Correct -

Dick Huddart (St George) Winner 1966

Dave Bolton (Balmain) Loser 1966, Winner 1969

Can't think of anymore Brit winners but here's a few more losers - Mervyn Hicks (Canterbury) 1967, Ken Batty (St George) 1971, Brian Lockwood (Canterbury) 1974, Ellery hanley (Balmain) 1988, Andy Currier and Shaun Edwards (both Balmain) 1989

__________

How many Brits are likely to be in this year's final? I haven't been following but is it going to be four - Sam, Tom and George Burgess plus James Graham. That would I think equal the record set in 1973 when Malcolm Reilly won with Manly - defeating Tommy Bishop, Cliff Watson and Bob Wear with Cronulla - lucky omen for Canterbury perhaps.

Three Burgess Bros (twins on the bench probably) and Graham makes 4 so that equals the record of Pom participation in an Aussie GF.

Not particularly a fan of either Souths or Canterbury but if I were to choose then Canterbury, if only because James Graham has earned one after (is it five?) GF losses in succession.

That's right on Graham. He won in 2006 then lost the next five 2007 to 2011. That makes him one of four players with the same one win to five loss record (along with Meli, Roby and Wilkin) while Pryce, Wellens and Gilmour also have the same number of GF losses they have a better win record of four, four and two respectfully.

I'm actually wrong because I was including an NRL Grand Final loss in 2012 on James Graham's CV. He's therefore lost six Grand Finals in a row which is more reason to side with his team at the weekend.

Right. Hopefully it'll be his rugby that makes the headlines this year rather than his diet.

If James Graham were still in SL the sport wouldn't be having to lavish gifts on a 36 year old - making itself look worn out in the process.

Thankfully, that was a one off which can be placed squarely on the shoulders of a player who momentarily lost his temper and lost the plot. I'm of the opinion that Sam Burgess is far more of a grub and appears to have a liking for squirrel grips and other grubby exchanges. He's already halfway there in his Union education.


Quite.

In fact, the more I think about the NRL Grand Final this weekend, the more I side with Canterbury. I'd prefer Souths fans to wait considerably longer for their first taste of champion success since 1971. Their fans would give Leeds a run for their money in the arrogance stakes.

Canterbury all the way for me, Graham's been a phenomenon.

I think south sydney will do it though

During my brief residnence in Sydney some 20+ years ago I became an honorary Bunnies fan. Simpley because the SFS was easy to get to, although I did manage to visit Balmain, Newcastle and Manly. We went to Balmain just to watch Paul Dixon and Wally Lewis play for the visitors (can't remember the team name - it was that second team in Queensland they started around 1990). I can't remember if Lewis played, I was a bit poorly from the night before and it cacked down with rain.

Based entirely on that, Bunnies for me. Couldn't care less about Sam Burgess, he'll soon be embarrasing an England RU shirt much like Joel Tomkins did under the keen tactical guidence of England backs coach Andy Farrell. I think having an ex-league prop recruiting league props to fill Englands back division is either deeply sad or deeply comical. Perhaps JP should think about extending his career by a switch to inside centre for Wasps.

Gold Coast (insert whatever their nick was here)... Tweed Heads, Chargers, Seagulls or Gladiators.

The coach when Dixon was there was also an ex-Leeds coach, as was one of the other squad members that year.

I suspect they probably collected the wooden spoon too but I'd have to check in order to confirm that.

It's Souths to lose. They should win comfortably and I expect them to do just that. The manner in which they beat up the Roosters last week after going 12-0 down early doors wasn't pretty but it was effective. They just look too strong and too thuggish, even for a thugmongrel outfit like Canterbury. I also think it's one game too far for the filthy dogs.

Souths by 13+ on the coupon. Could be a blowout too. Hope I'm wrong.

Can't see south sydney being as impotent in attack as penrith were given the same posession, talk about over using the inside ball.

Wigan and Souths hopefully.

Would love to see Wane v Maguire in the WCC.

That could be very tasty.

Agreed that would be a game I would like to see Rogues.
Pleanty of cannonball tackles and high shots with flair and skill in abundance.

Aren't Souths in the new WCC anyway along with Brisbane?
I really hope Souths don't win it personally.

Wrestlemania!

bring it on,i would love to see that horrible little grub micky mac try his 5h1thouse tactics on isaac luke and see what would come back his way with interest

Wasn't Lewis player coach at Gold Coast during the 92 GB tour, though he was injured for the mid-week game?

Given they're a pair of grubs, they'd just cancel each other out.

I do believe he was player coach at the Gold Coast club 1992-93.

That GB tour in 1992 was the last proper tour undertaken which covered PNG, Australia and New Zealand.

Then Super League came along and screwed it all up.

Two decades later, was it all worth it?

Was it bollox.

Well the game was on its knees, with its two biggest clubs crippled by debts. Without Sky and SL we may not have a game.

Were that the case I would say it was worth it, you however may have a differing opinion

Take the Wigan players out of the Melbourne test & you were left with Schoey & Steadman. The rest would struggle to get into the Current England set up. Newlove was class but didn't show up at international level.

That's Super League propaganda. Maurice Lindsay spouted that bollox in 1995 and it has been repeated ad nauseam ever since.

The game has struggled financially throughout it's entire history, and it has suffered numerous periods where it's been on it's knees but it has always bounced back.

Super League hasn't prevented financial struggles, nor has Super League saved the game either. Most clubs will survive and carry on, usually as a consequence of the largess of sugar daddies and the dedication of fans. If the sport was going under, it would have happened in the 70's. It didn't.

Same sheiss, different day... except...

Super League has destroyed proper international tours and international RL with it.

Current England set up...

When was the last time England beat Australia?

Have they beaten them at all during the SL era?

Last England win against Australia IIRC was the opening game of 1995 World Cup, although there have been at least two GB wins in the meantime?