Re: Flanagan : Fri Apr 24, 2015 1:05 pm  

Chris Smith was arguably even more annoying. No finer example of "small man syndrome" you'll find in the sport. He was perpetually angry, niggly, infuriating etc.

Although he was a perfect gent when I accidentally smashed his wing mirror a few months back.

That said, it was a pretty good piece of swift thinking on my part.

"Aren't you Chris Smith who played for Saints? I used to love watching you play ..."

Re: Flanagan : Fri Apr 24, 2015 1:12 pm  

Chris smith was a fairly low key signing. To be fair though, he was quite a forward thinker in terms of play. He had little of the classic winger qualities, but was good out of dummy half, gaining ground, quick PTB ball and winning penalties when the oppo try and hold him down.
For a while we had the bizarre situation of naming him (a winger) on the bench, then bringing him on when Freddie T moved into the forwards.

I remember he'd had a scoring drought of about 10 matches, which he ended with a hat trick at Headingly. Coincedently, that was Kevin Iro's first game back from injury in a while.

Chris also had the unfortunate experience of playing outside Damian Smith, during the 1998 season. That was a dreadful signing.

Re: Flanagan : Fri Apr 24, 2015 1:31 pm  

My funniest memory of Chris Smith was during a game for Cas at KR. We kicked into the in goal and he cleared it, before Alan Hunte rushed in and shoved him into that red wooden fence down at the away end.
He jumped up to kick off, only for the relatively enormous Alan Hunte to tower over him and laugh in his face without further consequence.

Re: Flanagan : Fri Apr 24, 2015 1:37 pm  

Offside Monkey wrote:

My funniest memory of Chris Smith was during a game for Cas at KR. We kicked into the in goal and he cleared it, before Alan Hunte rushed in and shoved him into that red wooden fence down at the away end.
He jumped up to kick off, only for the relatively enormous Alan Hunte to tower over him and laugh in his face without further consequence.

He was forever mucking around trying to get up and play the ball. One of the worst comedy cheats in that department since the Hulme brothers.

Re: Flanagan : Fri Apr 24, 2015 1:39 pm  

Offside Monkey wrote:

Chris smith was a fairly low key signing.

Did we pay somewhere between £50 & £80k?

I agree that he wasn't a bad player. But his height was a problem. He'd get murdered on the wing today.

Re: Flanagan : Fri Apr 24, 2015 2:02 pm  

Mugwump wrote:

Did we pay somewhere between £50 & £80k?

I agree that he wasn't a bad player. But his height was a problem. He'd get murdered on the wing today.

He couldn't catch kicks for poop. That week we got spanked at Odsol in '99 (two weeks before the GF) he let about 40 points in.

Re: Flanagan : Fri Apr 24, 2015 2:23 pm  

Offside Monkey wrote:

He couldn't catch kicks for poop. That week we got spanked at Odsol in '99 (two weeks before the GF) he let about 40 points in.

I remember that game. Kind of reminiscent of Tony Sullivan's nightmare performance at Wilderspool in his last or penultimate season.

Looking back now - I really do appreciate Allan Hunte. Don't get me wrong - I think Sully did a fantastic job for us. Especially after he got over his first couple of seasons when he was struggling to find his own identity. Sully was quicker than Hunte. And he had a better swerve. But Hunte was positively lethal as a finisher. Where Sully was always likely to drop one pass in ten - Hunte's hands were incredibly soft. I don't have any figures to hand but I'd be willing to bet Hunte converted a higher percentage of try-scoring opportunities.

What I wouldn't give to have Allan Hunte on the wing today. You might as well forget about putting up the high ball in his corner. Whereas his opposite number would have the devil's own job attempting to keep him out. The guy could leap most of his body height off the ground!

Re: Flanagan : Fri Apr 24, 2015 2:53 pm  

Mugwump wrote:

I remember that game. Kind of reminiscent of Tony Sullivan's nightmare performance at Wilderspool in his last or penultimate season.

Looking back now - I really do appreciate Allan Hunte. Don't get me wrong - I think Sully did a fantastic job for us. Especially after he got over his first couple of seasons when he was struggling to find his own identity. Sully was quicker than Hunte. And he had a better swerve. But Hunte was positively lethal as a finisher. Where Sully was always likely to drop one pass in ten - Hunte's hands were incredibly soft. I don't have any figures to hand but I'd be willing to bet Hunte converted a higher percentage of try-scoring opportunities.

What I wouldn't give to have Allan Hunte on the wing today. You might as well forget about putting up the high ball in his corner. Whereas his opposite number would have the devil's own job attempting to keep him out. The guy could leap most of his body height off the ground!

For about half a season (I think it was '97) Hunte played in the centre and was unstoppable. Just when the GB tests were coming up he did his ACL, if I remember correctly. He never quite reached that level again (in fact, I think it was only the end of that season when he was shipped out to Hull with Precky and Simon Booth to fund the Sculthorpe deal.

Re: Flanagan : Fri Apr 24, 2015 3:14 pm  

Dux wrote:

For about half a season (I think it was '97) Hunte played in the centre and was unstoppable. Just when the GB tests were coming up he did his ACL, if I remember correctly. He never quite reached that level again (in fact, I think it was only the end of that season when he was shipped out to Hull with Precky and Simon Booth to fund the Sculthorpe deal.

Didn't he bust his ACL in the tests n '94 (after being selected in the centre, then)?
'96 was a comeback year for him and when Gibbs left he jumped into the centre. '97 he was absolutely unstoppable, though. Was selected on the wing for GB that season, I think while Sully was left at home. Newlove didn't go as he didn't like flying (allegedly), but Kieth Senior had just come through at Sheffield. The squad was announced and Hunte was left out - the week later he ran ring round young kieth and got drafted into the
Very Classy player.

To quote Stevo, during our defeat of Sheffield in a game played "on the road" at Cardiff.
"Look...(dramatic pose)....at those thighs!"

Re: Flanagan : Fri Apr 24, 2015 3:47 pm  

I agree Flanagan must go.