what memories
the 1990- 1991 season the last 8 games in 18 days. 4 games in last 6 days losing to bradford in the 2nd half, in the next to last game coming back to get a draw and win at leeds 2 days later to win the league

the 1991-1992 season. the bradford semi and cas final in the challenge cup easy wins.the offiah 10 try game in the premiership semi and saints final at old trafford. on a hot day in may. scoring many tries in the 2nd half

but for me the 1994-1995 season was the peak the wembley final win against leeds 30-10 and the premiership final win against leeds 69-12. and the whole season in the league games

in those seasons. the best win was the brisbane 1994 wwc final

the worst defeats i think were both in 1993- 1994 season and both games against castleford the 46-0 loss in the league at cas and the regal final. cas winning 33-2 at headingley

Maybe those senior players should have earned the respect by their on-field performances from 97 onwards instead of expecting the kids to be in awe of something they did 10 years previously.

Respect needs to be continually earned.

1994/1995 - we won everything possible - you can't get better than that; the GB team had 11 (I think) wiganers in it at the time

great great memories

Quote ="wigan pie man"remind us........what was the team?'" Hampson Myers Lydon Bell Botical Edwards Gregory Lucas Dermott Skerrett Betts Platt Hanley Goodway Clarke wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... age_id=410

Quote ="wigan pie man"remind us........what was the team?'" Hampson Myers Lydon Bell Botical Edwards Gregory Lucas Dermott Skerrett Betts Platt Hanley Goodway Clarke wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... age_id=410

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I once had a chat with Monie about his preferred fullback. He said "If Hampo was fit, he played".

Would have to be 94/95 for me (my first season too).

From what I remember, Botica was stretchered off right on the hooter in my first game vs Sheffield, so I presume Henry Paul played at 6 whilst he was out?

Can anyone with more 'experience' shed any light on that?

Quote ="Guerrier"Would have to be 94/95 for me (my first season too). From what I remember, Botica was stretchered off right on the hooter in my first game vs Sheffield, so I presume Henry Paul played at 6 whilst he was out? Can anyone with more 'experience' shed any light on that?'" It's all here wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... age_id=255

Quote ="Guerrier"Would have to be 94/95 for me (my first season too). From what I remember, Botica was stretchered off right on the hooter in my first game vs Sheffield, so I presume Henry Paul played at 6 whilst he was out? Can anyone with more 'experience' shed any light on that?'" It's all here wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... age_id=255

After the defeat of Brisbane in Brisbane in '94, Wigan looked unassailable. They truly were the best club-side in the world.

No-one would have believed at the time that it would all be downhill from there.

Morley taking out McCormack was memory of that season but not as memorable as the Mick Cassidy retribution.

Maybe these are just Cherry & White tinted spectacles, but 1986-87 takes some beating.

The team were tough as nails, and didn't just win games - they'd walk all over teams. We beat Bradford by 60-6, Widnes (who were extremely strong at the time) 40-4, and beat Warrington in two finals, who prior to that, we hadn't beaten for four, maybe five matches. In fact Warrington were the only team we lost to in the league; they did the double over us.

We came close to Australia, losing 26-18, and our only real blip was the shock loss to Oldham in the Challenge Cup in the final minute. The other three matches against them that season ranged from comfortable (Lancashire Cup Final), to us absolutely battering them (twice in the league).

Arguably, this wasn't as 'complete' a side as the 1994 team, but at the time, Wigan were just another team. By 1994, teams were beaten before they even took to the field, which I'm sure contributed to our dominance. Wigan hadn't achieved that 'aura' in the mid 80s.

Best bit - in a team featuring stars such as Joe Lydon, Henderson Gill, Shaun Edwards, Ellery Hanley, and from mid-season Andy Gregory, the player of the season was won by... Brian Case. Best prop we've ever had, in my opinion.

What a team that was !!!!!!!!!!!, and we played in a 'proper' kit !!!!!!!!!

And had a great "tune" as the players came onto Central Park

Keep listening Brian, keep listening

I have fond memories of 86/87 for various reasons - that was the start of a glorious epoch (a couple of seasons earlier we'd simply been making up the numbers), plus it was the first year Micron did a full 'highlights of the season' video, so every try scored was captured on tape (albeit grainy, flickery tape). To blitz everyone the way we did was absolutely astonishing and completely unprecedented in my life, even though as a lad I'd watched Boston and Ashton.

Certain funny memories still stand out: Len Casey saying the only difference between Wigan and Hull was Ellery Hanley (Gregory, Bell, Lydon, Edwards, Gill, Case, Hampson etc, obviously didn't count). Ron Hill saying that Graham Lowe didn't know what he was doing moving Hanley to loose forward (incredibly, Hanley had played all over the back division before joining Wigan, including out on the wing). Less funny was the Oldham full back blatantly trying to trip Wigan players in the Lancashire Cup Final and going unpunished, and Des Drummond's new 'headbutt' style of tackling as exemplied in the Premiership Trophy final.

It was a heck of a seasonl, though interestingly Warrington were our main rivals that year as well. The four games we played against them were all epic encounters.

Quote ="Pemps"Hampson Myers Lydon Bell Botical Edwards Gregory Lucas Dermott Skerrett Betts Platt Hanley Goodway Clarke wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... age_id=410'" seen better backlines over the years.........but i fancy any backline could perfofm behing that pack and the halves...................AND WHAT A BENCH..........2 internationals ?? that was a typical team just studies the teams via your link Goodway played at 3, 4, 9, and 13 during the run in we also had Iro, Gildhart, Forshaw, Stazicker, Goulding, and Tyrer in the squad...........Very strong

Quote ="Pemps"Hampson Myers Lydon Bell Botical Edwards Gregory Lucas Dermott Skerrett Betts Platt Hanley Goodway Clarke wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/in ... age_id=410'" seen better backlines over the years.........but i fancy any backline could perfofm behing that pack and the halves...................AND WHAT A BENCH..........2 internationals ?? that was a typical team just studies the teams via your link Goodway played at 3, 4, 9, and 13 during the run in we also had Iro, Gildhart, Forshaw, Stazicker, Goulding, and Tyrer in the squad...........Very strong

I'd have to disagree about Brian Case being the best prop but only just. Reckon Andy Platt, followed by Greg Dowling, just shaded him. Having said that, Case was the original unsung hero and hard as nails too.

Dowling was playing in the season I first started watching, and being honest I didn't see that much of him. Clearly highly rated though. You could be right about Andy Platt.

What I liked about Platt was that he was quite a running/passing second rower at Saints, and when he came to us, he piled the muscle on and became a proper biff and bang front rower, which benefited his game.

I agree with this, I think Wigan had it much harder in the early days to establish themselves, once already at the top it was easy to sign the best players (but in fairness there was a lot of quality coming out of Wigan's youth team as well so I am not saying you bought success!)

I also think the competition was tougher in the mid-late 80s. I think after the collapse of Widnes as a powerhouse in the early 90s, there was a vacuum at the top and that allowed Wigan to clean up.

What would have been interesting would have been if Saints had matured 10 years earlier, imagine if the Saints team of 96 had emerged in 86 with a young Cunningham and co, and then Saints period from 96-06 had been 86-96. There would have been some great tussles then. I still think Wigan would have won more of the trophies but they wouldn't have cleaned up, I think Saints would have taken a share.

This! Possibly the best back line up club rugby (or any rugby for that matter) has seen. And we had Radlinski also bursting onto the scene at the same time.

I've always said that ironically we peaked so soon before the wheels came off - It was a fast decline from the all conquering season of 1994/5 to where we went in the next 2-3 years, almost as quick and spectacular as the Whinoes current decline!

I remember him - Hussein M'Barki from Morocco originally. He was always trying to trip people up and was a total house and finger pointer. It was as if he was still in the playground telling tales to the teacher.

Also, a certain Stuart Raper played in that game as Oldham's loose forward.

Not overly convinced by that. Don't forget, Leeds were doing what Wigan have been accused of constantly, and spending millions signing players from Australia and Rugby Union, as well as older players from other RL clubs including Wigan (Hanley, Gregory, Shaun Wane to name three), and for a time became a real threat - possibly the ONLY real threat - to Wigan at that time.

A common misconception is that we kept signing superstars. We didn't. We had a great youth system, but also a great talent for scouting for youngsters with other teams who hadn't fulfilled their potential. Wigan had a massive talent for turning these good players into great players, as well as a great team ethic.

Look at the 1992 GV v Aus test when we stuffed them 33-10. Wigan formed the backbone of that side, including the ENTIRE pack, and there were no superstars amongst them, bar Martin Offiah. These were simply a bunch of good, well drilled players who knew each other's game inside out.

91 mission impossible I worked in London - difficult to comprehend now but I could not get any updates for the widnes game on the Tuesday - no mobile phones, no internet, ceefax didn't do score updates, no sky sports news and no coverage by BBC or London radio. I rang central park but no one answered!

My best teams were 82/83 punching above their weight a trophy and gave the aussies there closest game; 86/87 a few changes in personnel made a good team great;92/93 so close to winning the lot and great competition with saints; 94/95 a clear cut above the rest.

That Widnes game was fantastic. Nearly 30k on at CP, genuinely world class players on both teams. Those were the days. God I miss Central Park!

Non-Wigan fans always seems to remember that era as if Wigan blitzed everyone all the time and had all the best players in the UK. But actually, there were lots of good players at many other clubs. And some fantastic matches and big-game atmospheres.

One guy at work used to constantly annoy me with his "the game was dying because it was boring with Wigan always winning" jibes.

But how often today do we get the sort of 25,000+ that we so often saw at Central Park? I remember Workington coming and bringing half the town with them. The last Lancs Cup Final at Saints was played in front of 20,000. I remember being locked out of KR for a Cup replay in that era.

We don't get too much of that now.