Almanacker Brian Lynch has suggested that the Footy Almanac community debate the merit or otherwise of Les Boyd’s elevation to rugby league’s Hall of Fame this week. Between 1976 and 1984, Boyd played 143 NSWRL games for Wests and Manly, 5 games for NSW pre-Origin, 3 State of Origin games for NSW, and 17 Tests for Australia. Boyd also played 86 games for English club Warrington.
One of the so-called hard men of his era, Boyd is mostly remembered for receiving a 12 month suspension for breaking Daryl Brohman’s jaw in a 1983 State of Origin match before copping a whopping 15 month suspension for eye gouging Billy Johnstone just three matches into his return to the field. Otherwise he was regarded as a fearless runner of the ball, not without some ball skills, and a tenacious defender.
All of which raises the question of his suitability to be named in the code’s Hall of Fame. Among others, Brohman came out strongly against the move – no surprise there. Another (rival) website published a piece in recent days in which Boyd was labelled ‘a thug’ and the author certainly pulled no punches (pun intended) is decrying the move.
Boyd’s family have come out in strong defence of Les, basically arguing that it’s long been time to move on. Others claim it was a different era where different standards prevailed.
Legendary coach Roy Masters attempted to put it all in context in an article on nrl.com on Monday.
What do you think?
It’s a pity that this issue detracted from the many, unquestionably deserving players, coaches, commentators and off-field workers whose wonderful contributions to the code were honoured last night. Hopefully the caravan has moved on to celebrate the 14th Immortal and the other Hall of Famers.
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If they did not want this issue to detract from the Hall of Fame proceedings, then they shouldn’t have admitted him. Simple.
Yep, my feelings mimic yours, Smoke. Could have been avoided very easily.
I met Les Boyd once and had no idea of his reputation or that he had even played rugby. He was living in Cootamundra and working as a rep for a beer company. Seemed a thoroughly decent person.
Only later someone told me that he was a “mad bugger”. I had trouble reconciling this with the Les i had met. I guess it’s the Neil Balme thing.
If his off-field conduct is OK he deserves to be admitted.
Yes, he deserves the HOF honour. He was a superb running forward, the best I have seen. I think he has been unfairly dealt with because of Daryl Brohman’s high profile media career. Roy Master’s article attempts to redress the balance and Ray Brown’s comments about who potentially broke the jaw are instructive. He served a long suspension that may have been justified. The second suspension for the eye gouge was unbelievably and unfairly long. It ruined his career in Sydney and was simply over vengeful. Someone bit a player in a game the other day and got three matches. Les was robbed of being a likely part of Manly’s 1987 premiership team.
Roy Masters made some interesting points in that article.
I remember watching those Kangaroo Tour games – what an era!
Yes, Daryl Brohman has a media profile.
HOF and Immortals – teams of the century – “who was better?” Ponting’s team or Waugh’s team v Bradman’s Invincibles – always open to debate
For the record – I am NOT a fan of Boyd being a Hall of Famer
Maybe Les deserves his HoF honour but when I look at the stats & professionalism of players/current HoF’ers such as Wayne Pearce & Steve Menzies, I would have thought someone of the calibre of Rod Reddy was more deserving overall than Les. I guess Rod’s time will come and, I suspect, there would be no debate about his inclusion.
I grew up in the Boyd era, barracking for Manly. Went to plenty of ‘Silvertail v Fibro’ battles. Playing for Wests, Les Boyd always struck this impressionable seventies teenager as an out-and-out thug: my opinion of him never changed when he went across to Brookie.
You can justify his selection any number of ways – and Roy Masters does his best, he is, after all, a Grandmaster Manipulator – and rabbit on about the times being different back then, how he was provoked by this person or that situation, how great he is off the field, blah, blah, blah, but it doesn’t change my view that there are far more deserving players than Mr Boyd for the accolade.