I still remember that day, Biscuit. How happy was I, that we'd signed the most exciting winger of his time (pre-Offiah).
I've vague memories of a scorcher he scored against Cas in a midweek game (remember them) about 91.
The thing I find astonishing about Des, is his (lack of) height. I stood next to him in Wetherspoons a couple of years ago, and thought, this fella (in rugby terms) is a midget, yet he floored ANYBODY who stood in his way. Not a respector of reputations, was our Dessie.

I once saw des score a try at home against saints that no other winger i have ever seen in a wire shirt could have scored. It was when we were wearing our blue vladivar away kit (at home!) and i swear he must have beaten about ten or twelve attempted tackles as he ran across the line in our own 20 then back across before shooting down the middle and rounding the fullback with ease. People always say you remember players as better than they actually were because of the nostalgia, but i actually think people don't quite remember just how good drummond was and seem to focus on his (bad, but not as bad as people make out) ball handling. Des for me, but it shows how good hicks is that he is being thought of as equal or even better by some fans.

It's on the YouTube link in the post above yours. I'm not old enough to have seen Dessie play for Leigh but those who saw him still talk about him in glowing terms.

I bet that was a good night to be in Wetherspoons

Another vote for Des Drummond here.

Chris Hicks is a class act, he`s one of the best in the business at finishing off moves and taking what look like impossible high kicks to touch down.

Des Drummond was one of those rare wingers that come along similar to Martin Offiah and Jason Robinson where if they got the ball the crowd noise would go up another notch in anticipation, not many wingers can bring a whole stand to its feet and thats what Dessie did on a regular basis.

Not only was he a great rugby league player but he was an entertainer as well, i think Alex Murphy once said that this lads head must be made of concrete with the way that he could knock players off their feet whether that be with his head or his shoulder.

They are both class wingers and both have different styles, Chris Hicks is the ultimate modern day winger that knows how to finish similar to Pat Richards, the game has changed a lot where more a lot emphasis is on kicking to the corners these days especially on the last tackle.

Des would look for oppertunities from anywhere on the pitch, his height would never have allowed him to be a Hicks or Richards type winger so he played to his strengths which were his speed and strength and the ability to go past defenders with ease. Yes he was ropey under a high ball and i`m sure even Dessie knew that but its his attack and threat from anywhere on the pitch which made him a hero at Warrington as well as some of the shuddering hits he put in on players much bigger than him including props.

Des by a good distance.

Never forget Des' hit on Kevin Iro at Central Park (Greg Mackey's debut for us I think). Mark Roberts played centre and gave Iro a torrid afternoon until near the end when he missed a one on one. Then
Dessie hit him in his usual fashion like he'd launched by an Exocet missle and laid Iro out. Ball came out and Dessie had the cheek to pick it up and disapear up field away from the 20 man melay his tackle had caused. One thing with Des was that the club and the fans got full value for money from him.

That first try against Leeds was a classic. Two knock ons and he had is feet in touch when the ball rolled into his hads. You can see him lifting his feet up.

We never saw the absolute best of Dessie at the Wire as his top years were at Leigh. However, another famous 'biff' incident was when Wire played a touring Auckland team at Wilderspool. They had a winger, much taller, who niggled at Des all night, but never any one single incident that would attract the referee's wrath. Nonetheless, the ref must have noticed because, at the end of his tether, midway through the second half Des almost jumped to get the necessary height and floored the Kiwi with an outrageous headbutt, in full sight of ref and touch judge. The Kiwi was carried off, ref turned a blind eye as if to say 'he deserved it.'

=#FF0000*ahem* (sorry been on FB too long and completely forgot)



add this bit to the video site
[u/watch?v=2ht-UnkXeYc[/u

Show's how Hicks 'made' his own tries.
Although Dessie for a little man took some putting down and his balance was brilliant

What a match. I remember that one. It just seemed to "kick-off" every 5 minutes. LEGALISED VIOLENCE for 80 minutes. That was the pre-curser to World War Three which happened a couple of months later.

I think the RL hierarchy only gave us that game against Aukland, after not giving us a match against the touring Aussies the year before, when our Premiership winning side WOULD have given them a game.

The game in question was the Good Friday `81.... The Wire needed the win ,to win the Div 1 title. Attendance about the 10k mark on a sweltering Easter period.
Lasting memory was Shirley Hesford giving Dessie the outside and everyone thinking( wtfs he done that for), Dessie went under the sticks and Shirley was eating grass........ You ended up Runners up to Bratfurt Norvern.
Dessie ( similar to Woody) became a terrace hero to most clubs he played for, no quarter asked nor given.
Whilst playing for Leyth he scored some totally amazing tries/tackles which would have Eddie & Stevo creaming themselves, it`s great to hear that he was held in as high esteem to the Wire as he was to the Leythers. A top bloke as well.

Although Hicks has been a good pro and a points machine for Wire, it could only be Des. The atmosphere generated whenever Des was involved, either in attack or defence, was very special. So what if he had butter-fingers, that just added to the excitement!!!

I'll always remember a night game at Knowsley Road where Des streaked in for 2 long range efforts, showing the young upstart Gary Connolly a clear pair of heels in the process!! There you go young pups,there was a time when we could beat Saints!!!

I'll always remember a game at Wembley where Briers put an attacking kick up to the corner which was going into touch, Hicks used his Jedi skills to do a double somersault, pick it of the air and come back in bounds to ground it inside the line, then later on in the same game we were running it on the last, there was nothing on, Briers and Westwood were throwing it around like a hot potato and it came to Hicks with four Leeds men between him and the line, he did the foxtrot, Ali shuffle and moonwalk and skinned them all and completed his hat trick.

Hat-trick at Wembley even Dessie couldn't manage that one...

Look, if you're going to extol the virtues of Hicks at least get it right.......... it was the quickstep not the foxtrot.

B-, must try harder!

On a side note about Des Drummond, I remembered this morning of the impact the fella must have had. I was in a pub near Stamford Bridge a couple of years ago when I was watching Bolton away to Chelsea and they had the NRL on the big screen so I was watching that and got talking to a Chelsea fan who was over from Australia for the game and got talking about the rugby. He asked who I followed and upon replying Leigh, the first words he said were "Dessie Drummond"! When the Aussies know him, you know you've done well.

Don't want to derail thread, Sal, but this is why I'm gutted about Hicks' "retirement" in favour of JMonaghan.

back to thread now...

Was going to post that memory of Des until i came across it.I was stood about 5 yards from where they were both getting a telling off then all of a sudden i'm watching the Auckland player holding his nose with blood pouring out.Hardest player for his size i've ever seen.Des wins hands down for me but Hicksy has done his status at this club no harm with his great try scoring record.

You lot only saw Dessie after his shattered ankle, misset in Cumbria and re-broken by doctors to allow it to heal.

Hicks isn't remotely close to Dessie.

Dessie for me, not only a great RL winger but a sensational all round athlete including a black-belt in judo.

His broken field running was incredible, and you just don't see players, especially wingers like that athletic ability any more and the games worse for it. I vaguely remember his debut (I'm pretty sure) it was against Bradford @ wilderspool. Dessie had been in dispute with leigh and training on his own before he signed so there was some concern he wouldn't be match fit. Then we got him 1-on-1 with Phil Ford (no slouch himself) and Dessie absolutely mullerred him.

After he finished playing, Dessie was also landlord of a pub in moss side ........ which tells you as much about his toughness as you need to know.

Hicks was a fine player, and did things Dessie and many others couldn't but Dessie was one of the best in the world in his pomp and it was a priviledge to watch him. Like John Woods, we (and GB) didn't see his best but dear god, I count myself very lucky to have seen them both in the P&B - players like that are originals of the species.

Such a difficult choice but so easy to answer. As the game was when I started watching Dessy (watching him chase down Offiah and put him into the boards

..) BUT the way the game is now, as a winger it would have to be Hicks

Brave words those.
I've seen them both.
Dessie had an aura about him because he was soooo hard - and fast - but certain aspects of his game were a little suspect.
Chris was a try scoring machine and ultra safe.

They are two of the best wingers we've ever had along with Bevan(s).

Henare could have been up there to but blotted his copybook.
Forster has a very good record at wing too, as does Fa'afili (even though people crticized him for having ''walk-in'' tries).

couldnt agree more...only met the fellow once and was a very nice and well mannered bloke who had time to chat..one of my all time favourite players..totally agree about john woods as well...and it was bradford dessies debut the week after the same bradford team dumped us out of the cup here at wilderspool

Definitely Des Drummond for me. Hicks, brilliant at times and at his very best in his last game for the club. But I think Des was just so dangerous and exciting.

Dessie every time for me. The thing people don't factor into this debate is that the players were still part-time. If Dessie had been a full time pro I've no doubts things like being better under a high ball etc. would have been coached in a full time pro environment. His attitude was always spot on and kept himself fit etc. and seems to be a nice bloke off it so would have fitted well into a full time set up.

Great to see that YouTube clip - I also found the coverage of the 1st ever match (New Years Day 30 years ago) I went to via that which was pretty cool.

Phil Ford was another great winger we had.