The best 13 players : Fri Aug 13, 2021 2:02 pm  

With no game to talk about this week i would be interested to know what is the best 13 players you have seen play for fax. It doesn't matter if you saw them play on the tv or in person 1-13 who is the best you have seen and you can add the best coach too if you want. Apologies' if i spell some of the players names wrong.

1 graham eadie
2 john bentley
3 john schuster
4 greg austin
5 mark preston
6 Michael hagan
7 paul bishop
8 karl harrison
9 paul rowley
10 john fieldhouse
11 gary mercer
12 gary lord
13 martin Moana
As for the coach i would pick john pendlebury. It took me some time to pick that side and coach i will be interested to see who other people pick.

Re: The best 13 players : Fri Aug 13, 2021 2:46 pm  

A good start. Limiting this to who I have seen in person -

Paul Dixon for Lord
Hagan to scrum half, and Chris Anderson in for Bishop
Geoff Robinson for Fieldhouse

The days of Austin/Preston ripping defences apart. Will we ever see rugby like that again?

Re: The best 13 players : Fri Aug 13, 2021 3:18 pm  

2 - 5 I don't think you'd get many arguments from fans of a certain generation - I'd be more than happy with either Eadie or Kilroy at fullback. I'd have Clinch at scrum half , Martin Bella to partner Harrison at prop, Scott and Dixon in the second row and Holliday at loose forward. When you can look back on those players it makes you realise both how lucky we have been to turn up on a Sunday to witness the skill and excitement they brought to the team - but also sadly how far we have fallen in the 20 odd years since the last of them played for Fax.

Re: The best 13 players : Fri Aug 13, 2021 3:47 pm  

Probably change my mind on this loads after I make the post.

1. Mike Umaga
2. John Bentley
3. Greg Florimo
4. Greg Austin
5. Mark Preston
6. Andrew Dunneman
7. Ben Black
8. Karl Harrison
9. Paul Rowley
10. Brent Stuart
11. Paul Dixon
12. Gary Mercer
13. Les Holliday
14. Dave Watson
15. Chris Chester
16. Scott Murrell
17. John Schuster
Coach - Chris Anderson

Re: The best 13 players : Fri Aug 13, 2021 5:36 pm  

Graham Eadie
John Bentley
John schuster
Greg Austin
Mark Preston
Michael Hagen
Paul Bishop
Geoff Robinson
Paul Rowley
Caviil Heugh
Paul Dixon
Mick Scott
John Pendlebury

Coach Chris Anderson

Some great players just missed out

Re: The best 13 players : Fri Aug 13, 2021 5:52 pm  

Kilroy
Bentley
Umaga
Austin
Preston
Hagan
Anderson
Bella
Mccallion
Harrison
Dixon
Divorty
Halliday
Now that was a team kilroy is the reason I started watching
Friday night 2nd team Brendan hill a special mention crowds over a 1k for a second team match

Coach Marshall with the lower quality of players he had available .
Worst players
Nedrix
Benion

Re: The best 13 players : Fri Aug 13, 2021 6:38 pm  

Kilroy
Bentley
Schuster
Willicombe
Freeman
Grogan
Hagan
Bella
Dalgreen
Heugh
Terry Fogerty
Colin Dixon
Renilson

Subs: Karl Harrison, Paul Dixon, Bruce Burton. McCallion

Only one coach and i would sneak him on if we were running out of puff and needed some inspiration!

Re: The best 13 players : Sat Aug 14, 2021 6:57 am  

cowfax wrote:

Kilroy
Bentley
Schuster
Willicombe
Freeman
Grogan
Hagan
Bella
Dalgreen
Heugh
Terry Fogerty
Colin Dixon
Renilson

Subs: Karl Harrison, Paul Dixon, Bruce Burton. McCallion

Only one coach and i would sneak him on if we were running out of puff and needed some inspiration!

Before my time but who are Willicombe, Dalgreen and Renilson. I hear a lot Dean, Kielty, Kilroy and Robinson just not heard those 3 mentioned. Any stories about them or what they were like as players are welcome.

Re: The best 13 players : Sat Aug 14, 2021 7:30 am  

Greg Florimos Boots wrote:

Before my time but who are Willicombe, Dalgreen and Renilson. I hear a lot Dean, Kielty, Kilroy and Robinson just not heard those 3 mentioned. Any stories about them or what they were like as players are welcome.

David Willicombe came north from same Cardiff club as Dixon and Freeman. Big and fast centre who was hard as nails. Sold him to Wigan after he had played for Wales. He played for GB while at Wigan.

John Dalgreen was signed from Shaw Cross Dewsbury. On of the first of new breed of hookers imho. Fast, clever and also hard as nails. Sold to Warrington I believe.

Charlie Renilson. Where do i start with my boyhood hero. Hall of fame. GB international and World Cup player. Over 300 games for Fax. A hero down under with Newtown. He played union in Scotland and for the army which I think is where Fax saw him. Super fast for a forward, his cover tackles were legendary. My brother told of him scoring three long range tries at Keighley while standing in as a winger that game. Apparently he was sick after each one! One of Fax`s best ever in my opinion.

Re: The best 13 players : Sat Aug 14, 2021 2:04 pm  

It looks like you have all struggled like me with selection my word there was some good players there. Just to ask one more question if you could bring back/ out of retirement just one player to play for us now who would you choose. I would choose karl harrison.