I have no more or less an agenda than you. You've met him and he created a positive impression. I, and many others, have met him and and he created the opposite impression.

BTW, if you're drawing Garry's attention to my posts for his twitter responses you might want to point out that my comments about Schofield's pre match focus in the 1995 Cup Final were drawn from Alan Tait's autobiography and IIRC Schofield's own autobiography. He was, I understand from those sources, more worried about the SL loyalty contracts the WIgan players were getting (and he wasn't) than the game he was about to play. My opinion of his "efforts" came from watching him. Not that he was alone, but, I don't recall him doinganything at all of note that day.

I was discussing his supposed jealousy of current players.

Bitterness? He's accused of that quite a lot. All I know is every time I'm in the company of him and other legends at charity functions etc, he's as popular as they come and he's the life and soul of the party. It couldn't be more at odds with how he's perceived.

As for his coaching, most great players fail in coaching, and I've met some real bitter ex-pros who can't get a gig of any sorts in the game. GS got over the Huddersfield sacking years ago and has freely admitted he got the job far too soon. As for Barrow, he'd long given up hope of coaching professionally again when that came up for him completely unexpectedly. He doesn't look back on that with any bitterness, just complete bemusement.

I've heard him speak with a bit of bitterness on a couple of issues regarding his playing career before, but never on coaching. He gave it a go and it didn't work out. There's no more to it than that for him.

Btw no disresepct intended here Andrew. Fully respect your opinons and enjoy reading your posts usually. Just less so on this

schoey went missing the the cup final of 1995

Peacock = Feckwitt

do you think it has ever occurred to Schoey when he is slating Carney/Wells/Kear on Sky for not having a clue as they are ex-wingers that Sky employ them because they are coherent and competent broadcasters, and he (with all his extensive knowledge and experience) is not?

So he's given the team grief in the past - So what.... So has every other fan out there. Thankfully the team have come good more often than not over recent history, but that doesnt mean that Schofield is bitter or jealous - he just says what he thinks at the time. The fact the team have gone on to be successful doesnt mean his comments weren't valid at the time. Yes he may have been wrong with some of the opinions he has given, like I said earlier, he's said things I didn't agree with in the past - but it was his opinion, and like every other fan, he is entitled to voice his own opinion.

Sky Sports, and the game in general would be a much better place if more people were as honest about their opinions, rather than the usual rent-a-quotes we get from players and pundits nowadays. When was the last time you saw a player or club coach getting asked awkward questions about team performances? After last weeks display, the Sky team would have been well within their rights to be questioning the attitude of the players and the tactics used in their post game interviews - but no, its all a nice friendly affair, as people are too scared to offend or annoy any of the current coaches/players. At least Schofield has the balls to say what he thinks, whether people like it or not.



G1, questioning his performance in a certain games is fair enough, but surely you can counter that arguement by the number of games over a number of years where Schoey pretty much carried us. For years, Schoey was our only real attacking threat. Imagine how bad we would really have been without Schoey in some of those years.

The personal stuff about his drink driving, affairs, failed businesses etc is below the belt. Everybody makes mistakes, and it's just plain wrong to bad mouth somebody on a public forum for what are quite personal issues. You may not like the man, and disagree with decisions he's made in his life - but all that has no relevance to him annoying people by quite rightly, questioning the current performances of this Leeds team. Infact, there are a number of the current Leeds squad who could quite easily be ripped to shreads for things they have done in their personal lives - but that aint what this forum should be about.

Whilst Schofield can spout some rubbish at time, Peacock does seem like he can't take any criticism. Reverting to personal insults is just childish. Isn't Peacock always moaning RL needs more of a profile? Then when a pundit makes a comment he results to personal insults? Gary Schofields comments are nothing to what footballers get, you have to take the rough with the smooth.

Peacock needs to grow up IMO

I've never read Tait's, but I know there's no love lost there, but is that enough for you to pass this off as fact? Especially if you're not sure if it's in Schofield's.

I don't remember much about the game, other than Garry had a try disallowed. Leeds were completely outplayed, and no one did themselves any credit. While we're talking focus, maybe if another top player hadn't arranged to shag someone in the dressing rooms after the game, he might have had his mind on the game more!

Everytime I see a thread about GS on here, it's just full of the same old crap. Can't run a pub, can't coach, 1995 CC, etc etc. I'm not being protective of him because he can look after himself - I just want a decent debate on this type of pundit, the type that, IMO, rugby league needs more of. No one can get people talking about rugby league more than Garry, and this sport desperately needs more people talking about it.

But, given how he's treated, I can see why most players are eager to keep their mouths firmly shut!

that's not relevant because he doesn't want to work for Sky, although he knows full well he'd never be asked. his opinion is that to work for them you have to tow the party line and he doesn't want a bar of that. He criticises the pundits like we all do, and he's got as much right as anyone to do that.

cheers. fwiw, guys like malcolm, bobbie and many many others have virtually identical views to garry on modern-day RL, on players etc. malcolm told me a couple of weeks ago that he doesn't think we'll ever beat the aussies again! bitter? no, just honest. he also tore strips off leeds players for the pink hair thing which, incidentally, schoey stuck up for them for!

did any leeds player not? not a rhetorical question, i just can't remember anything other than it being totally one-sided. although far less one-sided than a few weeks later at old trafford when a certain no6 wasn't playing...

Richard i just think that the fans could pick a good panel of ex players to appear regularly on Sky and make Boots n all a must see. I went to the 1995 final and cant remember any decent performances. But I do think in the past Schoey was abit jealous(??) of how the recent Leeds players were percieved and that he was looked over, I do think that he thought he got moved on when he should have become a sort of Lewis Jones figure at the club and to be fair to his performances he's not far off, but I used to play for the supporters club and have seen/heared him be off side to other team mates and in Stoogies on Burley Road holding court. But everyone has an opinion and to win the golden boot tells anyone about how good he was. If you put his name in that famous internet sharing site you'll be amazed at just how good he was, especially for GB against the Ozzies and NZ.

Was Schoey proved right tonight then? Not seen the article!

Garry Schofield OBE ‏
@JamiePeacock10 well played tonight pal!

Huh?

Pretty cheeky but I did chuckle at that.

It's my honest recollection that Schoey talks about it in his book but it's a while since I've read it so I can't be certain. I'm relatively sure. He can always give us, via you, his version of how much the lack of a SL loyalty bonus effected him prior to that game. At the time, as a more rabid fan and less balanced than I am now it infuriated me. I went that day full of expectation and, as usual with Leeds that day, was gutted. To read later that a hero of mine was even thinking about money in the changing room infuriated me, the young idealist that I was.

Regardless, on refelection, I may well be biased against Gary. I've heard and witnessed too many negative tales (many from people within the confines of the dressing rooms) about his time in an infuriatingly dissapointing Leeds team that I may be guilty of dismissing what he says because it's him that is saying it. But to be fair, he brings a lot of that upon himself with much of his delivery. I might miss the odd salient point he makes because, frankly, his constant sniping and negativity, has turned me off listening to him. As a pundit, that is a failure on his part.

Doug Laughton was a very succesful coach with a track record of trophies, even during Wigan's dominant era. I often wonder why it was his mission from the outset to rid Leeds of Schofield and what a team we might have been had he done so.

Regardless, I digress again. In twenty years when I speak to my grandkids of Leeds greats and hero's and deeds it will be the Peacocks, Sinfields, McGuires, Burrows, Seniors, Harris's etc etc. Not Schofield. I doubt he will care but in reality he should. He should care that his legacy has been so tarnished for so, so many who used to worship him.

I agree with Rhinoms here,because Garry has slated Leeds almost every season since 2004 why?Is it because he was being paid to do it to get reaction like this?I like one or two more on here have supported this club since the 50s,and I dont know How much time I have left,I hope I see another group achieve what these have,but GS surely cant deny this is a better 8 year squad than he ever played in,no denying his wonderful ability at all.He has however slagged off players in this team every year and been left with egg on his face,ok now this great era looks like coming to an end and Garry is putting the boot in again,but maybe he needs the money so is he being paid tosay these things?

Not the greatest fan of Schofield post-career but I remember one of Andy Farrell's best performances - a hat-trick at Broncos when they were strong, a week after a Schofield verbal assault. That's the way to answer the critics.

Garry is without a doubt an all time great Leeds player,but I think he is missing out on legendary status,because of his constant slagging off of this Leeds squad while they were winning Grand finals.Arthur Clues never won very much with Leeds,but is still a much loved legendary leeds player even by people who never saw him play,me included.Lewis Jones won all the trophies possible,but played some mediocre Leeds teams,he is regarded as a leeds legend not just because of his wonderful ability,but because of his dignity and modesty.Last year I bumped into JJB and I said "I hope I am still alive when the history books are written about you lot"his smile was heartwarming.

I'm sure when Jamie Peacock becomes a pundit, he won't EVER slag anyone off...

Peacock's twitter comments make him look a bigger idiot than schoey in this case - especially as he and the team so spectacularly failed to deliver anything other than cr*p. If you're going to come out verbally firing, you need to back it up.

The problem Schofield has is that he has come out with so many rubbish and bitter sounding views and statements that when he comes out with a fairly acceptable one like this its too late as many (myself included) can't take the man seriously. I guess you could say he's made a rod for his own back in terms of when he give's an opinion.

hahahaha Kapow!

Dont think Peacock has had a slap like that since Perry used his face as a punch bag

Richard, let's be honest, your defence of GS is dry reminiscent of David Brent's of Finchy. "He's thrown a kettle over a pub! What have you ever done?"

You say he is a good bloke and his heart is in the right place. That is a subjective view and cannot be conclusively disproven without going into the sort of forensic detail that no one can be .rsed with. However, the fact that so many fans of the team he played the majority of his career for have such a low opinion of him should set a few alarm bells off, no?

You asked for specific details of him talking for attention rather than to express an honestly held view. Unfortunately I lent my Collected Works of Garry Schofield to a friend and I won't be able to get up to the British Library till later. His comments on Leeds would seem to fall into this category - predict their demise continually and crow when like a broken clock the reality eventually matches the naysaying. And like G1 comments, tone as well as content is important. Quoting tone is difficult but everyone who has ever heard or read Garry Schofield knows from his tone that his priority is heat rather than light.

His most egregious crime for me as a non-Leeds fan is his attitude towards the game in London. Scepticism is perfectly valid. However he shows no interest in learning more about the complexity of the situation in London, the incredible development that has gone on at grassroots level and the reasons that has not been translated into a vibrant Broncos. He prefers ignorance as it makes it easier to garner praise from fellow anti-expansionists and attention from those frustrated by someone using his still big name in the game to advocate the abandonment of our most promising potential source of future players. No attempt to engage in the real debate, too much effort and the danger of being sidetracked towards being somewhere near reasonable.

JP could perhaps have chosen his words better and he would certainly have wished for a better result to back them up. But he has built a groundswell of repect in the game throughout his career, even from the majority of Bulls fans who saw him join our nearest rivals as their star rose and ours fell. Schofield has his admirers, much as Richard Littlejohn and his ilk have - "You tell it straight, couldn't agree with you more". But in the end he is who he is, says what he says and does what he does. And it's a shame.