Re: Cunningham's comments : Thu May 26, 2016 12:56 pm  

Absolute stone cold legend as a player; someone I idolised growing up and I am glad I got to see live in the flesh, but he is the worst coach I can remember us having. I have to keep reminding myself of KC the player as I get angry thinking of KC the coach.

Re: Cunningham's comments : Fri May 27, 2016 9:46 am  

I rate Roby higher now than Cunningham, he is plays more minutes and is not just one for crashing over the line, could not stop laughing reading all KC had to say in the Star yesterday.

Re: Cunningham's comments : Fri May 27, 2016 10:51 am  

jaybs wrote:

I rate Roby higher now than Cunningham, he is plays more minutes and is not just one for crashing over the line, could not stop laughing reading all KC had to say in the Star yesterday.

Unfortunately the man is so far up his own backside he wont give in to reason. Only he can't see the failings of the team. I have actually defended him on here, but he is as deluded as its possible to be given his reaction to games. How on gods earth he can believe Hudds were lucky I have no clue.

He needs to be relieved of his duties and Daryl Powell installed as coach ASAP.

Re: Cunningham's comments : Fri May 27, 2016 4:38 pm  

jaybs wrote:

I rate Roby higher now than Cunningham, he is plays more minutes and is not just one for crashing over the line,

I think you are doing Cunningham an injustice here, he was still a standout player amongst a team of all stars and could do unbelievable things. Don't let his miserable time as a coach taint his performance as a player.


However, his coaching is something else, he has no professional profile when he does the post match comments, from a new neutral supporter he looks as though he is a saints supporter who has just been plucked out of the crowd and gives an unreal biased opinion of the game or alternatively if he can't face it he will send Wilkin out there to comment..........all amateur stuff.

Re: Cunningham's comments : Fri May 27, 2016 5:47 pm  

jaybs wrote:

I rate Roby higher now than Cunningham, he is plays more minutes and is not just one for crashing over the line, could not stop laughing reading all KC had to say in the Star yesterday.

Your letting KC coaching get in the way of his playing days
I'd take KC the hooker over James Roby every day of the week (Roby is close friend of mine, I went his stag weekend and also his wedding). KC was different animal. He was big, tough, big shots in defence, made loads of breaks, scored those tries from meter out and also had terrible injury he had to deal with.

The aussies was petrified of KC as he was devastating with the ball and seriously hard in defence.

One of the best players I've seen.

Re: Cunningham's comments : Sat May 28, 2016 8:27 am  

St pete wrote:

Your letting KC coaching get in the way of his playing days - One of the best players I've seen.

I can assure you No! it is what rocks your boat at the end of the day, never been into the storming over from a few yards out really, look at Wire last night a team full of forwards who run fast, break though and all can pass that is what I like. Best Players seen, Cunningham is not in the same league as such a Murphy, Vollenhoven and Killeen all round! yes he may be good but I think even such as Long, Martin, Sculthorpe and the much under rated Chris Joynt were all as good if not better, never forget one pass from Tommy Martyn in 2002 against Wigan 19-O win it was Sensational! but I can't see any statues for them? when you are on a plinth far easier to Fall.

Re: Cunningham's comments : Sat May 28, 2016 8:40 am  

jaybs wrote:

I can assure you No! it is what rocks your boat at the end of the day, never been into the storming over from a few yards out really, look at Wire last night a team full of forwards who run fast, break though and all can pass that is what I like. Best Players seen, Cunningham is not in the same league as such a Murphy, Vollenhoven and Killeen all round! yes he may be good but I think even such as Long, Martin, Sculthorpe and the much under rated Chris Joynt were all as good if not better, never forget one pass from Tommy Martyn in 2002 against Wigan 19-O win it was Sensational! but I can't see any statues for them? when you are on a plinth far easier to Fall.

You do know saints fans voted for the statue?

If you think KC was only a barge over player from meter out then you've never seen the man play

Re: Cunningham's comments : Sat May 28, 2016 9:23 am  

For much his career KC was fast and used to make a lot of clean breaks. When injuries caught up with him he developed a more limited but still very effective game.

Re: Cunningham's comments : Sat May 28, 2016 9:32 am  

I can understand people's memories of KC as a player being skewed by his current coaching exploits but I'm gonna pipe up, like a few others who like me, weren't about 4 years old when he was in his prime.

Defining Cunningham as just a barge over player is a bit like saying that Madonna had a decent pair of funbags on her in her prime, and ignoring all the big hits she released.

Cunningham ran the show, he made it all tick, he controlled the speed and direction of the game, he could also tear defences to pieces with his runs from dummy half, his defence was second to none. He got us to, and was instrumental to us winning Grand Finals, World Club Finals, Challenge Cups. He was feared by every team on earth, and they could not stop him even though they knew what he was going to do. You couldn't wind him up by smashing him with a high tackle. He didn't get involved in petty scraps and thus costing us penalties etc

There has been no better hooker, and I include Julia Roberts in that.

Re: Cunningham's comments : Sat May 28, 2016 9:45 am  

I concur with the Cunningham playing plaudits. He was awesome. The best player I've ever seen in the flesh in a Saints shirt. In his twenties he was not only immensely strong, but remarkably fast - pulling off long chase-downs of wingers on occasion. He was as quick off the mark as Roby, but hurt opponents more in the tackle. His passing was superb, and he had a unique ability to somehow shrug tacklers over his shoulder in order to get clear, as if these big men weighed no more than a rucksack. Add in an organising brain and the sort of steely-eyed professionalism which we lack across the whole team today, and you have the near-perfect rugby league player.

Shame about his coaching and player-selection/recruitment. But that shouldn't detract from his truly legendary playing career.