KEY POINTS:
Are the Kiwi Rugby League team under the stewardship of Brian McClennan the best we have produced? I think there's a strong case that they are.
The quality of the playing roster since McClennan's promotion cannot be questioned as they are all professionals in the NRL or the UK Super League.
These individuals have a skill level which surpasses players before them in terms of ball handling, footwork power, strength and technique. This skill set is more proficient given the amount of training undertaken by teams, with daily sessions being an obvious advantage.
When considering the strengths and weaknesses of teams, we must match them up against the teams of their time and not against each other, across eras. You could never match Ruben Wiki against Doug Gailey as Wiki's skill set and speed, as well as longevity, surpass that of Gailey. Nor could you match Stacey Jones against Gordon Smith for the same reasons - although one thing Gordon Smith had was resilience given the punishment halfbacks used to endure if prop forwards ever got hold of them.
Physical attributes will always favour the more recent players and teams; with innovation and game development a factor hard to ignore. A minor factor to mull over is ground conditions. Remember the mud and slush most teams had to play on in the time before the fully professional era of the 90s?
Most players today do not even play on those types of fields in their club games and would be hard put to perform to the level they do on dry, lush surfaces.
The mental attributes of players are not easy to determine given the social environment of the times. Players of today do have an advantage over their predecessors in that they are better prepared thanks to advanced facilities, physiotherapists, doctors, and psychologists and have time to recover without having to go to work.
But, in general terms, trying to determine the best Kiwi team ever is one that may come down to results. If that is so, there is debate of win/loss comparisons between teams and eras which can be argued from now to eternity.
But this current team must be a strong candidate for the best we have seen. Not because they have the best individual players but, as a unit and collective, this team are outstanding.
For pure talent across the park, Brian McClennan's charges are the best. The amount of talent at any one time, as seen in this team, is rare indeed and should be acknowledged.
Stacey Jones, Nigel Vagana and Ruben Wiki, who are not far from retirement, are worthy people to be involved in a team of such note. They are also players who have had strong influences over the younger players within that environment and will thus help produce future stars for New Zealand.
