closest to Ellery Hanley? (in Rugby terms, just for clarification)

Steve Menzies Probably

not sure how many other players could comfortably play loose forward stand-off or centre.

It can't be Kevin Sinfield as Ellery Hanley once said something along the lines that Sinfield is a more complete/skillful player than he ever was...

Stanley Gene.

dare i say [size=59Leon Pryce[/size wash my mouth out with soap

Brett Ferres.

How dare you possibly suggest these professional full time players with all these coaches and specialists to look after them, actually be better than someone who played years ago.

Your barred

What does that have to do with natural ability?

I dont think you realise who Ellery Hanley is......


Ellery Hanley sometime in the late 80's


Mark Riddell Sometime after lunch ...probably



strange as it may seem there were some remarkable Athletes in the days before nutritionists and sports phsycologists

andy gregory was a fat little s--t
but he could play a bit

Joe Westerman.Future GB captain that lad

I take it these comparisons are along the same lines as Kevin Penny is the closest player in the modern game to Offiah.

To be fair, Hanley was a freak. A real legend, not just a very good player.

I remember when i first started watching Warrington, in the mid to late 80's, there were plenty of good players knocking round, but there were two players who were freak-like and you actually dreaded playing them. They were Hanley and Offiah.

I don't get that feeling about anyone in the modern day game. Back then, you knew that Offiah would bag one or two tries, and you knew that Hanley was going to be unstoppable.

Hanley moreso for me. You used to yourself when he got the ball as you knew the could not only break the line, he would go the full lenght nad score.

As you say, I don't think anybody knocking about in SL who puts that level of fear into me.

i agree but the one player at the moment who can pull out moments of magic with his running is Rob Burrows. not comparing him to Hanley in anyway but he does have an ability to just do the unexpected

There are plenty around who can do damage, but we have played loads of games where Burrow has been anonymous. Hanley never seemed to have these games.

to be objective Hanley played in an almost unstoppable Wigan side who had a star in almost every position

we should try and do that.....

Yep, although none of their other players (apart from Offiah when he joined) gave me that sense of dread.

They had class right through the team, but then the likes of Saints and Leeds have been a step above these last couple of years and nobody there gives me that same fear.