Even though he is a BS machine on TV Paul Cullen is a good bloke to talk to.

Rob Purdham = Quins.

Met him with some mates in O'Neills in Richmond a few years back and had a cracking night...top bloke!

Tommy Martyn, James Leuluai, Frank Endacott, Alex Murphy & Barrie McDermott were all great when I spoke to them.

Shaun Wane. I was out in Manchester for my birthday on Grand Final night last year, he and a couple of the Wigan boys [Joel Tomkins, Prescott, Mike Forshaw & a couple of others Walked in the Walkabout. This was just after the announcement of MM & SW coaching team. I congratulated him on his appointment in passing, shook his hand. He came over a little while later and stayed for a good half an hour chatting. Great bloke.

Steve Prescott is a top bloke and Barry Mac is a legend.

Would agree with Barrie McDermott, Met him at an end of season function at Lancs county Cricket club a few years ago and he took his time to speak to every single person who wanted to speak to him and not a "Oh hi, bye" i mean a good 5 minute convo with everyone who wanted to speak to him.

Got a cracking pic of him too!



Also someone who suprised me, Andy Coley, Met him a couple of weeks ago at a Fans Forum in Burtonwood, Warrington and after the event he came down and chatted to people was really relaxed and took him time speaking to people and again had a good pic too.

He was a credit to Wigan that night as most other people on the Forum shot straight off.

Not strictly a player at the time, but Chris Anderson during a post-Test series booze up the Kangaroos were having in the Skyrack in Headingley. The players kept in their little groups but Anderson was happy to stand and have a chat with us.

Came across as a bit of a grumpy git in the media but turned out to be a really pleasant fella.

Every single member of the Salford city reds squad from 1999-2009
Clint Greenshields
Thomas Bosc
Casey Muguire
Jason Ryles
Oliver Elima
Kevin Walters
Iestyn Harris
Tex Evans
Chris Hesketh
David Watkins
Mike nicholson
Karl Harrison
Jimmy Lowes
John Harvey
Andy Greg
Martin Offiah
My Favourites,
Malc Alker = Top Guy absolute diamond known him since he was 18, He even dropped me off at college on several occasions

I love him.
Kris Tassell = North Queensland , Salford, Wakey, Swinton = Really funny, Genuine guy nicknamed Deadman by the Salford fans for his pale complexion!
John Wilshere- Lovely guy and huge star in PNG
Phil Leaululi ( A real gentle giant wonderful with the supporters)
But i must say the nicest of then all was former Salford City Reds coach John Harvey , Him and his lovely family gave me a please to stay when i visited Brisbane in 2006 and really turned my holiday around and looked after me! And he is a rum fella..Brilliant guy and deserved better at Salford.
The worst has got to be Martin Offiah and Scott Naylor- Offiah Just came across as really arrogant and didnt put any feeling or emotion into the red shirt. And Naylor My GOD that man must have periods cos he is one mooody sun of a gun!

Les Vainikolo, Joe Vagana, Willie Poching - great guys

Can't really think of any that aren't generally approachable and friendly other than Leon Pryce and Keith Senior who seemed a bit full of themselves

If Barry got of his ar5se and wandered down to the Stoop (or take his rocket ship to the moon) he would find plenty of players available to talk to, sign autographs and have pictures taken. Have found 99% of RL players to be top guys with special mention to Henry Paul, Mark McLinden, Chad Randall, Rob Purdham, Chris Melling and Jason Golden

paul sculthorpe always makes time to talk,he does alot to help when needed, was a frequent visitor to a terminally ill lad, was brill with him and his family he kept in contact with them .i know a few people who he has visited reg. really nice guy.

I hope this thread as made people think before they start hurling abuse at rival players for no reason!

In truth, the vast majority of RL players will take the time to speak to fans, it seems the majority of players people have come into contact with have had pleasant experiences.

Was in London for the RWC 2000 for our game v Aus, obviously we stayed out after the game for some after match beverages, cant remember where we actually was though.

In comes walking through the doors of the pub was Billy Boston, Roger Millward, Dave Topliss and many more, think they said they were on a Legends tour. Billy Boston was an absolute delight to chat to, we spent about an hour talking.

Billy is a class act and real gent. I have spoken to him many times and he never makes you feel unwelcome. A true gentleman.

Yes, he is a true gentleman, and so modest.

Never ever get in a RL conversation with Maurice Bamford unless you've got two hours to spare. Absolute gem of a man who loves his Rugby League.

I've met quite a few players in my 30years+ as a fan and in recent times the ones that stand out as being the most approachable have been:

Ruben Wiki - Had a good chat with him at the Hungry Jacks at Sydney airport
Stanly Gene - Very humble and a great smile that could warm up Alaska
Roy Asotasi - took time out of pre game at MES last year in Perth to sign autographs and meet fans. Really nice guy.

I have met a few pro's but the one who i remeber bein the most polite was the great Ellery Hanley, a true gent and had a good 30 min chat. i also met Andrew Johns the night he got arrested in london, i was chattin to him in Leicester square he was sober and drug free then.
The funniest sportsperson i met was Razor Ruddock in an irish pub in manchester, he sat with me and my mates, he had just done a sportsmans dinner got a wad of cash for it, then he bought me and my mates a few round of drinks. the guy is a legend!!!!!

Thanks mate, thats good of you to say. I don't use the word 'legend' lightly, but if people want to call me one, well I guess I cant deny it.

I've been telling people this since I first joined the forum last year.

Good to see the message is finally sinking in.

Check out 'Barrys tips for round 2' over on the NRL forum.

I'm actually more knowledgeable than Gus Gould... sure we are BOTH footy legends but I managed 6/8 this week and he only got 3.

Once had a good chat with Olivier Elima and Sam Obst. Jason Demetriou and John Kear are immensely friendly folk too, as you would expect them to be, and Jamie Rooney is a great bloke.

Alan Smith, the old Leeds and GB winger, is a lovely man. Had plenty of interesting stories to tell.

Stanley Gene, a fantastic guy and time for everyone.

And before him, the late, great Clive Sullivan ......who worked as an engineer aswell as playing rugby and often larked cricket with him and pals during our dinner breaks.

Good:
Paul Sculthorpe
Willie Talau looking sheepish in a strip club in Sydney


Laurie Daley
Apollo Perelini - gave me some chips
Stevo - completely different in real life to his TV persona

Bad:
Sean Long
Leon Pryce - all round in a pub in Bradford
Paul Newlove - refused to sign an autograph

Good:
Feka
Tommy Leuluai
Mike McGuire
Jason Robinson
Civoneceva
Lockyer


Not so good:
Slater and Thurston seemed like a couple of d!cks

Couldn't knock the bloke tbh. When my daughter (Now 20) and her mates were 15 they used to get to the KC early in time to greet opposing players off the bus - that year Hull won the cup and played Bradford twice in quick succession. Hape was injured for one of the games (if not both). At the cup game only Fielden signed autographs and Hape talked. The next game Hape was last off the bus made a big thing of talking to the girls as if they were old friends; when he'd only seen them for the first time a fortnight or month earlier. It made their day that he'd gone out of his way to be so friendly.

Most will not agree with me on this but bobbie goulding is a top class guy. He's a very good mate of mine and has been for the last 10yrs. He gets terrible press and does like the odd beer but he will do anything for you.

He's great with the kids and is a top bloke. Like anyone he has made mistakes but he is top lad.