Page 1 of 2

Long Retires

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:54 am
by Wigan_forever1985

Re: Long Retires

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 11:52 am
by bill.inger
Please don't let this turn into a slagging-off thread. The lad always was a winner, no matter who he played for, and he only played in about a dozen games for Wigan before he was offloaded to Widnes.

Re: Long Retires

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 12:14 pm
by Sutty
Sorry Bill, but after reading his book, no matter how good a player he may have been on the pitch, off it he was just a chav. Some of the things that he got up to, in his book, are a disgrace.
ps. I'd have said the same if he had played for Wigan. He's not fit to be mentioned in the same sentence as Radders. At least, after reading Newton's book, Terry seemed like a decent bloke off the pitch.

Re: Long Retires

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 12:25 pm
by southernpie
I've always hated him the way other fans hate Sam, due to a great respect of his skills. He always threatened to find a way to beat us, and very often, in partnership with Tommy Martyn, found it.
I remember looking forward to the partnership he would set up with Craig Murdoch when they were promoted to the first team, as youngsters they so reminded me of Edwards and Gregory. Alas it wasn't to be, with both being offloaded.
I wonder if they were youngsters Rads alluded to in his book, who had no respect for older players, and thought they were it once they had played a couple of 1st team games, or if they were the ones Rads regrets the club let go.
After reading Long's book I do remember thinking "what a d**kh**d", however I always respected how he could lift the Stains to victory from the jaws of defeat.

Re: Long Retires

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 12:26 pm
by Kittwazzer
Sutty. I read both Rad and Long's books in the same week and considering they both came through the Wigan system together, the contrast was unbelievable.
If ever a book should never have been written, it was that one!

Re: Long Retires

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 1:16 pm
by Sutty
I agree. I've never met Longy, so don't know how he comes across. I've heard the stories (however true / untrue those are) and read what he put in his book. I've spoken to Rad's tons of times, and he's always been really easy to speak to and very unassuming. Like you say, the contrast is massive and Longy's book, the more I think of it, is just another ego trip.

That said, he was an excellent player and always seemed to cause us no end of problems on the pitch, whenever we played the Stains. He's a player that they haven't and will struggle to replace.

Re: Long Retires

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:08 pm
by warrior1989
In his interview on BBC Sport he has gone on to this that he could have waited till next year and joind another team but this coaching job he is going into may not be avaliable then. You dont think its the wigan assistant coaching job do u ? Seems abit funny you know.

Re: Long Retires

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 3:16 pm
by cpwigan
warrior1989 wrote:In his interview on BBC Sport he has gone on to this that he could have waited till next year and joind another team but this coaching job he is going into may not be avaliable then. You dont think its the wigan assistant coaching job do u ? Seems abit funny you know.
Salford on a 2year deal (coaching)

Re: Long Retires

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 9:18 pm
by jobo
Great player who was at Wigan at the wrong time. He always seemed to hold a grudge that we got rid and to be fair, never missed an opportunity to rub our noses in it, which again to be fair was pretty often.

I'll be amazed if he makes it as a coach though.

Re: Long Retires

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:31 pm
by the winky one
Sutty wrote:I agree. I've never met Longy, so don't know how he comes across. I've heard the stories (however true / untrue those are) and read what he put in his book. I've spoken to Rad's tons of times, and he's always been really easy to speak to and very unassuming. Like you say, the contrast is massive and Longy's book, the more I think of it, is just another ego trip.

That said, he was an excellent player and always seemed to cause us no end of problems on the pitch, whenever we played the Stains. He's a player that they haven't and will struggle to replace.
Great player...but so annoying.