It made me laugh too, then I realised I didn't have a glass of beer, so that's top of my list of things to do.

I read his posts in respect of his battles with his inner demons, and how close to the edge he'd been in previous chapters of his far too short a life. His frank and honest posts on dealing with mental illness were an eyeopener, and I was saddened to hear of his passing. A genuinely nice guy, and he's missed for sure.

That's an interesting topic for discussion.

The pecking order of Wire hookers for me:

Daryl Clark
Michael Monaghan
Duane Mann
Jon Clarke
Danny Farrar
Mark Roskell
Kris Watson
Mark Gleeson
John Thursfield

Definitely a drop off after the top 4, although Farrar was a good player in his first couple of seasons.

Did you not see Kevin Tamati or John Dalgreen in the P&B, SC?

No Michael Sullivan?

Tamati was at Salford when I started watching, Dalgreen was before my time.

I forgot Michael Sullivan. Overall I thought he was a disappointment - replacing Nat Wood with Sullivan was a turning point for the worse in Cullen's time as coach. Not only was he well below Wood as a player but also as a character he never seemed to buy in to the Wire. He wasn't good enough at halfback but when he moved to hooker he had some moments when he looked useful so I'd put him between Roskell and Watson.

Also you know who else I forgot - Mick Higham.

He was a quality player - goes in at number 3 for me.

Jon Clarke's rating is averaged over his whole career but if you took his later years there's a case for pushing him a spot higher ahead of Mann. He was a player like Briers who continued to have an upward improvement curve beyond the point where most players peak and decline.

Daryl Clark
Michael Monaghan
Mick Higham
Duane Mann
Jon Clarke
Danny Farrar
Mark Roskell
Michael Sullivan
Kris Watson
Mark Gleeson
John Thursfield

I’m good. I touched by the concerns. Just busy with looking after a 2 and 4 year old while mummy works from home. No time for much else.

Roskell was better than Clarke and Farrar IMO. Id also have Mann above Higham and Monaghan at 1 for his brains. Tukere Barlow was better than that horrific bottom 3.

What happened to John Hough? Didn't he start very brightly?

No Carl Webb ..roger O'Mahoney.. Kevin tamati...

Delighted to hear...keep in touch with the forum where possible...

Glad your good... great news Duckie

Tukere Barlow....another one forgotten

Daryl Clark
Michael Monaghan
Mick Higham
Duane Mann
Jon Clarke
Danny Farrar
Mark Roskell
Tukere Barlow
Michael Sullivan
Kris Watson
Mark Gleeson
John Thursfield

Martin Dermott...urgh!

No mention of Kevin Ashcroft???????

I excluded Martin Dermott, also Paul Hulme - did he play hooker for a while or was he in the back row?

Good to hear from the Duck. Crisis over.

Hookers, For me, Duane Mann was absolute class. A real professional in a largely amateur set up and a hugely talented player. I'd have him in third behind Monas and Daz Clarke

Just to reiterate, home watching my 2 and 4 year old sons...not Dec P. He’s a tough cookie.

[i[uTRACY [/u[/i Barlow would've been better than John Thursfield

Sullivan was shocking. Made Brad Dwyer look like a composed thinker.

Monas and Higham in the same 17. You sometime forget how great that was.

Good to hear you are well Duckster.

For a man of your vintage!!!

Proof there's still a quack in the old duck.

He was alright, him and andy bennett shared the 9 shirt for the first half of SL1 then dorahy brought kris watson in from newcastle reserves. Who didn't pull up any trees or improve the side in my view, but hey, an aussie has got to be better than a young uk kid, right?

we also had willie swann play hooker for most of 1997 after we released him and then brought him back.

I don't know if anyone else recalls this, but hooker in 97 was like the defence against the dark arts position at hogwarts, its was cursed AF.

i was amazed and baffled in equal quantities when he was signed, i'd forgotten he existed and dont think he had played first team at wigan for nearly 3 years after the emergence of martin hall.

From a time best forgotten.

We were foooked, financially.
Harris had to go, Sculthorpe not long after.
The remainder of the time, we were picking up people's scraps, Hulme, Eyres, Mann G, and trying to cobble a team together.
Dark days, indeed.