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the strength is there, learning & being willing to apply it to a barbell is an entirely different issue

What if it's reverse. The strength is there, learning and being willing to apply it TO THE FIELD is an entirely different issue (think CoolColJ).

Since you like to use weight lifters as examples. Powerlifters are generally stronger than olympic lifters. Olympic lifters can probably front squat and power clean more. Does this make them stronger? No. it means they got good at front squatting and power cleaning more through years of practice.

The idea that they're not as strong as other strength athletes is complete bollocks. Shane Hamman holds the all time IPF squat record at 457.5kg and he admitted he didn't have the squat strength guys like Rezazadeh did. WPC/WPO squats are completely incomparable to an oly squat (or even an IPF squat really) with the huge amount of assistive gear which also allows a really wide stance.

Not having to bench gives the weightlifter a huge advantage when it comes to developing total body strength, not to mention they don't need to carry as much upper body mass. That's not to say that weightlifters have a weak upper body though. The Chinese 69-85kg guys are push-pressing ~140kg for 8-10reps as assistance work. Chigishev benched 225kg raw easily and bare in mind the raw non drug tested world benchpress record is 715lbs. 1000lb benches are purely a product of triple ply shirts. Even the skinner looking oly lifters like Syzmon Kolecki (6'2 94kg) are benching 180kg. The little Chinese fellas are push-pressing ~140kg for 8-10 rep assistance work.

Weightlifters aren't magic. You can't clean and jerk 200kg without your entire body being brutally fucking strong no matter how good your technique is.

Whoever is stronger is up for interpretation. It's a broad term. Probably should have said it differently, but I think it helped my point get across.

Yeah. However, I would disagree with the idea that the basic neuromuscular adaptations to lifting don't carry over to real world strength and athletic performance though. They definitely do, along with the increases in work capacity in each training session and recovery between sessions and ability to tolerate a higher frequency of training.

The more focused your training is, the more specifically the body will adapt. Athletes, beyond the beginner stage, should definitely be working with both volume and intensity in a good variety of exercises, and ALWAYS make sure that progress in their actual even takes priority over the plates on the bar. No point focusing on lifting more and just getting better at lifting.