do some good things, was also one of the only 17 fella’s to play a Prelim Final for the Knights since 2001 Grand Final season to the present day, 16 as Buderus was in both.

But I couldn’t pick him in a Knights squad over Robbie O’Davis, for some one outside of Newy, he was as Newy as they came and stayed here for so long. Didn’t even play Super League in England I believe, Joey, Bedsy, Gidley’s etc all did, that’s why I have him at three, and on the day against Manly in 1997, I don’t think the Knights win without him.
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If I could pick three of the worst non current knights players I’d pick Darius twice

jamesgould said:
Without BK we may not have won the 2001 GF
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Joey missed six or so games I think in 2001. The Knights lost all of them
 
Best is always subjective. I'm not sure how you can say a player makes the top 3 as best, but another player takes their spot if your talking greatest.

To me, best and greatest are the same. Plenty of skilled players played for the Knights.

But to pick the top 3 you have to narrow it down to the absolute top Knights of all time.

For mine that is

Joey
Bedsy
Chief.

Chief being the contentious one, but to me in soo many ways he deserves to be there. Absolute out and out soul of the club, outstanding leader, culminating in 97 and the nobody gets sent off in a grand final, follow me! That follow me was his game for his whole time here, putting his body on the line every game with inspirational runs and tackles to dominate the opposition. To me their can be no other 3rd.

Off the field leadership, getting the boys together on the bus to go talk to the ARL. Saving the Knights from a disaster signing with Super League.
 
Difference between best and greatest. If you are talking guitarists, the greatest pool might come down to say Clapton, Page and Hendrix. But I can guarantee you there is some flamenco guitarist out there you have never heard of who is technically so much better than all three of them but never had the media to become known as great.

An example i can give at the Knights is, if i was drawing up a list of the best hookers we have ever had, Slade Griffin would be number 2. I thought his service from dummy half was exceptional and his tackling technique was unbelievable. Skills wise, he was better then most. But his sample size was so small I'd never have him on a list of our greatest hookers. History was against him.

BK had a better skill set then the chief. Faster, greater ball skills and could bust open an opposition defence. Both tackled pretty damn hard But the chief had a longer career here, coming along at a pivotal moment in our evolution and became a real leader of men. He was inspirational in the 97 finals, elevating him to one of our greats.
 
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