What a tough cookie he was,i have just seen footage of when Dean Sampson flattens him (Breaks his jaw)and skerrett gets up and touches his teeth as if he has a bit of meat stuck inbetween them,one tough hombre.

Des Drummond? The little speedy winger from wire? Come on.

Try Kevin Ward.

Chris "Tosh" Arkwright of Saints was and is a man not to be messed with.

Vila Matautia is another assasin

Sonny Nickle another one not afraid to let loose. Calmed down though after became a dad.
Leeds fans will never forgive him for the shocking challenge on Robbie Mears. Nickle incurred a 9 match ban as a result and Mears also won damages off Nickle in court.

Over the last 50 years my vote goes to Brian McTigue. Wasn't a dirty player but even frightened the Ozzie pack on his own.

You've some idea........

Fortunately I know you are a troll, otherwise that would have been quite funny.

probably my favourite 2nd row pairing - loved watching du toit try and and smash the opposition every time he had the ball or went into a tackle - there was no casually running in and taking the tackle for him.

He wasn't the most rounded rl player but he was hard and just loved knocking players into the ground - which is to be fair , one of the main attractions of watching rl. I think he used to be an ice hockey player in SA so he was used to playing with a bit of aggro in the game.

Watching him play against some of the wire players in the 80's was usually a highlight as they had quite a few hard men in their pack.

Pound for pound though, mean dean has to be one of the hardest players.

Sonny Nickle?



He was nothing but a coward.

I was watching Wigan under 15s years ago. Sean Wane was dishing it out and Jackie Edwards, standing at the side of me, said that he was the hardest player he had ever seen at any level of rugby league.He was a pretty good judge.

As brawlers who liked to mix it up it would be Tallis, Drummond, Roberts, Cullen, Boyd but as some one to play through the tough stuff Bob Jackson, Farrell, Craig Smith, Jamie Peacock, Mike Greg

You reckon?
Anyway, people like Nickle and Skerrett shouldn't be who this thread is about. Taking punishment and keeping your head is what RL is about and the real test.

Watching saints, Apollo Perelini springs to mind. Barrie McDermott once said (something along the lines of)

(But when the doe's hit the fan) For you Wigan guys, it was very nice to see O'Connor give Tallis some of his own medecine.

The video is on you tube. Fielden decks McDermott with a sweet uppercut.

cliffe lyons. solid.

I'm not old enough to have seen a lot of the guys mentioned just what i've heard in stories off people.

A guy i work with was in the Leeds Colts (academy) side when Shaun Wane was playing for Wigan, he played against him a couple of times at academy level and said he was the hardest player he'd ever seen/played against, one story he told me really made me chuckle

The teams were warming up before the game (at Wigan i think) Leeds in one half and Wigan in the other, after a few drills the Leeds lads huddled for a chat and the hooker for Leeds was being rather mouthy and loud about how what he was going to do, smash players etc, etc trying to get there lads up for the game.

My pal said out of the corner of his eye he spotted this lone, Wigan player making his way over to the Leeds huddle, next thing Shaun Wane is stood there infront of them all and as the Leeds lads went quiet he basically said, "I'm gonna smash you" and repeated it about 5 times while pointing at various Leeds players then turned and walked back to the Wigan players warming up.

My pal said, he wasn't lying and Wane totally smashed them to bits that day and it was the hardest game he ever played in.

Heard a few similar stories about Wane like that

Supre Kel
Connolly
Bell
Edwards
Goodway
Pongia
Newton
Radlinski (tough but nice fella). Remember the injection in his foot before the final. Ouch

In fact might try and make a nutter 13.

Outside of Wigan and excluding all the usual props I would have to say i would never fancy trying to deal with Keith Senior.

Meaning?

Probably meaning you can't have seen drummond play if you are questioning his inclusion in this thread. In fact i once saw skerret (whilst playing for bradford) actually back off when des squared up to him in a game at wilderspool. Nobody would ever pick a fight with drummond.

There was a story doing the rounds not long ago about a Wigan player acting the fool!!!!! on Standishgate.

Shaun Wane happened to be on the other side of the street and saw what was happening. It appears Waney went across to the player and had a word in his ear. Things I believe quietened down.

You are right there about Drummond, he is also a black belt at karate as well i believe.

I believe so. And he was a bit of a celebrity back in the day, appearing on that Superstars TV show if I remember correctly

That's right mate he held the record i think for the most dips.

Karl Fairbank

Frank Foster, played for Barrow.
Dennis Boyd, played for us.

Ryan Bailey ?