Re: Talk about a Player, any Player. : Tue Sep 09, 2014 1:38 pm  

Billy Boston, along with Alex Murphy the best two allround players I have ever seen.

Salford v Wigan and Salford have a drop out which Boston collects around his own "25". He beats two players on the outside then cuts in around the halfway line where he beats another two. He then goes off his left foot and into what seems like the entire Salford pack. Somehow he comes out of all that sidesteps the fullback and puts the ball down under the posts. Such was the magnificence of the try that the Salford players actually applauded him and the Salford fans clapped him all the way as he walked back to take up his position for the kick off.

I saw Boston play fullback, wing, centre, standoff, and in his later years a few games as second row and loose forward.

A few weeks ago we were out for a meal with Alex and Alice Murphy and Alex reckons that Boston in todays game would be the best fullback in the world.

Re: Talk about a Player, any Player. : Tue Sep 09, 2014 1:56 pm  

Wow that's a name drop Rogues

Re: Talk about a Player, any Player. : Tue Sep 09, 2014 2:02 pm  

Robert "Rocky" Turner

Remember back in the days of the Granada live games he started sub after playing for one of the GB sides v France the night before.

Re: Talk about a Player, any Player. : Tue Sep 09, 2014 2:10 pm  

Danny Nutley - a bit small for a prop but ran hard and straight and great in defence with a bit of nasty. The player I hope Ben Evans can emulate.

Re: Talk about a Player, any Player. : Tue Sep 09, 2014 2:12 pm  

Rocky Turner takes me back to a tale Phil Chadwick told me about the time Wire played Bradford at Odsal. DvaDV sent the Chad on with some playing instructions to give to Turner before he took a kick at goal....When Chad got to him he'd completely forgotten what to tell him...Chad said *Listen Rocky, Daryl's sent me on to give you some instructions which I've now forgotten..I'll keep talking gibberish and you keep nodding your head cracking on your understand*....That was typical Chad....On the subject, the greatest for me was AJ Murphy whom I'm old enough to have seen in his prime...Not only was he the greatest talent he was as hard as nails and would take anybody on including his own players when he was coach at Wigan...He had a players pay dispute at Wigan and he told them if anybody disagreed with him he's see them at the back of the stand. There were no takers.

Re: Talk about a Player, any Player. : Tue Sep 09, 2014 4:15 pm  

rubber duckie wrote:

Wow that's a name drop Rogues

There were a few of us who got "stranded" in Pattaya Thailand on the way back from the 2008 World Cup in Australia and we meet up every three or four months for a meal and a good rugby chat/discussion/argument.

Re: Talk about a Player, any Player. : Tue Sep 09, 2014 6:34 pm  

Hard to believe that 5 pages in and still no mention of Des Drummond! He may not have been at his absolute peak when playing for Warrington, but he still brought an intake of breath when he got the ball with a bit of space. Many a happy memory of seeing his jersey billowing out behind him as he streaked down the touchline to score in the corner. His defence was also pretty solid. Would love to see the use of today's technology, and its assessment of collision forces, cope when Dessie hit the opponents with his unique tackling style - which basically looked like he turned himself into a poleaxe to take out the attacker. His best try for me was vs Saints. Now my memory is that he'd just scored and very good try running over half the length of the pitch and beating the defenders for pace on the outside, though could be wrong about that. Anyway, Paul Loughlin took the restart and kicked it straight to Dessie. He charged into the line, bust through the tackle, found space on the outside and burned Vievers off to score under the posts. He was puffing like billy-o when he got back to the Fletcher end. See it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi5nz12IMV4

Hard to believe that 5 pages in and still no mention of Des Drummond! He may not have been at his absolute peak when playing for Warrington, but he still brought an intake of breath when he got the ball with a bit of space. Many a happy memory of seeing his jersey billowing out behind him as he streaked down the touchline to score in the corner. His defence was also pretty solid. Would love to see the use of today's technology, and its assessment of collision forces, cope when Dessie hit the opponents with his unique tackling style - which basically looked like he turned himself into a poleaxe to take out the attacker. His best try for me was vs Saints. Now my memory is that he'd just scored and very good try running over half the length of the pitch and beating the defenders for pace on the outside, though could be wrong about that. Anyway, Paul Loughlin took the restart and kicked it straight to Dessie. He charged into the line, bust through the tackle, found space on the outside and burned Vievers off to score under the posts. He was puffing like billy-o when he got back to the Fletcher end. See it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi5nz12IMV4

Re: Talk about a Player, any Player. : Tue Sep 09, 2014 6:58 pm  

Barry Briggs . When he first broke into the side during the late 1960s Barry was a fearless tackling second row with a good turn of speed and a good rugby brain. He appeared to have all the attributes of a future star. He then had a spell in Australia where I think he captained he Brisbane Brothers. Sadly, when he returned in the early 1970s, his appetite for the game/Wire seemed to have gone - and it wasn't too long afterwards that he was transferred to Wigan. My final memory is of him scoring a cracking try for them at the Fletcher Street end having cut through what was a good Warrington side at the time. RIP Barry.

Re: Talk about a Player, any Player. : Tue Sep 09, 2014 7:00 pm  

B'wood Bob wrote: Hard to believe that 5 pages in and still no mention of Des Drummond! He may not have been at his absolute peak when playing for Warrington, but he still brought an intake of breath when he got the ball with a bit of space. Many a happy memory of seeing his jersey billowing out behind him as he streaked down the touchline to score in the corner. His defence was also pretty solid. Would love to see the use of today's technology, and its assessment of collision forces, cope when Dessie hit the opponents with his unique tackling style - which basically looked like he turned himself into a poleaxe to take out the attacker. His best try for me was vs Saints. Now my memory is that he'd just scored and very good try running over half the length of the pitch and beating the defenders for pace on the outside, though could be wrong about that. Anyway, Paul Loughlin took the restart and kicked it straight to Dessie. He charged into the line, bust through the tackle, found space on the outside and burned Vievers off to score under the posts. He was puffing like billy-o when he got back to the Fletcher end. See it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi5nz12IMV4 Dessie is my all time favourite Wire player, I am annoyed with myself that I haven't posted his name.

B'wood Bob wrote: Hard to believe that 5 pages in and still no mention of Des Drummond! He may not have been at his absolute peak when playing for Warrington, but he still brought an intake of breath when he got the ball with a bit of space. Many a happy memory of seeing his jersey billowing out behind him as he streaked down the touchline to score in the corner. His defence was also pretty solid. Would love to see the use of today's technology, and its assessment of collision forces, cope when Dessie hit the opponents with his unique tackling style - which basically looked like he turned himself into a poleaxe to take out the attacker. His best try for me was vs Saints. Now my memory is that he'd just scored and very good try running over half the length of the pitch and beating the defenders for pace on the outside, though could be wrong about that. Anyway, Paul Loughlin took the restart and kicked it straight to Dessie. He charged into the line, bust through the tackle, found space on the outside and burned Vievers off to score under the posts. He was puffing like billy-o when he got back to the Fletcher end. See it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi5nz12IMV4 Dessie is my all time favourite Wire player, I am annoyed with myself that I haven't posted his name.

Re: Talk about a Player, any Player. : Tue Sep 09, 2014 7:48 pm  

Andy Currrier

Quite simply, one of the biggest onanists to ever play in P&B (there's not been that many). Disinterested is probably the most complimentary adjective I can bestow on him.
A complete waste of time and money. I also remember Johnno and Peter Higham having a bit of a pop at the fans (in the Guardian) for giving Currier some flack. A bit of respect was lost for those two after their little outburst.