Stolen from a conversation I had a couple of weeks ago, and also from the Wire board, trying to lighten the mood a tad lets see who people would have in their team of the decade! I'd go as follows, and I am picking purely on talent and level of player before the bricks come flying!

1. Brett Kearney
2. Ethan Ryan
3. Keith Lulia
4. Adrian Purtell
5. James Clare
6. Ben Jefferies
7. Matt Orford (please dont attack me)
8. Adam Sidlow
9. Heath L'Estrange
10. Andy Lynch
11. Steve Menzies
12. John Bateman
13. Jamie Langley

14. Elliott Minchella
15. Elliott Whitehead
16. Jake Mullaney
17. Nick Scruton

I know that Orford was a complete and utter waste of human flesh but how he carried that team to 4th in the league was superb. Only half we have had come close to making such an impact for me was when Dane came in under Smith.

Also done a flattered to decieve/pointless signing 13

1. Oscar Thomas
2. Dan Caprice
3. Dane Nielsen
4. James Mendeika
5. Iliess Macani
6. Kyle Briggs
7. Marc Herbert
8. Epalahame Lauaki
9. Jean-Phillipe Baile
10. Gareth Carvell
11. Frank Winterstein
12. Matt Ryan
13. Dave Petersen

Couple in there not through fault of their own

Marc Herbert was farcical. He had the turn of pace of Douglas Bader.

Think we signed Antonio Winterstein

Oh and shout out to Karl Pryce for a bench spot in the 'flattered to decieve' 17. The Audley Harrison of Rugby League. All the necessary skills but none of the application or steel.

Nah, it was Frank.

Karl Davies and Phoenix Hunapo Nafoa both have to be in that 13 for me along with Karl Pryce who would be my captain

Edit. Ive just seen your mention of KP.
What about Willie Tonga. Played one game then disappeard.
Ill throw in James Davies and Mike Worrincey as well!

Painful to look at is that. Macani and Thomas the biggest bottlers I've seen on an RL field. Remember Macani ducking a tackle that cost us a last minute defeat against Oldham. Also remember a game against Batley where we'd dragged ourselves within a score against them, charged up field and on the last tackle Thomas hoofed it straight out dead-in goal on the full killing all our momentum.

However the most depressing thing on that is seeing Jean-Phillipe Baile at hooker having never played there before in our most important game for a decade. That and alng with Blythe on the wing when we had James Clare who would have finished that opening chance we had in the first 5 mins of that game. Why Jimmy, why?

I can't even remember Dan Caprice Where did he come from?

The fact that we're getting FAR more names for the worst 13 than the best 13 speaks volumes about the last ten years of supporting the Bulls...

Ok one for the top list. Matt Diskin? I always liked the two hookers thing. One structured and old school and then L'Estrange to zip about.

Richie Mathers?

Shows how bad Marc Herbert was that he takes the spot over Harry Siejka. Rhys Jacks too. The 7 who the coach decided was so good he'd rather just play without a scrum half at all.

I remember a game at Odsal where it absolutely lashed it down and slowed the game right down. Herbert came into his own because he was used to playing at that pace anyway and we caused an upset. Might have been Saints? Not sure now.

I'm not convinced looking at the team of the decade lightens the mood though considering you're remembering the likes of Steve Menzies and then think of the current back row options of Farrell, Rooks & Hodgson.

Never played a game was ann England 7s player if i remember rightly. Club made a big sing and dance about it.

Jeez seeing some of the names I have missed out is shameful!

Got to agree with previous comment it says a lot everyone commenting on worst players!

I didn't mind Diskin, although I know some never quite accepted him at Odsal - however if we were to go for two hookers, I'd go for O'Brien

Can I add Michael Platt to the stiffs 17? Ran sideways and prone to spectacular brainfarts behind our own try line? Someone's already took my number 1 for the 'What the phuq was that all about' award, the defensive turnstile that was Michael Worrincy

Whilst i have no evidence what so ever to back this up, i hazard a guess that we have used more players this decade than any other side

I think that’s unfair on Platt.

Platt falls into the same category as Sykes for me. Not as good as we were used to, but both always gave 100% and had some great games (and obviously some not so good ones).

It’s depressing looking through some of the names we had at the start of this decade and where we are now.

Some for the 2nd list: Tahraoui, Adam Henry, Walshaw, Walker, Mathers.

I absolutely wouldn't be surprised and if you add in the ones who never pulled a shirt on it would be even more...

I think it may be a long running thing, ie far more than just the last 10 years. I've got a list of all the players who have played for the club since 1863, and with the sketchy details from those long gone days I'm not going to say it is either a FULL list nor that it hasn't possibly got a couple of double entries, but my total is 1562 - going from someone recognised only as 'B Abbey' ( he played one game in 1915) to Nick Zisti. When you see that the 'Heritage numbers' on the shirts of some SL clubs barely go over 1000 it's an enormous number, though admittedly none go back to 1863.

Team of the 2010's:

1. Brett Kearney (if he wasn't so good and in SL I would have had Keiren Moss in).
2. Ethan Ryan
3. Keith Lulia
4. Kris Welham
5. Jy Hitchcox
6. Jarrod Sammut
7. Matt Orford
8. Adam Sidlow
9. Heath L'Estrange
10. Andy Lynch
11. Steve Menzies
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. John Bateman

14. Adam O'Brien
15. Alex Mellor
16. Tom Burgess
17. Dane Chisholm


Worst Team of the 2010's:

1. Oscar Thomas
2. Illies Macani
3. Adam Henry
4. Willie Tonga
5. Johnny Campbell (toss up between him and 2010 version of Reardon).
6. Harry Seijka
7. Marc Herbert
8. Epalahame Lauaki
9. Joe Lumb
10. Dan Fleming
11. Lucas Walshaw
12. Michael Worrincy
13. Jean Phillipe-Baile

14. Stuart Haworth (only in as I wanted two hookers in each side).
15. Samir Taurouhi
16. Johnny Walker
17. Kyle Briggs

Other candidates could have been Chris Ulugia, Dave Petersen, Karl Davies, Rhys Lovegrove, Kurt Haggerty.


Remember the likes of Royston, Manuokafoa, Ah Van, Hargreaves, Sibbit, Joseph, Danny Bridge, Kaufusi, Fakir, Baldwinson etc?

And to be honest we've had our fair share of good players: Minchella, Storton, Keyes, Trueman, Charnock, Bentley, Clare, Williams, Clark, Pitts, Blythe, Olbison etc.

Absolutely nothing wrong with Haggerty or Hargreaves IMO. Both got through some right workload and I wouldn't have them anywhere near a "Worst 17" team. Sibbit wasn't all that bad for us either.

When you look at the sheer weight of numbers that've taken funds out of the club you can see how the panic's made everything worse.... half of them I can't remember and I've had a season ticket for every season covered!!!

I must admit there's a few on there that I will have been at every single game they played, and I don't remember. I remember the player, but not necessarily them playing for us. I'm putting it down to age...

Good post JJ. I think Ulugia had a rough tie with injury. Think he showed at Batley he had a bit of something about him. Also thought Shad Royston wasn't too bad

Ulugia just didn’t get enough games. Rightly so we went with Purtell and Welham/Blythe who were better players. Royston’s back up play was great! But his defence wasn’t great!

Enjoy and feel free to shot me down..... https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/ ... -gledhill/

Enjoy and feel free to shot me down..... https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/ ... -gledhill/