Place in History
In his first autobiography former Australian winger David Campese called Ella ‘the best rugby player I have ever known or seen (Campese & Bills, 1991: 174).' This was a contention he later reiterated in the book ‘Your Game My Game’ by calling Ella, ‘The greatest player I have ever seen, or had the pleasure of playing alongside (Campese & Meninga, 1994: 238).'
In 1984 former Australian fullback Roger Gould rated Ella ‘with Brendan Moon as the best Australian player I’ve seen (Ella & Smith, 1987: 55).' Former Australian inside centre Michael Hawker has said that ‘Mark Ella was one of the greatest players – or probably the greatest player – I’ve ever seen (Derriman, 2001: 137)’. He also contends that Ella changed precepts on how the game could be played (Dwyer, 2004: 67). In 1991 former Australian flanker Simon Poidevin wrote in his autobiography that, ‘Mark Ella remains the most talented Rugby player I have ever seen (Poidevin & Webster, 1991: 198).’
Rugby league player Wally Lewis, who played rugby union with Ella in the 1977/78 Australian Rugby Union Schoolboys side, has called Ella the best player he’s seen in rugby union or rugby league (Dwyer, 2004: 67). Dual international Michael O’Connor, who played with Ella at inside centre, outside centre and wing for Australia, considers Ella the best player he ever played with – in rugby league or rugby union (Dwyer, 2004, p. 67), and of Ella said, ‘Mark Ella was a genius. He was the best player I played with or against in both codes. He could sum up a situation instinctively… If I said to Mark “Okay let’s run it”, no problem – the next moment you’d have the ball in your hands… I don’t think I’ve ever called for the ball from Mark and not received it (Harris, 1991: 62).’ He would later add, ‘I still think he is the best player I played outside of. I enjoyed playing outside him. Such good service. Good, quick ball. You knew playing outside Mark something was on every time. Have a crack. You won’t die wondering’ (Harris, 2007, p. 275).
In 2002 former Welsh eightman Eddie Butler, who played against Ella in 1984, ranked Ella at number one in his list of the 10 best fly-halves in the history of rugby union. In 2003 Butler called Ella "My all-time favourite ' and asserted he was '… by a long way the most influential player of his generation. Just took the passing game and the support game and the reading game and just stretched, stretched them into new areas.'" (Derriman, 2001, p. 136)
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