Fereti Tuilagi

[DaiJones]

Back to Scott Quinnell for a mo. He took a while to get to grips with League, but when he was sold to Richmond (very much against his will he wanted to stay) he was exactly the sort of big, ball handling, pacey forward GB needed and Wigan could really do with now. He signed off with 4 tries against an under strength Sts in a 58-0 win (for those at Knowsley Road with short memories gloating over Sunday) He really enjoyed rugby league and wanted to be a big success. I am not suggesting he is a legend, but he was certainly not crap.

He may have put weight on when he returned to Union but whatever some disgruntled Welsh fans might have said, he was one of only two truly world class players (with Howley) for us from the mid 90s until basically this season. His brother was the real Tellytubby a man who criminally wasted his talent.

PS To join with the Daves and their argument over what does or does not constitute the status of legend, can I suggest that Inga and indeed Nick DT and Billy Mc Ginty are "cult heroes" for our clubs? Gilly was another and I like to think Sam Panapa and Sir Gerard Byrne, with Kelvin Skerrett maybe starddling the line of legend and cult.

PPS I had better proof read this message before posting, peppered liberally as it is with 'cults'

[DaiJones]

Yes agreed, Gilly surely deserves to be remembered as one of our top players, especially when you consider the team around him in his early days.

[Doveoverdave]

Dave o posted;
My opinion is you don't have to play for a club for your entire career or close to it to become a club legend

Inga never even played the game for much more than ONE YEAR.
Whatever criteria you want to use surely 1 year in a sport cannot make you a legend.

He was amateur when he took the money from Wigan, no matter what gimble thinks, and when he could get the money from his own sport, off he went at the first oppurtunity.

Having made himself, apparently, a "legend" in some people's minds. How small does this mentality make our game appear? The bloke was still learning the rudiments and doing exteremly well making a huge impact on the game, but never legendary.

[thegimble]

Someone mentioned that a legend could not be really a player who played here over a short period of time.

Ill give you 1 name we never really replaced from the 98 squad and is still my opinion the best hooker i saw over 1 season. He was old but id have loved to have watched him in his prime.


Robbie Mckormak better in his 30's than Newton have has been and Newton is a good player.

[DaiJones]

It seems to me that this legend debate is boiling down to what is essentially a dispute over semantics. Someone is arguing that a legend is defined by longevity and legacy, someone else is saying that players can have an immense, possibly 'legendary' impact in a very short time.

Gene Miles, Ferguson, Kenny- very short but memorable careers at Wigan but legends of rugby league because of fifteen year careers in Australia and wearing the green and gold. They are legends who played for Wigan, not Wigan legends. (It's now becoming a syntactical distinction!)Shaun Edwards, Andy Farrell and Graeme West-Wigan legends.

Inga has few bigger fans than me, but I take the point that his league career amounted to a few short but great years, he had huge talent and won a number of games for us, but as League player he should not be counted alongside people who did it week in week out for a decade and not for a team who could have played me on the wing and I'd have scored 15 tries a season.

What singled Inga out for me in Union and League was his personality, his charisma and galvanising impact on those around him and to return to the semantic argument, he is a cult hero rather than a legend of rugby league. It could be argued he is not a "legend" in union either as his stats don't back up with the best in fifteen a side but his aura made him a world figure who will be remembered in both codes.

[standishcat]

That's what I like about your generation you never face facts.

How nice of you to generalise our generation. :doz:

[Doveoverdave]

standishcat posted:

That's what I like about your generation you never face facts.

How nice of you to generalise our generation. :doz:

Typical.
Read all the thread and you may understand better.

[damien morrissey]

Young Damy i like that one at 28 my days of being called young anything have gone but i will take the compliment anyway.Not sure what all GB reps has to do with the disscussion but there it is. We could go round in circles it is fairly obvious neither of us will change our mind.I think based on the fact that i am answering your posts that i too have the intelligence to read however my life is very busy and call me a fickle fan or not i havent ever read a book about past players. So whats this Alfred Great like must be good if you have heard of him tell us more.....

[standishcat]

Typical.

That's exactly the kind of comment I'm on about! I've read the thread. It would appear no one can have an opposing opinion these days.

[mrs_carney]

standishcat posted:

Typical.

That's exactly the kind of comment I'm on about! I've read the thread. It would appear no one can have an opposing opinion these days.

Dont be silly cat, its just because your young and they obviously know better.