General Xmas fun - warriors best 9 & 7

Who’s our best hooker and halfback

  • Wayde EGAN

  • Syd ERU

  • Nathan FRIEND

  • Isaac LUKE

  • PJ MARSH

  • .

  • Best halfback - only 2 real options!

  • Stacey JONES

  • Shaun JOHNSON


Results are only viewable after voting.

NZWarriors.com

Best halfback will be interesting - how people’s perception of Johnson will fall post career.

And hooker - traditionally PJ has been the standard but to play devils advocate, the guy only played 35 games for us and I don’t know if that small sample size warrants being our best ever? Let the voters decide!
 
Still PJ for me at 9 (just 35 games is mad but i guess the impact of that era and team he played in the overwhelming factor there). Interestingly head kn9ocks seem to have got the best of both Wayde and PJ.

Halfback's a conundrum for sure.. Shaun my fovourite and skillwise had the better kicking, running, and defensive game, but for me Stace probably stayed more connected in a game whereas Shaun would be the one u want to have the ball in his hand in a clutch moment.

Cant go wrong if i just say SJ right?
 

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Was going to go pj marsh but quickly compared their stats- 35 games to egans 121 so I feel like egans body of work nudges him ahead now.
Loved Stacey- remember watching him in the age grade tournaments- he was a year or two above me and in probably one of the best Auckland junior sides ever he was the stand out but…. Johnson was bigger, faster, stronger, better footwork, passing game, kicking game, could kick longer, better goal kicker, kicked more field goals, scored more try’s and points and was a much better defender.
U could argue over who had the better first stint but Stacey’s comeback was a disaster while Shaun produced the best ever season by a warriors player imo and was completely robbed of the dally m as we all know so yeah realistically you’d have them both in the halves but if I have to choose one has to be Johnson tbh.
 
Was going to go pj marsh but quickly compared their stats- 35 games to egans 121 so I feel like egans body of work nudges him ahead now.
Loved Stacey- remember watching him in the age grade tournaments- he was a year or two above me and in probably one of the best Auckland junior sides ever he was the stand out but…. Johnson was bigger, faster, stronger, better footwork, passing game, kicking game, could kick longer, better goal kicker, kicked more field goals, scored more try’s and points and was a much better defender.
U could argue over who had the better first stint but Stacey’s comeback was a disaster while Shaun produced the best ever season by a warriors player imo and was completely robbed of the dally m as we all know so yeah realistically you’d have them both in the halves but if I have to choose one has to be Johnson tbh.
Hmmm… you have me reconsidering my halfback choice when you say it like that!
 
If you are looking at their best season PJ’s 2002 takes it. Wayde is a fine player but dont feel he’s managed to put it together for a whole season in the way Marsh did.

SJ would be my favourite ever warrior, but I’d call Stacey the best warrior. Both great players but Jones’s vision and ability to read the game edges it for me.

They’d both start in an all time Warriors team for me and they would complement each other extremely well.
 

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PJ probably, remember him carving up pretty much every game- didn’t realise the stint was that short.
SJ for half ;)
Went for Jones as he had the better game management.
Johnson’s highs were higher than Jones but Jones was more consistent and reliable
 
Controversial but I went Syd Eru at 9. He was dynamic and a very attacking hooker. Bit unlucky with injuries but at his best I thought he was unbelievable. Went Stacey for 7. Could make arguments either way but the Little General is my pick.
 
Hmmm… you have me reconsidering my halfback choice when you say it like that!
I know it’s sacrilege to leave Stacey out and in the past he’s got the nod on the back of “game management” but even that’s debatable now it’s all said and done because his last couple of years Johnson had the game on a string like very few have before him.
 

NZWarriors.com

I know it’s sacrilege to leave Stacey out and in the past he’s got the nod on the back of “game management” but even that’s debatable now it’s all said and done because his last couple of years Johnson had the game on a string like very few have before him.
Johnson had a good 2023 no doubt. Either side of that was very inconsistent. 2024 was poor and seemed to be a part cause of some division in the side. Highlight reel plays he gets it, but other than that I can't go past Jones.
 
Pushed the wrong SJ.

Stacey is my GOAT.
I have a collage painting of Stacey on my man cave wall in the company of Tiger Woods,Ali,MJ,Kobe,Serena and Federer and Carrington.

No disrespect to Johnson who i thank for the memories.
But either way we have an SJ.

PJ just had teams sh#tting themselves because he could.
Eru and Gattis had running games to make opposition uneasy as well.
PJ was just a class above the rest.

If I was to look at a hooker who gave longer service.
No one goes passed Robbie Mears for me.
Consistently outstanding week in week out and never wanted to leave our club.
 
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ShrugJohnson had a good 2023 no doubt. Either side of that was very inconsistent. 2024 was poor and seemed to be a part cause of some division in the side. Highlight reel plays he gets it, but other than that I can't go past Jones.
Oh yeah he’s probably got the best highlights reel in history- either rugby code.
People say jones was more consistent yet johnson had the better winning percentage 🤷‍♂️.
It would be an interesting debate as to who had the better side around them.
Damn shame for Stacey (and all of us) that the paul brothers were let go- that was very short sighted.
 
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Pushed the wrong SJ.

Stacey is my GOAT.
I have a collage painting of Stacey on my man cave wall in the company of Tiger Woods,Ali,MJ,Kobe,Serena and Federer and Carrington.

No disrespect to Johnson who i thank fir the memories.
But either way we have an SJ.

PJ just had teams sh#tting themselves because he could.
Eru and Gattis had running games to make opposition uneasy as well.
PJ was just a class above the rest.

If I was to look at a hooker who gave longer service.
No one goes passed Robbie Mears for me.
Consistently outstanding week in week out and never wanted to leave our club.
We struck gold with a couple of cut price hookers in gattis, mears and also jason “dr” death.
(Interesting side note death actually married Ivan’s sister making him nathan and jets uncle).
Egan and particularly marsh came with some wraps already- will be interesting to see how Pjs boy goes- bit bigger than the old man- I like what Ive seen.
Aaron whittaker had a couple of great games at hooker for us- I think he had all the tools to be a great hooker if he had spent more time there.
I really rated alehana Mara when he was coming through the grades too- it was disappointing he never kicked on.
 
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