Re: 98 season : Fri May 22, 2020 12:40 pm  

we signed Florimo from Aus, was a rumour all year since Henry Paul said he was going to leave, he went to Fax from us, we signed Clinch and Chester after Fax stuffing us in the season I think they were mid season transfers, thats how desperate we were, Blake Green was awesome

Re: 98 season : Fri May 22, 2020 3:12 pm  

Ah yeah I got Florimo's clubs the wrong way round. In 99 there was a weird level of panic around Wigan and Goodway. I wonder how much of it was affected by the pressure to leave Central Park with another title, it was a strange dynamic with Hanley coaching Saints too.

Re: 98 season : Sat May 23, 2020 6:49 am  

sally cinnamon wrote:

I always thought the best backline in SL history was Wigan in 2000. Radlinski, Dallas, Connolly, Renouf, Robinson.

Watching the season review of the 94/95 season the other day, and that team was a try scoring machine. Henry Paul, Offiah, Robinson, Connolly, Inga, Edwards, and Botica, plus a young Radlinski, Murdoch was decent, and even Sean Long and Barry John Mather breaking through to chip in.

Re: 98 season : Sat May 23, 2020 10:45 am  

adi wrote:

Watching the season review of the 94/95 season the other day, and that team was a try scoring machine. Henry Paul, Offiah, Robinson, Connolly, Inga, Edwards, and Botica, plus a young Radlinski, Murdoch was decent, and even Sean Long and Barry John Mather breaking through to chip in.

that was my best backline also

Re: 98 season : Sat May 23, 2020 5:18 pm  

adi wrote:

Watching the season review of the 94/95 season the other day, and that team was a try scoring machine. Henry Paul, Offiah, Robinson, Connolly, Inga, Edwards, and Botica, plus a young Radlinski, Murdoch was decent, and even Sean Long and Barry John Mather breaking through to chip in.

As an outsider I thought 94/95 was 'peak Wigan' of all their dominant years. The year before under Dorahy Wigan hadn't been the same side and nearly got chased down by Wire and Bradford. People were starting to say the chinks were showing and the end of the dynasty was in sight. Then in 94/95 Wigan went on to another level.

I also think RL as a sport peaked around that time, at least in my lifetime watching (1989 - ). There were so many quality players around and also some iconic teams. As well as Wigan there was Mal Meninga's Canberra Raiders in Aus. I thought GB under Mal Reilly/Ellery Hanley had a cracking side at that time but they were surpassed by a great Kangaroos team.

However, a lot of the game's best players were late into their careers then: Hanley, Gregory, Davies, Schofield, Offiah, Edwards and as the retirements started the quality of RL went in to a steep decline in the first few years of summer rugby.

I remember seeing that Bradford team of 97 that was unbeaten at the time it clinched the title on points and thinking, a couple of years ago this team wouldn't have got near Wigan. Even the Wigan team that won in 98 was a long way off the teams of the past. You could also see by the calibre of Aussie players who were able to be dominant players here. Clinch had his great season with Halifax, and then Adrian Vowles won Man of Steel.

The game picked up in standard again in the early 2000s with the Saints and Bradford teams of the era and then Leeds and I think we had another peak around mid 2000s, Wigan were on a down spell then though.

Re: 98 season : Sun May 24, 2020 6:33 am  

sally cinnamon wrote:

As an outsider I thought 94/95 was 'peak Wigan' of all their dominant years. The year before under Dorahy Wigan hadn't been the same side and nearly got chased down by Wire and Bradford. People were starting to say the chinks were showing and the end of the dynasty was in sight. Then in 94/95 Wigan went on to another level.

I also think RL as a sport peaked around that time, at least in my lifetime watching (1989 - ). There were so many quality players around and also some iconic teams. As well as Wigan there was Mal Meninga's Canberra Raiders in Aus. I thought GB under Mal Reilly/Ellery Hanley had a cracking side at that time but they were surpassed by a great Kangaroos team.

However, a lot of the game's best players were late into their careers then: Hanley, Gregory, Davies, Schofield, Offiah, Edwards and as the retirements started the quality of RL went in to a steep decline in the first few years of summer rugby.

I remember seeing that Bradford team of 97 that was unbeaten at the time it clinched the title on points and thinking, a couple of years ago this team wouldn't have got near Wigan. Even the Wigan team that won in 98 was a long way off the teams of the past. You could also see by the calibre of Aussie players who were able to be dominant players here. Clinch had his great season with Halifax, and then Adrian Vowles won Man of Steel.

The game picked up in standard again in the early 2000s with the Saints and Bradford teams of the era and then Leeds and I think we had another peak around mid 2000s, Wigan were on a down spell then though.

Indeed. I think at the end of that season Clarke and Betts went down under, with Botica leaving also, and by the end of the final winter season, Offiah had moved on as well. The 94/95 team had some real quality in depth, with guys like Acheson, Radlinski, Murdoch, McDermott, Cassidy not first choice, and Haughton et al coming through. Sadly guys like Haughton never had the sustained impact of Betts, who he replaced, which is a shame as he looked like he would be a world beater.

Re: 98 season : Sun May 24, 2020 7:40 am  

Offiah made 10 appearances in 96 and then went to London. He played in a the two Bath games and the 7s.

Re: 98 season : Sun May 24, 2020 9:44 am  

Radlinski, Robinson, Tuigamala, Connolly, Offiah, Paul, Edwards.

That was Wigans back line in their opening Superleague game at Oldham. Still the best back line ever in Superleague history IMO.

Re: 98 season : Sun May 24, 2020 12:14 pm  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

Radlinski, Robinson, Tuigamala, Connolly, Offiah, Paul, Edwards.

That was Wigans back line in their opening Superleague game at Oldham. Still the best back line ever in Superleague history IMO.

The Bradford side circa 2001-2003 didn't have a bad backline.

Withers, Vaikona, Naylor, Hape, Vainikolo, Henry, Robbie.

Re: 98 season : Sun May 24, 2020 4:09 pm  

none of them are better than Wigans backline man for man