Hopeless,embarrassingly so !

Who was the aussie halfback (well I think he was) who broke his arm in his first game then never played for us again? Think it was around the late 90's early 00's, I was only a young whipper snapper so could be totally wrong!

Not old enough to remember Ritter, Cherrie, Brokenshire, Stacey etc. So can’t comment.

Shane Kenward.


As for another lummox of a forward - Simon Angel anyone?

Mozzer broke his arm on debut and he never played for us again!

Stacey was class, far too good for us at the time thus the reason he exited the country without telling the club

Crumbs, I forgot about him. What about Gary Schubert?

Brian Battise?

Don't think he ever played a game for us, early 90's I think he was here, maybe 89?

None of these were too bad. Steve Stacey had a record of something like a try per game over his massive five game spell with us.

Other names who missed out on selection were:

Jason Nicol ('The Skull')
Bobby Thompson ('The Little Waster')
Todd Riley
Doug Chester (who, if memory serves, never made the first team)
David Cruikshank
Peter 'Pineapple' Tunks

There are no doubt others.

Of the given team, Mark Wakefield was a scrum half (I think), so probably shouldn't be on the wing. Jason Williams in his place maybe, but Williams was a decent winger, just one that no-one remembers.

Battese. I'm pretty sure he made the first team because I remember seeing him play. He wasn't too shabby either. Neither was Terry O'Shea, but he's another name that gets forgotten.

I've a feeling we had Tom Nadiole for a while too, possibly on a loan spell.

Whoa, Whoa, Whoa there mate, Brian Battese came over with Neil Baker in 85, he was a crackin' prop, played 16 times for us before returning to Oz to play for Easts.

Let's be honest we've had 113 overseas players play for us so there is bound to be a few lemons in there, but we've had our share of class as well, more so than you may think.

I stand corrected then, I wasn't born for another 3 years so I can be excused!

Indeed.

Neil Baker, Garry Jack (first time), John Cartwright, Jason Williams, Craig Coleman, Geoff Selby, Darren Brown....

I always quite liked Bobby Thompson as well (if it's the same full back I'm thinking of!?) Although if I remember rightly, it was in the McCormack years when we lost the 1st 10 games. Not all that difficult to stand out in that side!!

6 in 7. Top stuff.



When he was at full-back, Thompson was really impressive in attack and I think he sounded the death-knell for Gary Broadbent. That's how I remember him. Broadbent was probably the last of the old school full-backs but he couldn't move with the changing of the role.



Massive feet.



He did for Salford, but when you've got quality like Wilson and Foran in the ranks, he had to shift.





Same situation as Mahon really. Top player.

James Smith, he played for 1 season I think back in 2000 he hardly ever gets a mention.

1999, under Gregory. Worst side since this one we've got now.

Yeah he was quality Battese. Fresh from a Grand Final win with Canterbury.

Very decent. Kiwi international and Canterbury Bankstown first teamer at the time he played for us. Scored a great hat trick away at Fev.

Two more names have occurred to me:

Paul Mansson,
Ali Davys.

Mansson was a stand-off with a reputation as one of the best passers of the ball going, and he really did have a good pair of hands. Neil Baker like. For some reason, he couldn't hold down a place in the first team, and we let him go to (I think) Widnes.

Ali Davys was a Cook Island international scrum-half who also struggled to hold down a first team place at the mighty Salford, so brimming with talent were we.

Good shouts. Mansson probably had most success at Hull KR. Davys was one of the outstanding players of the Emerging Nations World Cup but it just didn't work out for him here.

In inverse proportion to his talent. From memory, played about five games then I think we swapped him for Francis Leota from Sheffield.

Peter Brown. Another name from the past. The only thing I remember about him was him playing against Salford in a 2nd Division Grand Final at The Piggery, and him blobbing Mick Dean when it kicked off after the hooter had sounded.

Sadly, he missed five kicks at goal in the '88 Lancashire Cup final.

Oh aye. Goal kicking prop. I've a feeling he was a Kiwi international, but wouldn't swear to it.