: Mon May 11, 2009 8:11 am  

I've watched Leigh since about 1970, but main memories come from around 1975 onwards, heres my dream team with a few unlucky not to get in but I can only pick 17

1. Mick Hogan

2. Des Drummond
3. Terry Bilsbury
4. Ian Jeffrey
5. Phil Fox

6. John Woods
7. Shane Varley

8. Craig Stapleton
9. Gary Hughes
10. Derek Pyke
11. Jeff Clarke
12. John Westhead
13. Tommy Martyn Snr

14. Trevor Cogger
15. Timmy Street
16. Tony Cooke
17. John Kerr

Coach: A.J. Murphy only because of 81/82)

: Mon May 11, 2009 8:43 am  

I remember my mates dad, scrum half, telling me a tale of when he made his Salford debut against Leigh.
He went blind side from a scrum and shot over in the corner, on the way back CP advised him not to do that again, being full of the joys of youth he tried it again later in the game.
Waking up a few minutes later CP did remind him of his advice.
CP terrified the Aussies on tour, they tried to get him banned, I understand on one occassion he scragged the Aussie wonder boy over the touchline and threw the ice bin over him.
How many tourist forwards have we had, ever!!

: Mon May 11, 2009 8:56 am  

maurice wrote:

I remember my mates dad, scrum half, telling me a tale of when he made his Salford debut against Leigh.
He went blind side from a scrum and shot over in the corner, on the way back CP advised him not to do that again, being full of the joys of youth he tried it again later in the game.
Waking up a few minutes later CP did remind him of his advice.
CP terrified the Aussies on tour, they tried to get him banned, I understand on one occassion he scragged the Aussie wonder boy over the touchline and threw the ice bin over him.
How many tourist forwards have we had, ever!!

Could do with a couple now

: Mon May 11, 2009 9:13 am  

1/Eckersley
2/Drummond
3/Lewis
4/Donlan
5/Fox
6/Woods
7/Murphy
8/Chisnall
9/Ashcroft
10/Owen
11/Martyn T
12/Martyn M
13/Boyd

14/Risman
15/Martyn T jnr
16/Clarkson
17/Wilkinson

There are many great players left out, ball playing loose forwards,Pinner & Foster,hard men, Pawsey,Grimes and Smethurst etc however, with Murphy in the team we didn't them, Murph was simply the best player& Coach I have ever seen and with these players at his disposal we would have been unbeatable! my opinion, of course!

[mish]

: Mon May 11, 2009 1:58 pm  

I think some people are still missing the point - this is a 'dream' team, not the 'best you have watched' team. What I'm really after is a mix of new and old players who could be considered the best ever Leigh team.

TBH I don't want the dream team to consist of players from the mid seventies onwards because frankly most of them aren't a patch on the older players, however there are one or two that do deserve their place. Just consider that a player doesn't get a reputation of being a great player because one person thinks they were good, they get it because they were good.

: Mon May 11, 2009 2:19 pm  

mishmash wrote:

I think some people are still missing the point - this is a 'dream' team, not the 'best you have watched' team. What I'm really after is a mix of new and old players who could be considered the best ever Leigh team.

TBH I don't want the dream team to consist of players from the mid seventies onwards because frankly most of them aren't a patch on the older players, however there are one or two that do deserve their place. Just consider that a player doesn't get a reputation of being a great player because one person thinks they were good, they get it because they were good.

I know what you are trying to achieve but it is difficult to comment on players you have not seen and have only heard about. The problem here is that maybe there are not as many "mature" keyboard operators who frequent this site.

Tell you what I will do, I will interview the old fella who is nearly 78 and come back and put his dream team down. Its only been the last couple of years were he has not managed to get to many games so 70 years or so for him to choose from!

Maybe others on here could do the same?

: Mon May 11, 2009 2:20 pm  

I've only been watching Leigh this season and im struggling

[mish]

: Mon May 11, 2009 3:34 pm  

leyther forever wrote:

I know what you are trying to achieve but it is difficult to comment on players you have not seen and have only heard about. The problem here is that maybe there are not as many "mature" keyboard operators who frequent this site.

Tell you what I will do, I will interview the old fella who is nearly 78 and come back and put his dream team down. Its only been the last couple of years were he has not managed to get to many games so 70 years or so for him to choose from!

Maybe others on here could do the same?

Cheers pal, that would be a great help.


I just can't get my head around the fact that Alex Murphy for example wouldn't make our dream team!!

: Mon May 11, 2009 4:45 pm  

People can only comment on what they've seen really but I know where your coming from Mish Mash.

Here is mine.

1. Chris Johnson
2. Des Drummond
3. Steve Donlan
4. John Henderson
5. Joe Walsh
6. John Woods
7. Alex Murphy
8. Tim Street
9. Kevin Ashcroft
10. Derek Pyke
11. Ian Potter
12. Jeff Clarke
13. Adam Bristow

SUBS

14. Jimmy Ledgard
15. Shane Varley
16. Alf Wilkinson
17. Tony Cottrell

: Tue May 12, 2009 9:49 am  

kirkhall wrote:

1/Eckersley
2/Drummond
3/Lewis
4/Donlan
5/Fox
6/Woods
7/Murphy
8/Chisnall
9/Ashcroft
10/Owen
11/Martyn T
12/Martyn M
13/Boyd

14/Risman
15/Martyn T jnr
16/Clarkson
17/Wilkinson

There are many great players left out, ball playing loose forwards,Pinner & Foster,hard men, Pawsey,Grimes and Smethurst etc however, with Murphy in the team we didn't them, Murph was simply the best player& Coach I have ever seen and with these players at his disposal we would have been unbeatable! my opinion, of course!

The only changes I would make to my selection would be, Trevor Allen for Gordon Lewis and, Charlie Pawsey for Geoff Clarkson. It is difficult to comment on Players you've not seen however, my father watched Leigh from 1923 until 2002! He said John Woods was the best player Leigh ever had and that Trevor Allen was sensational! don't recall him revering anyone else. I've never seen a Stand Off,either Aussie or GB NZ etc.. that I would have prefered to John Woods and, I've never seen a Scrum half to compare to Murph either! I can't think any team could have had a better halfback pairing to those two, I'd loved to have seen them together at their best!