I actually rated him and was sad to see him go, took some time to settle in but started to play pretty well at the back once he got his confidence, which was clearly shot after a poor start.

Remember him having a cracking game vs London at "The Stoop" coincidentally.

Guscott may have thought he had good reasons for what he did, much as Long may have thought he had good reasons for abandoning England in Aus a couple of years ago. But in both cases, they should have looked beyond the end of their immediate personal interest and tried to see how it would look.

Whatever either of them says, it's left them open to all kinds of semi-justified criticism: Guscott's career has never been taken seriously by RL fans ever since - his no-show that day was seen as typical of a man who only liked playing against non-tackling opposition, and cowardice because he didn't want the world to realise that he was actually nothing like one of the best threequarters in Britain. In Long's case, it was seen as yet another gross misjudgement by someone who'd achieved what I once thought would be impossible - indulge in off-field antics so tasteless that they came to overshadow his on-field talent.

In both cases, they'd have done better to turn up and go through the motions. That way, there wouldn't have been questionmarks agaisnt them for the rest of their careers.

Despite the advent of open professionalism and the like in union little has changed in thirteen years.

In what way has little changed?

It was a response to Pemps' comment that thirteen years ago union was boring.

However I should point out that the game has changed somewhat since the cross code games.
With open professionalism has come the need to win at all costs thus collecting the all important prize money and sponsorship that gopes with success.
This has led to ever increasingly guarded, defensive and negative tactics from coaches. Look at the last two rugby union world cup finals for two prime examples.

Guscott didn't play as he didn't want his looks destroyed. He knows full well that getting tackled in RL is much more serious than what goes for tackling in Union.

Guscott wanted a TV presenters job pure and simple.

going back to the games of 1996 against bath i went to the maine road one and the 7s comp at twickers and after the 1/4 final a union fan asked me what time were wigan back on (having a wigan replica shirt on) because wigan were great to watch. but when a union side was winning on the odd time they were, all you could hear was sweet low sweet chariot

Very true. After the recent Wales v Australia international the Welsh were bemoaning the amount of kicking going on during play and they are not the only ones to recognise the problem. In that match Australia kicked the ball from hand 40 times and Wales 22. The Welsh moaned about trying to play a running game and not kick but seemed resigned afterwards that it doesn't help get the result.

The reason for the increased kicking is to play the game in the oppositions half so if a penalty is given away it isn't an automatic three points and penalties can be the only points scored in some games. As you say guarded and negative tactics.

England in the Autumn games scored one try in 240 minutes of play so not giving away penalties in your own half is crucial hence the kick fest. RU which is supposed to be about keeping possession is now about territory and kicking the ball away as its the lesser of two evils.

As to the cross code games the assertion Wigan would have crumpled under the Union forwards game at Union ignores the fact several players had played RU before and there are ways around playing against a strong forward oriented union side.

Dave

Its a shame we cant get the champs of each code to play each other one game sat and the other game the following wednesday.

I'm sure Edwards played in the Maine Road game, not sure about the return fixture though?

He did play in the RL game.


I thought he played in the other too. He certainly played in the RU sevens game that was just before or after.

Lets ask Bilko..........

or Google




J Callard 16/15 K Radlinski

A Lumsden 15/14 J Robinson

P de Glanville (capt) 14/13 H Paul

A Adebayo 12 G Connolly

J Sleightholme 11 M Offiah

M Catt 10 J Lydon

I Sanders 9 C Murdock

K Yates 1 T O'Connor

G Dawe 2 M Hall

V Ubogu 3 N Cowie

M Haag 4 G West

N Redman 5 A Farrell (capt)

A Robinson 6 S Tatupu

S Ojomoh 8 S Quinnell

E Pearce 7 V Tuigamala

I take it that's the return fixture then.

Just look at the backline for the RL game. No wonder we put 80 on them. We would put 50 on the present team.


MATCH FACTS: Wigan:

1. Radlinski,
2. Robinson (2T),
3. Tuigamala,
4. Connolly,
5. Offiah (6T),
6. Paul (1T),
7. Edwards,
8. Cowie,
9. Hall (5G),
10. O'Connor (2T),
11. Haughton,
12. Cassidy (1T),
13. Farrell (4G),
14. Smyth,
15. Murdock (1T),
16. Quinnell (1T),
17. Johnson (2T)

Frightening. It would beat most of todays teams to be honest.

No he didn't.

Fair enough, I'm glad you added the proof to it aswell!




But according to BrettKenny's post he did. Are you sure?

You didn't need to ask me you just needed to look at [url=http://www.cherryandwhite.co.ukthe little website[/url I've created.



RL: Wigan 82 Bath 6 - [urlhttp://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=574[/url
RU: Bath 44 Wigan 19 - [urlhttp://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=1243[/url
Middlesex 7s - [urlhttp://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=1388[/url


A fact about that 82-6 hammering in the RL version of the cross code challenge was that Wigan had just two minutes more possession than Bath during that game (25 mins to 23 mins) but yet we scored 82 points and they got 6.

Yes, I'm watching the full match (At Maine Road) on Youtube as we speak.



Type 'Wigan' 'Bath' into search on youtube, the full game is on (split over about 16 parts)

I could have sworn he played.

I haven't seen the game for ages, but wasn't he jumping around really "pumped up"?

Or maybe I am getting confused with the Sevens game?

*shrugs*

I think theirs confusion between Guscott and Edwards between posters here.

So for the record Edwards did play in the League Match. Guscott "the sh*thouse" played in neither.

Well your not watching it very closely mate. - He led the team out!!

Didn't play though!

See Bilko's post.

Then look at my original post and the quote.