I am working on this, and close to selecting what I believe is the world's best ever 17

Newlove paired with either Vaikona or Lesley would have been pretty special.

I realised writing mine that I've let my "dislike" for Newlove lapse finally, probably best to eventually let it drop I guess, no point being too stubborn.

I noticed that the general dislike of him seemed to have faded when he played in that legends match at Odsal recently. He was playing for the Bradford side, and the fans that were there were fairly good natured with him. Probably the first time I've seen Bradford fans be that way towards him since he left.

Now that his playing days are over, I think it's one of those "never forgive, but we will try to forget" kind of situations.

I never really got the Newlove hating thing at all. For two seasons he gave us the most entertainment we had had in years and was nothing short of fantastic. He wanted to leave when Fox was binned, and selling him for the deal we got, at the time we got it was great.
effectively we swapped Newlove for Loughlin, Dwyer, NIckle, Spruce, Lowes and McNamara.

Not a bad bit of business. And i think we had his best years!

Mumby
Ford
Hanley
Newlove
Vainikolo
H,Paul
R,Paul
Vagana
Lowes
K,Skerrett
Medley
Fairbank
D,Heron

Vaikona
Grayshon
Watson
J,Peacock

Maybe not the best Bradford 17 but one of the most entertaining, made up of players I've seen play for us.

Like Dilligaf I've forgiven Newlove now and the same applies to Ford and Hanley. I know Skerrett left us too but he was never in dispute with the club and took his bat home.

Every player in that 17 could do something special.

I understand all that, and I did then...but it didn't make any difference even if it should have on a logical level, it wasn't that he left it was how he left. Anyway like I said, Im over it now (probably have been for a while TBF just never thought about it since he stopped playing.)



Exactly, and now he's rightly remembered not just for leaving under a cloud, but for being one of best players I ever saw in red amber and black.

I love the way that Fairbank makes it into most sides (including mine), when to be honest, he wasn't a "world class" player.

He just worked his do-dar's off and never took a backward step, and for that is why he probably makes most teams.

I'll never forget the period of about 6 weeks when Peter Fox played him at loose forward - Karl thought he was given cart-blanche to just throw the ball out of the tackle as though he was Laurie Daley. Generally not to good effect!

My favourite Konrete moment though was against Cas at home when Dereyk Fox put up a bomb towards Steadman and Karl just ran straight at him and tackled him (Steadman) - I think the ball was actually still going up and when the ref (Russell Smith, I think) penalised him and he just pointed to the sky as if to say, "I lost it in the sun" - as usual it was a dark and dysmal day at Odsal!

He also smahsed Steadman one year with Dixon and it left Steadman doing the old Tonie Caroll spaghetti legs afterwards - I was probably only about 14 at the time so thought it was hysterical seeing someone wobble around the pitch until the physio could get to him.

At the moment I can't think of a better combination than this lot:

=#0040BF1- Keith Mumby
2- Leslie Vainikolo
3- Shontayne Hape
4- Paul Newlove
5- David Redfearn
=#8000006- Ellery Hanley
7- Matt Orford
=#4080408- Kelvin Skerret
9- James Lowes
10-[size=200Jimmy[/size Thompson (c)
11-Steve Menzies
12-Karl Fairbank
=#BF00BF13-Len Casey
Subs:
=#FF800014-Brett Kearney
15-Leon Pryce
16-Jamie Peacock
17-Jeff Grayshon

Good idea to have a ref in the front row to keep the likes of Casey, Fairbank, Lowes and Skerrett in order.

Obviously not many people of my age are posting on this thread, otherwise they would remember seeing the great Jack Mclean and would pick him on the left wing. Jack came from New Zealand and regularly scored 50 plus tries each season. He was fast and powerful and a strong defender. It was a joy to see him intercept in his own 25 and run the length of the pitch. I picked him in preference to Vainikolo in my team (see first page), but I put Vainikiolo on the right wing where he occasionally played.

Fairbank will always be my favourite all time player. Numerous times he smashed people whilst the ball was still in the air, made me chuckle every time.

some great suggestions on this board, Sir Keith has to be the number 1 in every team - we have had some great players in the modern era - Sproger, Micky Withers, Robbie,

1 - Keith Mumby
2 - TV
3 - Newlove
4 - Danny Peacock
5 - Big Les
6 - HP
7 - RP
8 - Fielden
9 - Jimmy / Nobby
10 - McDermott
11 - Fairbank
12 - Danny Gartner
13 - Heron

14 - Roger Simpson
15 - Dave Watson
16 - Steve McGowan
17 - Hobbs

Bradley
Brad Mackay
Cordle
Hendo
Big Joe
Roy Powell
Skerret
Henderson Gill
Brimah Kebbie

just for comedy value - Nick Zisti

Could keep going all night on this!

From watching Northern/Bulls since 1989/90 season mine would be:

1. Stuart Spruce
2. Tevita Vaikona
3. Scott Naylor
4. Paul Newlove
5. Lesley Vainakolo
6. Henry Paul
7. Deryck Fox
8. Joe Vagana
9. James Lowes
10. Jamie Peacock
11. Steve Menzies
12. Sam Burgess
13. Brad Mackay

14. Ian Henderson
15. Stuart Fielden
16. Paul Medley
17. Robbie Paul

There were so many more that I would have loved to include such as Sprogger, Shonny, Neil Summers, Deacon, Brian Mac, Baloo, David Boyle, Daniel Gartner, Leon Pryce, Nick Zisti etc etc.... ok leave the last one off!!!

Doing this gives me an idea... what's the worst team that you have seen in the Bradford colours???

Mine...

1. Nathan Graham
2. Abi Ekoku
3. Phil Howlett
4. Nick Zisti
5. Tame Tupou
6. Davide Longo
7. Sean Edwards
8. Chris Feather
9. Jason Donougue
10. Neil Harmon
11. Mike Worrincy
12. Kevin Carruthers
13. Dave Heron

Billy Thompson was a referee. Think you mean Jimmy at no 10.

Not the best team, but my favourites over the years...

1. Keith Mumby
2. Tevita Vaikona
3. Dave Stockwell
4. Steve Donlan
5. Phil Ford
6. John Woods
7. Barry Seabourne
8. Bill Ramsey
9. Peter Walker
10. Colin Forsyth
11. Stuart Gallacher
12. Daniel Gartner
13. Johnny Wolford
14. Henry Paul
15. Bak Diabira
16. Roy Powell
17. Bob Haigh

Based on the players I’ve seen since 1963

1. Keith Mumby
2. Tevita Vaikona
3. Graeme Bradley
4. Paul Newlove
5. Lesley Vainikolo
6. Ellery Hanley
7. Robbie Paul
8. Stuart Fielden
9. James Lowes
10. Colin Forsyth
11. Karl Fairbank
12. Jamie Peacock
13. Jeff Grayshon

‘A’ team

1. Eddie Tees
2. David Barends
3. Bernard Watson
4. Steve McGowan
5. David Redfearn
6. Dave Stockwell
7. Alan Redfearn
8. Paul Anderson
9. Brian Noble
10. Kelvin Skerrett
11. Paul Medley
12. Dennis Trotter
13. Johnny Rae

All time greats- based on reputation, records- and those seen.

1. Keith Mumby
2. Eric Batten
3. Earnest Ward
4. Paul Newlove
5. Jack McLean
6. Ellery Hanley
7. Willie Davies
8. Stuart Fielden
9. James Lowes
10. Frank Whitcombe
11. Trevor Foster
12. Karl Fairbank
13. Ken Traill

OT but Newlove's manner of departure was what got him booed.

Watson (barely saw Keith)
TV
Newlove
Hape
Les
HP
Robbie
Joe
Jimmy
Fielden
JP
Menzies
Konkrete

Leon
Forshaw
Baloo
Lynch