Think Mike Lamb was a union player who converted to league and first joined Leeds prior to joining Northern.

Correct.

I had Mike Lamb and Rudi Francis on my shortlist earlier but agree with the confirmation of them being on the books of Leeds and New Hunslet. That shortlist also had a couple of possible long shots in Arnie Long and David Mordue. I think they played for a lot less than 10 years but were regulars for 3 or 4 seasons to get near 100 games.

They could have played for other teams but I drew a blank trying to find this out.

Arnie Long had 105 appearances and scored 21 tries making 63 points (3 point tries) in four seasons from 71-72 and Dave Mordue had slightly fewer appearances in 74, scoring 4 tries making 12 points .He played over nine seasons from 73-74 with a one year gap before his final season ( so in eight actual seasons), relatively few appearances over each of the years though.

Brendan Hill,s father Dave Hill might be a good shout.Mid 60s to mid 70s.When I started watchin in early 70s he was a regular in the team week in week out but couldnt be sure when he stopped playin for us he went elsewhere.I know we signed him from Queensbury.Still think Gerry Cordle only played for us in between his union years.

Total appearances 267. I always count the subs separately so if you want to add them together for Wikipedia feel free.

Did Brian McDermott only play for us? I thought we signed him from Doncaster?

Cheers pal.

Gerald Cordle

121 Appearances plus 1 as Sub.
77 tries
308 points
7 Seasons 89/90 - 95/96

I know I`m getting old and memories get confused but some other old git might correct me but I always remember the prop forward Arnie Long started out as a winger at Featherstone. Or am I thinking of Colin Forsyth

:ge57zq3d

Ah right no problem I'll amend that now then. And yeah for Wikipedia they are usually bunched together but if you keep putting them in that format I know now to add them

Thank you ever so much for your help!

And this was taken from the Guardian in 2013 from an interview with McDermott:


McDermott left the marines because an unfulfilling stint at a base camp in Kent could not match the intensity of his combat experiences. He thought he would become a professional boxer. "If you've been shot at you think you'll be able to handle everything. But the only thing that will help you in the ring is if you've been in there before. You can't say, as the new head coach of Bradford, persuaded McDermott to play a year for nothing to prove himself in league. Through sheer force of will he became an international prop.

I'm sure Gerald was on loan to South Wales Dragons in 1996 for 6 games?

Peter Fox signed McDermott. Smith gave him SL contract after we beat Warrington 23-22 in the 95/96 season.

I'll check his testimonial brochure when I get home.

He definitely played under Smith in the 95/96 winter season prior to SL.

Im fairly sure he went to Doncaster on loan for a few games to get some playing time and confidence,came back and the rest as they say is history but stand to be corrected on that.

To be very fair to lads like Nobby and Sir Keith, they went elsewhere because the club was in turmoil at that time. BUT they came back and served THEIR club. They were ONE club men in the heart. Still are.

He did.

I've checked up. Fox signed him for Northern from Eastmoor. He had a spell on loan at Donny. He didn't play for anyone else except us and them.

Not sure about players going on loan. If Bulls send a player out on loan then he's still a Bulls' player in reality. If the guy signs fully for another club the he's clearly left but loans are a bit of 'no man's land', imo.

To some extent the same applies for subs. When subs first came into the game, it was slightly more clear cut; someone went on and someone came off (initially only for an injury where the original player couldn't continue) but under modern rules, where players are on and off all the time, one or more of the bench players can often spend more time on the field than the original 13 who went onto the paddock, especially when players are being used tactically. My view is that RL is a game for a team of 17 players where no more than 13 can be on the field at the same time. they're all equal, imo. A bit like sorting out the three point tries from the fours and one point drops from the twos it does all get a little complicated otherwise.

I'm not sure we were in turmoil at the time. We were still in the top 8 when Keith left IIRC. When Nobby left it was because Trevor Clark had the position sewn up.

I agree they are Bradford mean at heart for sure. For me Keith in particular is.

Keith left because he was coming to the end of his career, iirc. It was a downward move, definitely. Probably as he would have felt he wouldn't get many games at Bradford. I think more players left 'bigger' clubs when the got older back then than is the case today.

I'm sure Keith came back for a season in 93/94 when Peter Fox coached us to runner up slot. He played loose forward in a couple of games. I especially remember a game when we mullered Warrington at Odsal by 50 odd points where he played loose.

I went to middle school with Keith and got into the school team before him because he couldn't kick goals, I could. The experiment was short lived when they found I couldn't tackle!!

Another one, I'm sure Geoff Clarkson was a one club player for us!!!

You're right. He played a few games for us in 92/93 and his last game for us was as a sub versus New Zealand in the tour match in 1993/94.

Geoff was as a serial clubman - he had more clubs than Jack Nicklaus!

He definitely did, but then Foxy liked the tried and trusted!

David Hill played a handful of games with Hunslet in 1976 and 1977 then returned to Queensbury amateurs.

I believe Arnie Long did join Northern as a winger from junior rugby in Huddersfield. Colin Forsyth played for Featherstone and York before Bradford.

Keith Mumby played in the 1992/93 Regal Trophy final against Wigan at Elland Road (sub). He later donated his runner-up medal to auction for Jon Hamer's testimonial fund. Top man as well as top player!