: Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:59 pm  

Did Gareth Ellis play in the centres? He played his best spell for us at stand off in the top 6 season after Rooney broke his leg at Castleford away.

[PopTart]

: Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:59 pm  

Jason wrote:

Am i correct in thinking he then played union in England. Never saw him play but my mate really rated him. Was he that good?

He was really good, and well past his best when he played with us.
I thought the thing that stood out about him was that he made intelligent decisions. He didn't just run it back at speed, he always seemed to make the right choice when faced with two defenders and a winger outside him etc.

Think he went back home to Oz though. Think he worked at Parramatta back room for a while.

: Tue Oct 20, 2009 5:31 pm  

mole rat wrote:

1. Leeds
2.Lino foi????
3.Ellis
4.Domic
5.Blanch
6. Lewis
7. Ella
8.Shelford
9.Bagnall
10.Fritz
11.Mark Graham
12. Solomona
13 Ray Price

14.H.Paul
15.Mortimer
16.Watene
17.Jackson

now that team would take some beating!!!

Here I go again. Sorry but how can Mark Graham be included. Only played from September till November in his one and only season for Wakey and decided to call it a day. Now onto Steve Ella although a great player he did not make it through the full season. Had a recurring shoulder problem. We won all our games at the end of that season to secure survival when he was not playing. Chris Mortimer. The story went that we thought we were getting his brother Steve and ended up with Chris. As I remember it we thought we were getting a flair player. He turned out to be a tackler and I think he settled in at the back of the pack eventually. Big disappointment. Sorry If I upset folk with this but my excuse is I am having a bad day and this post has made me feel a little bit better. I love these debates!

: Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:43 pm  

Didn't we also have Brent Todd in the same team as Mark Graham and Steve Ella? Imagine if we had all 3 in their prime?!!

Does anyone remmber Tracey Lazenby? On his day a match winner.

: Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:50 pm  

Yes but when they played for us they were poor. It is no good saying that when Brent Todd went back to Aus he was brilliant. That is of no use to us Wakey fans!

: Tue Oct 20, 2009 8:57 pm  

I seem to remember Ella had a decent first half of the season, but both Todd and Graham were poor?

: Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:08 pm  

Jason wrote:

Yes but when they played for us they were poor. It is no good saying that when Brent Todd went back to Aus he was brilliant. That is of no use to us Wakey fans!

Not having that sir! You cannot tar Zip Zip with the same brush as Brent Todd.

It was not true that we won all our games later in the season - we won the first 3 and stood top of the league. Zip Zip also played in the double header over xmas against Fev which turned our season around.

Of the 3 named, one was held in high regard by most, one was seen as an opportunity lost and one was hounded out of town. Deffo not having the 3 mentioned as the same!

: Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:10 pm  

Both Todd and Graham were gone November ish. The former after an alleged coming together with a local journalist.

: Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:15 pm  

TRB wrote:

Not having that sir! You cannot tar Zip Zip with the same brush as Brent Todd.

It was not true that we won all our games later in the season - we won the first 3 and stood top of the league. Zip Zip also played in the double header over xmas against Fev which turned our season around.

Of the 3 named, one was held in high regard by most, one was seen as an opportunity lost and one was hounded out of town. Deffo not having the 3 mentioned as the same!

Mark Graham was carried off the field on the shoulders of the fans after we beat Wigan at home to go top. I remember the away game against Fev. Ella was magnificent... at stand off... which is where I remember him playing for us.

: Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:25 pm  

imwakefieldtillidie wrote:

I seem to remember Ella had a decent first half of the season, but both Todd and Graham were poor?

We had just been promoted and were looking to make a big impression...

Mark Graham was the keynote signing backed up by Steve Ells... who signed afetr another failed attempt at King Wally... but we also lined up Mark Elia and Ian Roberts... both pulled out of the deals after they were announced... Todd was a direct replacement for Roberts and was signed on the advice of Mark Graham.. In the early season both Graham and Ella were excellent... however when it turned sour for Todd it seemed to have a detrimental effect on Mark Graham... and over the course of the winter lost interest... (although I believe he stayed well into the new year!)

Graham was a fantastic player who never really settled.. Todd was a young, bnrash Kiwi who came over on holiday and never did the hard work. Ella was all class!!


And for the record for Jason... I dont know if you remember Phil Fox but he was an excellent, excellent winger for us who gave several years sterling service to the club!


Are you thinking about Peter Fox... ???