: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:12 pm  

BillyRhino wrote:

Shouldn't you be providing some evidence that Mr Justice Gray was wrong to believe GH's version of events?

I've never said he was wrong. I've said his Judgment was consistent with my hypothesis. It was.

: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:13 pm  

El Diablo wrote:

I hadn't read this thread for a bit. Fun thread.

For the record, I believe Harris and his representatives and/or the Bulls acted inappropriately in the matter of his return to Super League. That is now a legal dispute, and one that I am not overly excited about, being happy to leave it for the legal eagles to pursue.

The 1999 cup win parade is about the onfield events in 1999. Harris was a key part of that success, and as such should be applauded as enthusiastically as anyone else. He virtually carried the team of the late 90s at times, and we looked truly lost on occasions when he wasn't there. There were some good players in that team, but it never seemed to hang together properly without Harris in it. That is what I will remember him for, not the pantomime villain he later became.

That said, I harbour a suspicion that his departure heralded the start of bigger and better things for Leeds. His absence left a huge void, which no one player was able to fill. SInce then, while we clearly have key players, those who we perform better with, we have never been so totally reliant on one player. Specualtion, and impossible to prove, but it's my theory and I'll stick with it for now.

In my time watching RL I've never seen a more one man team than that Leeds side, not that thats a good thing but it shows how good Iestyn was.

: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:18 pm  

Tony Soprano wrote:

In my time watching RL I've never seen a more one man team than that Leeds side, not that thats a good thing but it shows how good Iestyn was.

Indeed. Murray's teams could always defend, but the attacking game plan (code name: Operation Give-the ball-to-Iestyn) was a bit one-dimensional, and the likes of Ryan Sheridan (again, good player I'm not looking to knock him) sometimes looked a bit lost when Iestyn wasn't there to give the ball to. That said, Operation Give-the-ball-to-Iestyn was remarkably successful. He was in my view by far the best player in the league at that time.

: Fri Apr 24, 2009 4:18 pm  

Tony Soprano wrote:

In my time watching RL I've never seen a more one man team than that Leeds side, not that thats a good thing but it shows how good Iestyn was.

I could never understand how the "bring Iestyn from full back to stand off after half time" ruse worked every time for two seasons without any of the opposition teams realising what was happening.