Greatest ever Tigers XV

[Scott1]

Ayerza
Chuter
Cole
Johnson
Parling
Croft
Salvi
Corry
Ellis
Flood
A Tuilagi
Allen
Manu
Geneva
Murphy

Some of my favourites mixed in with who I think are the best

[Big Dai]

Forwards
Rowntree Cockerill Garforth
Johnson Kay
Moody, Back,
Richards.

Halfbacks
Ellis, Stransky,

Centres.
Howard, Allen

Wings,
R Underwood, A Tuilangi.

Full back
Murphy

Replacements
Ayerza, Chuter, Castro.
Van Heerden.
Corry,
Gibson
Healey
Ford

[Tigers86asw]

I suppose at the heart of it is whether you judge a player on their impact for Tigers or how good they were as a player. For example Ant Allen is not in Greenwood’s class but arguably did more for Tigers. Many of course do both- Back, Johnson, Murphy, Ayerza etc.

[johnthegriff]

Find some of the choices very strange and I also believe it is impossible to compare players from the amateur days with full time professionals so for me great players like Wheeler and Richards don't qualify for consideration but then when I start to select I fall at the first hurdle, how do you choose between Rowntree and Ayerza or at tighthead between Garforth, Castro and Cole and then at hooker Cocker, West or Kayser. There is probably only Martin Johnson who is unchallenged in his position so I am not picking a team just reflecting on how fortunate we Tiger's supporters are to have seen so many great players in every position over the years.

[Lutontiger]

Love this thread! Brings back such wonderful memories just reading the names of all our greats!

[TigerMac3]

Struggling with the ‘who was the best’ Vs ‘who was my favourite’ debate…

T Stimpson
A Tuilagi
W Greenwood
P Howard
A Healey
J van der Westhuyzen
H Ellis

D Richards
N Back
T Croft
B Kay
M Johnson
M Castrogiavani
J Montoya**
M Ayerza


Corry probably the hardest to leave out!!

[westwinds31]

Ayerza
Kayser
White
Johnson
Deacon L
Croft
Back
Richards

Healey
Stransky
Tuilagi A
Gibson
Tuilagi M
Underwood R
Murphy

Backy is my favourite Tiger ever, and what a player. Way ahead of his time, was jackling, off loading and linking play way before anyone else turned up.
Gibson....the glue that held the backline together. What we’d do for someone similar now.

[Andy W]

So blessed in the front row!

Harry Ellis is a must for me. What a talent, and what a shame.

Anyone who blinked and missed Barry Evans scooting up the wing will find it hard to leave him out.

I don't think Lewis Moody ever gave less than 101% in a Tigers' shirt. Louis Deacon remains under rated. A tractor.

I agree that Loti T was just something else, talent-wise.

Has to be Murphy at full back, if only for those soft hands!

Seru R, sadly missed, and was always great to watch (often hurling himself into a ruck!)

Croft at his peak was peerless in the lineout, and could leave most backs for dead!

I always thought Kayser was class, though we are spoilt for choice in that shirt.

I accept that Greenwood moved on, and his best days were in a white shirt. However, he was still classy for Tigers.

We really need Survey Monkey or something, and actually compile these results to create the team ..?

[FrontRowUnionMember]

Ayerza, Kayser, White, Johnson, Deacon, Croft, Moody, H Tuilagi; Ellis, Ford, A Tuilagi, Gibson, M Tuilagi, Goneva, Murphy.

Strong cases for ABC Club, Back, Richards, Underwood, etc, but this was just a fraction before my time to really appreciate. Equally, Corry, Chuter, Kay, O Smith, Healey, Hipkiss, Allen, Youngs’s, Rabeni, Castro etc but I could only pick XV and this is based on players I saw who I throughly appreciated, be that for their unwavering commitment or sheer physicality striking fear into the opposition.

[Leicestertinytiger]

Surprised so many people have picked Kayser - met the guy, great bloke but didn’t play that many times for us. Ghiraldini hasn’t got a mention but played more time for Tigers and scored more tries. Always an unsung hero for me whilst at the club.

Wonder if Montoya stays for a few years he’ll cement himself as an all time great. He certainly has the ability. In 15 years time, will the likes of Steward, Martin, JVP etc be in with a shout.

[Tigers86asw]

It’s difficult to pick someone who you’ve not seen play but Peter Wheeler’s record at the club is as good as any hooker. He also captained England and went on two Lions tours. Cant think of any other hooker who was as good as that.

[Old Hob]

I remember Peter Wheeler when hooking was hooking - a real contest, and Clive Woodward who had a phenomenal side step. Surprised there's no mention of Julian White.

[tigerburnie]

Like all sports, you cannot compare eras against each other, but you can use achievements as a bench mark, the sport going professional made a huge difference. But did the three times John Player Cup winning side not deserve a mention, Paul Dodge, at the top of the game, Dusty Hare, forgotten? Johnno's back to back European Cup winners should all rightly be at the front for plaudits, was 8 of them in the 2003 World Cup winning squad, if you have a winners medal you walk into any side...................? All subjective it's why I only offer a few names, picking a side from our illustrious back catalogue of players for me isn't possible, it would change from day to day. Some have put the shirt on that I wouldn't have put in a pub team, but there were few of those.

[Big Dai]

Find some of the choices very strange and I also believe it is impossible to compare players from the amateur days with full time professionals so for me great players like Wheeler and Richards don't qualify for consideration but then when I start to select I fall at the first hurdle, how do you choose between Rowntree and Ayerza or at tighthead between Garforth, Castro and Cole and then at hooker Cocker, West or Kayser. There is probably only Martin Johnson who is unchallenged in his position so I am not picking a team just reflecting on how fortunate we Tiger's supporters are to have seen so many great players in every position over the years.

....... And there you have it. You've lived long enough to see some great players. Personally it just comes down to bias.... Those I enjoyed watching..... Rather than absolute talent.

[soggytiger]

It is so difficult to compare players even from the same era - for example Greenwood and Gelderbloom. Will won two Premiership medals, Gelderbloom the same but also had two HC winners medals. Will then went on to get a World Cup winners medal with Quins - so who was the better player for Tigers? I suspect as previous posters have indicated there are no answers, only opinions.