CheshireWarrior wrote: ↑Sun Jan 29, 2023 7:22 am 1. Ashton, 2. Calderwood, 3. McAvoy, 4. Vaealiki, 5. Richards, 6. Orr, 7. Dobson......don't get better than the 06 'survival squad'......cometh the hour!
Best set of Wigan backs?
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Re: Best set of Wigan backs?
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Re: Best set of Wigan backs?
In terms of footballing ability that team, not just the backs would wipe the floor with any English Team before or after.Sutty wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 10:35 pm I was just watching a video of us from 1994 and we had
Radlinski
Offiah
Connolly
Tuigamala
Robinson
Paul
Edwards
As our backs. I can't remember seeing a full set of backs that were so brilliant, certainly not since I first started watching Wigan in 1986. Yes, we've had other players of a similar calibre, but not all at the same time. I feel genuinely privileged to have seen some of the rugby that we played back then.
Any team before the late 80's would be totally destroyed by a modern team. The backs of a modern side are stronger than the forwards previously and the fitness levels are night and day.
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Re: Best set of Wigan backs?
Those really were the days with the likes of Steve Hampton, Joe Lyndon, Dean Bell & Franco Bottica just before those mentioned above…
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Re: Best set of Wigan backs?
You're obviously right about fitness and strength from full-time training, conditioning, diet etc.Wintergreen wrote: ↑Sun Jan 29, 2023 1:22 pmIn terms of footballing ability that team, not just the backs would wipe the floor with any English Team before or after.Sutty wrote: ↑Fri Jan 27, 2023 10:35 pm I was just watching a video of us from 1994 and we had
Radlinski
Offiah
Connolly
Tuigamala
Robinson
Paul
Edwards
As our backs. I can't remember seeing a full set of backs that were so brilliant, certainly not since I first started watching Wigan in 1986. Yes, we've had other players of a similar calibre, but not all at the same time. I feel genuinely privileged to have seen some of the rugby that we played back then.
Any team before the late 80's would be totally destroyed by a modern team. The backs of a modern side are stronger than the forwards previously and the fitness levels are night and day.
But surely the point of comparing teams of the past is to look at the skills of players in the context of the era they played in? Would Billy B have stood out in any other era? You bet he would!!!
Here's a controversial thought: How good would our all-conquering team of 85-95 have looked if they hadn't been full-timers playing part-timers?
The truth is that we don't know. Everybody can have an opinion, but there are no definitive answers because it didn't happen. Equally we'll never see Billy B or Brian McTigue against Tommy Makinson or Alex Walmesley.
(Sits back and waits for the flak.)
Wigan Saints
Re: Best set of Wigan backs?
These backs were from 1959 —60. I would have liked to pick Alan Davis and Frank Carlton but they were just a little later.
1:- Fred. Griffiths
2:- Billy Boston
3:- Eric Ashton, mainly because he dominated the position but l think Billy B would have made any centre look good. Still l was very young ( about 10 at the time )
4:- Keith Holdeni
5:- Mick. Sullivan.
but moved to 6 to keep Murphy quiet when playing Sentelenz
6. David Bolton. but moved to 5 till Murphy got carried or send off along with Sullivan ( see above )
7. Rees. Thomas
Morley Pie Eater is right you can only judge players in the time they played and not compare them to modern full time professionals. They would have benefited from a full time environment
May not have been the most skilful unit but posed a threat across the field
1:- Fred. Griffiths
2:- Billy Boston
3:- Eric Ashton, mainly because he dominated the position but l think Billy B would have made any centre look good. Still l was very young ( about 10 at the time )
4:- Keith Holdeni
5:- Mick. Sullivan.
but moved to 6 to keep Murphy quiet when playing Sentelenz
6. David Bolton. but moved to 5 till Murphy got carried or send off along with Sullivan ( see above )
7. Rees. Thomas
Morley Pie Eater is right you can only judge players in the time they played and not compare them to modern full time professionals. They would have benefited from a full time environment
May not have been the most skilful unit but posed a threat across the field
We have the history Sentelins wish they had
Re: Best set of Wigan backs?
The team of 88-95 were rugby entertainers. Fitness , strength and tactical awareness have all increased. You couldn’t and shouldn’t decrease those. However natural flair has suffered. To me it’s a problem with today’s game. How does off the cuff flair come back.
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Re: Best set of Wigan backs?
I saw Frank Carlton an odd time or two, but never saw Punchy Griffiths or Rees Thomas. My Dad wouldn't let me go until I was 12, so my first match was in 63-64.Fizz Bomb wrote: ↑Sun Jan 29, 2023 3:35 pm These backs were from 1959 —60. I would have liked to pick Alan Davis and Frank Carlton but they were just a little later.
1:- Fred. Griffiths
2:- Billy Boston
3:- Eric Ashton, mainly because he dominated the position but l think Billy B would have made any centre look good. Still l was very young ( about 10 at the time )
4:- Keith Holdeni
5:- Mick. Sullivan.
but moved to 6 to keep Murphy quiet when playing Sentelenz
6. David Bolton. but moved to 5 till Murphy got carried or send off along with Sullivan ( see above )
7. Rees. Thomas
Morley Pie Eater is right you can only judge players in the time they played and not compare them to modern full time professionals. They would have benefited from a full time environment
May not have been the most skilful unit but posed a threat across the field
I think Dave Bolton left at the end of that season and he played mainly at full-back in the games I saw, before we signed Ray Ashby from Liverpool City Shillinglaw was another I didn't see more than a couple of times.
Wigan Saints
Re: Best set of Wigan backs?
If you watch the Lee Briers podcast, that's something that he was bringing into the club last year, he was talking about how they encouraged the players to play what's in front of them and try different things and if it doesn't work, try something else. It was an excellent episode and really showed him in a new light.
https://youtu.be/Nj4zJMRaHpI
Re: Best set of Wigan backs?
Thanks Sutty I will listen to it. I think we’ll miss him
Re: Best set of Wigan backs?
Yep, I totally agree with you. If someone had told me 10 years ago that I'd be gutted about Lee going to Australia I'd have laughed at them