Canberra Raiders legend Laurie Daley was a potent tryscorer in the centres before injuries began to plague him in the early 1990s.
From his debut in 1987 through 1990 - Daley scored 39 tries in 66 games, and was instrumental in Canberra winning back to back Winfield Cups in 1989 and 1990.
The poster above was featured in Big League during the 1990 Winfield Cup season when Daley was still only 20 years old.
By season's end - Daley had scored a try and set up Matthew Wood's match-sealer in Canberra's 18-14 win over Penrith in the 1990 decider.
This coming 12 months after throwing the final pass for John Ferguson's match-levelling try in the epic 1989 Grand Final.
Just four seasons into his career he had already proved to be one of the ultimate big game players of his era.
Daley moved to five-eighth for the Canberra Raiders permanently in 1991 but the next chapter of his career is for another time.
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs have been back in training ahead of the 2021 NRL season for a couple of weeks now - and they aren't alone as most clubs hit the training paddock in late November - reminding us all just how little of an off-season there will be before the next NRL campaign.
So to kick-off our 2021 NRL Pre-Season Primers - let us look at what the Dogs have done to their 30 man roster and prognosticate how they'll look come Round 1.
The text version is below with a bonus 30 man depth chart, but you can listen or watch NOT The Footy Show's Podcast version below.
From 2022: Matt Burton (Half) from Penrith, may be advanced to 2021 - TBD.
🎙 NTFS SAYS: Get excited Canterbury fans... the new head coach has wasted no time in adding some quality to a roster that desperately needed an injection of talent. Cotric committed before Barrett's appointment was official but in gaining Flanagan, Waddell, Hetherington and now Burton (signed from 2022) - the Bulldogs are finally starting to look like an NRL roster. The first four will all feature in the Top 17 and if they snag Burton for 2021 then the Dogs have some serious building blocks in play from March, which bodes for a much brighter future at Belmore.
2020 ROSTER SUBTRACTIONS:
Kieran Foran, Aiden Tolman, Reimis Smith, Marcelo Montoya, Kerrod Holland, Tim Lafai, Jack Cogger, Sauaso Sue, Isaiah Tass, Sebastian Winters-Chang.
🎙 NTFS SAYS: The key loss is Kieran Foran - who was undoubtedly Canterbury's most influential player in 2020 - but if they've ended up with Flanagan and Burton then not re-signing him was a move worth making. Tolman goes to the Sharks where he'll play less minutes but his time was up at the Dogs as they had to make room for the next batch of props, and Smith regressed badly in 2020 as his move to centre didn't get the best out of him.
2021 DEPTH CHART - 27 of Top 30 spots taken.
(Players are listed maximum of twice but may be able to cover more positions.)
Fullbacks:
Will Hopoate
Jake Averillo
Nick Meaney
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
Wingers:
Jayden Okunbor
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
Nick Meaney
Tui Katoa
Christian Crichton
Tyrone Harding
Centres:
Will Hopoate
Nick Cotric
Jake Averillo
Tui Katoa
Halves:
Kyle Flanagan
Lachlan Lewis
Jake Averillo
Brandon Wakeham
Backrowers:
Josh Jackson (c)
Adam Elliott
Raymond Faitala-Mariner
Corey Waddell
Matt Doorey*
Dean Britt
Joe Stimson
Chris Smith
James Roumanos
Props:
Dylan Napa
Luke Thompson
Jack Hetherington
Ofahiki Ogden
Renouf Atoni (To'omaga)
Hookers:
Jeremy Marshall-King
Sione Katoa
*Development Players - 5 of 6 spots taken. Matt Doorey (Backrower)
Paul Karaitiana (Half)
Jackson Topine (Backrower)
Kurt Picken (Outside back)
Chris Patolo (Backrower)
Top 17 come Round 1 2021
(Combination of predicted and our view as their Best 17)
Jake Averillo
Jayden Okunbor (if fit)
Nick Cotric
Will Hopoate
Nick Meaney
Lachlan Lewis
Kyle Flanagan
Luke Thompson
Jeremy Marshall-King
Dylan Napa
Raymond Faitala-Mariner
Josh Jackson (c)
Adam Elliott Bench
Corey Waddell
Jack Hetherington
Ofahiki Ogden
Sione Katoa/Brandon Wakeham
What is your Top 17 for the Dogs come Round 1?
Post them in the comments below.
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The footy card (and subsequent stick of borderline unchewable chewing gum) was one of the cornerstones of Rugby League fandom during the 1980s and 1990s and to celebrate the evolution from sticker book to trading card - here is a selection of cards featuring Manly-Warringah's Cliff Lyons from 1987 through 1995.
Lyons debuted with North Sydney (something a lot of people don't realised actually happened) in 1985 playing 23 games before moving to Manly for the 1986 season.
But as a new player for 1986 he wasn't featured in Manly's nine player set on the new playing card format (the fact he wouldn't have had an in-game photo in a Manly jersey from 1985 likely a big reason given production timelines) as he missed out to Paul Vautin, Glenn Ryan, Richie Poulsen, Mark Pocock, Des Hasler, Marty Gurr, Mal Cochrane, Noel Cleal and a moustached Dale Shearer (shown below for an example of the 1986 card design).
But from 1987 through 1995 - Cliffy Lyons featured heavily in every playing card run.
Here is one from each season, sourced from various internet listings primarily on ebay. If you are interested in any of the items Cliff Lyons search on ebay will get you where you want to be quick smart.
1987 - Scanlens.
1988 - Scanlens.
1989 - Scanlens.
1990 - Scanlens.
1991 - Scanlens.
1992 - Regina.
1993 - Regina.
1994 - Dynamic.
1995 - Dynamic.
Do you have a favourite card design from 86-95?
Did you collect Footy Cards growing up?
We hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane - for more great moments and memories from the Winfield Cup Era (1982-95) - follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
NOT The Footy Show is on Instagram so please give us a follow @notthefootyshow
A Cameron Munsterclass has seen Queensland take out the 2020 State of Origin Series giving Matthew Duncan, Robb Cox and Warrick Nicolson plenty to talk about on Episode 226 of NOT The Footy Show.
We go into how good QLD were in Game 1 and 3 and how Uncle Benny pulled all the right strings for the worst QLD side of all time.
We also ask how Gerard Sutton can ever referee an Origin game again?
And delve deeply into the mistakes NSW and coach Brad Fittler made on and off the field that opened the door to the Maroons to end the Blues' quest for a three-peat.
Well well well.. another Wests Tigers player wants a massive upgrade after one good season in the black and gold.
Who knew this would happen... again?
Josh Aloiai has spent the last 24 hours trying to burn every bridge he has with the Wests Tigers and the Tigers are declaring they won't let the Ryan Matterson eventuality happen again... but we all know it will.
It's just a matter of if the Tigers get any compensation from cashed-up Manly (who have basically thrown their 2021 Addin Fonua-Blake money at the Tigers forward) before Aloiai joins the Sea Eagles for the coming season.
NOT The Footy Show'sRobb Cox and Warrick Nicolson spend 4 minutes discussing the options ahead of the Wests Tigers especially and feel that if the Tigers really want to make a statement here they should just go out and poach a player in retaliation. Because waiting for the NRL to do something about players actually honouring contracts (they've signed when they weren't quite as good) is working out great for them so far...
Watch the 4 minute video below.
This excerpt is from Episode 225 of NOT The Footy Show - listen or watch the full show below.
State of Origin Game 3 brings the curtain down on a long long 2020 NRL Season as NSW look to make it 3 series wins in a row over QLD when they face off in the decider at Lang Park.
We give our game predictions and make our Man of the Series picks.
Plus we discuss the Women's State of Origin game, NRLW season expansion and how Josh 'Jash Cash' Aloiai is following the money to Manly on Episode 225 of NOT The Footy Show.
The Prelims are set: Melbourne v Canberra and Penrith v Souths - with the best four teams remaining after Easts and Parramatta fell by the wayside in the Semi Finals.
We preview both games and examine the wash up from the Chooks and Eels' failed seasons, plus talk about the initial State of Origin squads for NSW and QLD.