As ever, I was the model of professionalism & impartiality. I do look forward to the hardest 17 thread though.

Marty Gurr
Ford
Innes/Jackson
Iro
Bentley
coleman
lyons
Tunks
maskill
Heugh
Laurie
Fullerton smith
Heron

Dixon
Powell
ET
Backo!!!!!!!!!!!

I've got a photo of myself with Marc Glanville,Brad Godden and ' marvellous' Marvin Golden taken in the old Lewis's department store. think it was 1999 cup final year. Oh and I spotted Leroy Rivett at East Leeds game last week

Each to their own and all that, but I cant believe people have put Medley in their teams.

Fair enough, he scored plenty of spectacular tries in his time at Bradford, but from my vague memories, he was absolutely nothing special during his spell at Leeds. Infact, I'm sure I remember alot of people had him down as a bit of a hide and seek champion when the going got tough.

I may be totally confused and barking up the complete wrong tree here, but, wasnt part of the reason he left Leeds because the coaching staff didnt think he had his team mates backs covered for if/when it kicked off?

I can recall being mighty p*ssed off at how he ran the ball in with such vigour for Bradford, when for Leeds he was a big wet lettuce.

I'm on my 13th Season Ticket which puts my first season with a ST at 1998. Attended games before that but with parents and didn't pay much attention.

The problem I have with this is that I have one of the very worst memories in the world, so this is likely to be very recent in most cases...

1. Harris

2. Donald*
3. Ablett**
4. Senior
5. Hall

6. McGuire
7. Burrow

8. McDermott
9. Buderus
10. Peacock
11. Jones-Buchanan
12. Ellis
13. Sinfield

14. Diskin
15. Morley
16. Lauitiiti
17. Poching


[size=85*Not seen him mentioned yet. It may be nostalgia but I'll always have a soft-spot for Scotty and remember some glorious tries and him as a massive contributor to the '3 in a Row' team.
**Just want him in the team somewhere.[/size

Thought about it now a bit, although still unsure.

ET
Calderwood
Schofield
Stephenson
Ford
Harris
Lyons
Peacock
Ward
Tunks
Ellis
Izzard
Hanley

McGuire
Morley
Sinfield
Glanville

Harris
Smith, Alan
Schofield
Senior
Atkinson
Holmes
Lyons
Morley
Buderus
Peacock
Eccles
Furner
Hanley

McDermott
Ali
Ellis
Sir Kevin

Harris
Sterling
Schofield
Senior
Hall
McGuire
Burrow
Leuluai
Diskin
Izzard
Mercer
Lauitiiti
Hanley (c)

Lyons
Sinfield
Furner
Poching

Harris
Ettingshausen
Schofield
Senior
Hall
Holmes
Lyons
Morley
Sinfield <had to get him in the starting side somewhere>
Peacock
Ellis
Glanville
Hanley
Innes
Dyl
Dixon
Ward

From what I recall, Medley left after a fall out with Mal Reilly. Whilst at Leeds he produced some outstanding performances including coming on for the last twenty minutes in a match against Bradford where we were being hammered. He single handedly turned the match around and won the man of the match. (i think it may have been a Yorkshire cup game, the year we won it.)

Just as people aren't including players who were outstanding elsewhere, but a bit past their best when they played for Leeds, I included Medley because whilst he didn't do much elsewhere, when he was at Leeds he appeared unstopable.

He's someone who would have benifitted playing the modern game. He didn't appear to be able to do it over 80 minutes, but in spells he could be devastating.

I seem to recall that when the 1988 GB squad got together for training, he was second only to Offiah over 100 yards.

Since approx 1990...

1. Harris
2. Bentley
3. Innes
4. Senior
5. Hall
6. Sinfield (c)
7. McGuire
8. JP
9. Diskin (pre knee!)
10 Barrie Mac
11. Ellis
12. Ali
13. Glanville

14.Mozza
15.Fleary
16. Hanley
17. D.Powell

Special mentions(only failed to make the 13 due to balance of team with Sinfield and Harris I couldn't afford any more chiefs): Schofield (never saw him play centre for Leeds so can't really pick him there), Burrow

Squad members: , Godden, Webb, JJB, Ablett, Godden, Mercer, Cummins (bit of a sentimental pick), Furner, Bai, R.Powell, Dixon, Creaser, Carroll, Calderwood, Walker, Bailey, Gibson


I'd have to say that 7 and 9 were the positions we had the least options and centre perhaps the most.

I'd agree with that, especially in the "90's onwards" era.

At centre you have Schofield, Gibson, Innes, Iro, Godden, Carroll, Senior and players who did a job for us there such as Walker and Blackmore don't even get a mention.

Hooker for me was a straight choice between Diskin and Buderus. In a Leeds legends team I'd pick Diskin. In a best ever watched team Buderus wins hands down.

Scrum half was either Burrow or McGuire to play alongside Sinfield - as you say limited options.

Harris
Cummins - His record for Leeds was pretty good!
Senior
Godden
ET
Sinfield - He has to be there.
Schoey
Barrie
Buderus - Based on his whole career as a great player.
Peacock
Morley
Glanville
Hanley

Subs:
McGuire
Furner
Ellis
Fleary

I know it's all about opinions, but David Stephenson at centre ahead of Senior? Really?

I'd get a headache assessing the merits and disadvantages of my ideal team just out of this years squad, let alone making my dream team of what I have seen......ever!

I sat down with a pad and pen, and I wasn't gettting anywhere conclusive.

Nice thread, but I'll sit this one out.

malcom reilly actually says as much in his book, but also says he was soft mentally and actually wanted to send hime home from that tour.

That's probably the bit I can remember about him being a bit soft.

Totally agree about the modern game, and yes, he was lightening quick for a back rower. In his time at Leeds, I can remember a couple of good performances, but my memory was more of frustration - However, I was only a young un at the time...

Fallon and Iro were two others who really used to frustrate me. On their day, they could both be immense, almost unstoppable when they wanted to be. But I used to find that they spent as much time just drifting along and large chunks of games could pass them by and they'd have done nothing. But like I say, on their day, as good as any centre or winger out there.

Medley only played in three of the last twelve Leeds games that season prior to the GB Tour in 1988. His last game was from the bench at Wheldon Rd (final league game of the season) he came on and was back off again within minutes complaining of a neck injury. Although his comment in the paper the following night was that it felt much better as soon as he got off the field again. Yeah I bet it did, he didn't play the following week, probably too busy packing his bags for the flight.

Swapping Medley for a real forward in Paul Dixon was the best bit of business Mal Reilly did as Leeds coach and the stick he got through the letters page of the YEP from the majority of Leeds fans for doing so was unreal.

Medley was a banker. He was eventually replaced during the '88 Tour by another proper forward in Widnes' Paul Hulme.

That was then though and Medley certainly took great pleasure in sticking it to Leeds once he moved on from Thrum Hall to Odsal where he finally matured and grew a pair under the guidance of Peter Fox.

Seems me and you have a similar recollection of Medley, although as I suspect you have a few years on me, your memory of that period of time is probably better than mine.

Dixon was quality. A real no-nonsense, hard as nails forward, which is what was required in those days - hence why Medley would have been better playing against todays powder puff packs with all the protection of the Sky Cameras so he never got a well deserved clout.

Thornett
ET
Schofield
Holmes
Atkinson
Jones
Shoebottom
Jack Fairbank
Buderus
Peacock
Ali
Ellis
Sinfield

Hanley
Harris
McGuire
Furner

This would be some team if all at their peak

I always thought Medley was a little unlucky to be dropped at Leeds given that most of the other forwards of the time were equally lacking in stomach for the fight at times. He complemented the Northern pack very well where he had the likes of Skerrett and Fairbank to do the rough stuff.

As has been said he'd be a superb impact player in todays game.

Never mind Stephenson, what about Peter Tunks? Guffaw. Only Backo was a bigger Aussie Test flop prop to guest for Leeds.

Still, that's opinions for you, everyone is allowed one, even the most bat looney tunes posters.

I did wonder whether I'd inadvertantly wandered onto a top 17 cravat wearing Aussie flops thread.

I was only young at the time, and it as just before I started wearing glasses so the game could be a bit of a blur to me, but wasn't Tunks going OK until Ray Ashton ran into him in the JPS semi-final and gave him an injury?