Team of All Time : Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:44 pm  

In 1973, to mark Trinity's centenary, the Wakefield Express ran a 'Team of All Time' competition. Below are the selected 13 with their club playing details.
In the ensuing 36 years have there been any players who have warranted inclusion in that team? Or who deserves to be on the subs bench from the modern era?
1. Charlie Pollard - 1919/20-1931/32 App. 385 Goals 654 Tries 39
2. Denis Boocker - 1947/48-1953/54 App. 221 Goals 6 Tries 127
3. Alan Skene - 1958/59-1962/63 App. 136 Tries 69
4. Neil Fox - 1955/56-1973/74 App.574 Goals 1,836 Tries 272
5. Stanley Smith - 1954/55-1959/60 App. 59 Tries 25
6. Harold Poynton - 1957/58-1969/70 App. 319 Goals 16 Tries 62
7. Jonty Parkin - 1912/13-1929/30 App. 342 Goals 91 Tries 88
8. Jack Wilkinson - 1959/60-1963/64 App. 151 Tries 10
9. Harry Field - 1927/28-1935/36 App. 255 Tries 19
10. A.K. Crossland - 1902/1903-1921/22 App. 166 Goals 2 Tries 5
11. Bill Horton - 1924/25-1937/38 App. 441 Goals 2 Tries 71
12. Harry Murphy - 1939/40-1952/53 App. 290 Goals 62 Tries 50
13. Derek Turner - 1958/59-1966/67 App 213 Tries 45

My subs would be -
14. Dave Topliss
15. Nigel Bell
16. Gareth Ellis
17. Jason Demetriou

Re: Team of All Time : Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:50 pm  

Why aren't Robert Piva, Brett Todd and Paul Taylor in there???

Re: Team of All Time : Mon Dec 14, 2009 10:58 pm  

I don't think that team would change all that much, maybe Gerry Round at full back.

Re: Team of All Time : Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:06 am  

The Clan wrote:

I don't think that team would change all that much, maybe Gerry Round at full back.

If you read up about Charlie Pollard he seems to have been an outstanding goalkicker. Kicked penalties from his own 25 yard line!

Re: Team of All Time : Tue Dec 15, 2009 1:57 pm  

IngsRoader wrote:

My subs would be -
14. Dave Topliss
15. Nigel Bell
16. Gareth Ellis
17. Jason Demetriou

No disrespect to the bottom three who have all been good players for the club,I don't think they can be considered as next in line for inclusion.

Re: Team of All Time : Tue Dec 15, 2009 4:41 pm  

Wally Lewis

Re: Team of All Time : Tue Dec 15, 2009 4:58 pm  

Fred Gee wrote:

Wally Lewis

Seriously? He's an all-time great of rugby league, but 10 games in a poor Trinity team hardly compares to Harold Poynton"s time in a tean that won Challenge Cups and our only Championships.

Re: Team of All Time : Tue Dec 15, 2009 5:34 pm  

I would have prefered either John Etty or Gert coetzer on the wing before Stan Smith tbh.

Re: Team of All Time : Tue Dec 15, 2009 6:19 pm  

Prince Buster wrote:

No disrespect to the bottom three who have all been good players for the club,I don't think they can be considered as next in line for inclusion.

The reason I chose Nigel Bell and Jason Demetriou was not because they were the best players to ever play for the club but because they have been great servants and ambassadors of the club, just as A.K. Crossland probably wasn't the best prop to ever play for the club but he played 19 years for the club.

Gareth Ellis, I believe, is going to be one of Britain's best second-rowers of the modern era and we set the ball rolling.

Re: Team of All Time : Tue Dec 15, 2009 7:51 pm  

IngsRoader wrote:

The reason I chose Nigel Bell and Jason Demetriou was not because they were the best players to ever play for the club but because they have been great servants and ambassadors of the club, just as A.K. Crossland probably wasn't the best prop to ever play for the club but he played 19 years for the club.

I guess the key is either you pick the very, very best performers for the club since 1873, or you just pick a team of your personal favourites and 'ambassadors.' Maybe A.K. Crossland was one of the two greatest props for this club - those voting in 1973 seem to have thought so.