The Wild Man
Hammerhead
My Top 5 Shark Fullbacks
1) David Peachey - our best ever fullback who had attacking skills to match the best of them plus the second safest hands ever at the Sharks. Rounded up attacking players like a cattle dog after they made breaks down field while never actually seeming to be at full pace. Just loped along with long strides.
2) John Docking - small elusive fullback in the Milford, Barba style but brave under the high ball and good safe hands.
3) Mick Mullane - had the BEST hands I've ever seen in the NRL in terms of freakish ability to catch almost anything within reach and make it look ridiculously simple. He made the near impossible look routine with some of the freakish last second wind-altered kick catches he would take. Well timed wide sprints into the backline grabbed over 50 tries in about double that games. How he got so much pace out of such skinny legs I'll never know.
4) Greg Pierce - Greg was Sharks fullback under Tommy Bishop from 1968. He was a good all round fullback but while he lacked the brilliance in attack of the top 3 mentioned, he was a magnificent copybook tackler in defence...so much so that after switching to the forwards he made the Australian Kangaroos team as lock in the mid 70s and was the pride and joy of the Shire. Clean cut and a gentleman - my family had he and Tommy Bishop (guest speakers) to our home for a team BBQ after the Gymea JRLFC Presentation Night in about 1970. Never seen a guy eat so much steak as Pierce did that night.
5) Michael Gordon - this guy is quality and has a lot more to give us this season and hopefully beyond.
Honorable mention to Rick Bourke, our try scorer in the 1973 Grand Final.
1) David Peachey - our best ever fullback who had attacking skills to match the best of them plus the second safest hands ever at the Sharks. Rounded up attacking players like a cattle dog after they made breaks down field while never actually seeming to be at full pace. Just loped along with long strides.
2) John Docking - small elusive fullback in the Milford, Barba style but brave under the high ball and good safe hands.
3) Mick Mullane - had the BEST hands I've ever seen in the NRL in terms of freakish ability to catch almost anything within reach and make it look ridiculously simple. He made the near impossible look routine with some of the freakish last second wind-altered kick catches he would take. Well timed wide sprints into the backline grabbed over 50 tries in about double that games. How he got so much pace out of such skinny legs I'll never know.
4) Greg Pierce - Greg was Sharks fullback under Tommy Bishop from 1968. He was a good all round fullback but while he lacked the brilliance in attack of the top 3 mentioned, he was a magnificent copybook tackler in defence...so much so that after switching to the forwards he made the Australian Kangaroos team as lock in the mid 70s and was the pride and joy of the Shire. Clean cut and a gentleman - my family had he and Tommy Bishop (guest speakers) to our home for a team BBQ after the Gymea JRLFC Presentation Night in about 1970. Never seen a guy eat so much steak as Pierce did that night.
5) Michael Gordon - this guy is quality and has a lot more to give us this season and hopefully beyond.
Honorable mention to Rick Bourke, our try scorer in the 1973 Grand Final.
