Re: Who wins? : Thu May 16, 2024 9:44 pm  

giddyupoldfella wrote:

Richard Swain vs Gareth Ellis. It's tough to call which one of those skippers would have got their team home to victory against each other. Two of our very best.

Close call, very close call here. Think I would have Ellis shading it. I've never seen an Fc player whose mere presence on the pitch seemed to lift everyone around him. Truly believe that, without him, we would still be forlornly waiting for that Wembley win.

The difference between how he influenced our team and the complete lack of leadership last Sunday is staggering.

Re: Who wins? : Thu May 16, 2024 9:56 pm  

BP1 wrote:

Close call, very close call here. Think I would have Ellis shading it. I've never seen an Fc player whose mere presence on the pitch seemed to lift everyone around him. Truly believe that, without him, we would still be forlornly waiting for that Wembley win.

The difference between how he influenced our team and the complete lack of leadership last Sunday is staggering.

I think the 16 final there was no stopping us, that team was on such a roll and just didn't know when they were beat. Ellis was fantastic in that 17 final against Wigan though Ellis was hunting everything that was moving. But then you've got Swain's charge down on Sinfield's drop goal for the draw. That should be mentioned in the same as Houghto's tackle 52.

Re: Who wins? : Thu May 16, 2024 10:39 pm  

BP1 wrote:

Wembley '83 is a nightmare without end for me. I have never come to terms with the defeat even 41 years on! To this day I still cannot work out how such a fantastic team could freeze so badly when it mattered the most.

As a measure to how deep the scars still remain from that day; when I was sat at Wembley in 2015 watching Leeds hammer a very sorry rovers side, all I could think about was how we should have done exactly the same to Featherstone all those years ago!

Even the victories in 16/17 haven't fully eased the pain and shock of '83. Time, for me, has not been a great healer where this match is concerned. The 82/83 side is unquestionably the best Fc team I have watched, but sadly they fell at the very final hurdle. But all things considered that team tops both the 2004-06 and 2016/17 sides.

Never watched that game, but I'm sure I'll find it online. It's one I want to watch to see why we lost it. I know we were champions that year.

Re: Who wins? : Fri May 17, 2024 7:21 am  

BP1 wrote:

Wembley '83 is a nightmare without end for me. I have never come to terms with the defeat even 41 years on! To this day I still cannot work out how such a fantastic team could freeze so badly when it mattered the most.

As a measure to how deep the scars still remain from that day; when I was sat at Wembley in 2015 watching Leeds hammer a very sorry rovers side, all I could think about was how we should have done exactly the same to Featherstone all those years ago!

Even the victories in 16/17 haven't fully eased the pain and shock of '83. Time, for me, has not been a great healer where this match is concerned. The 82/83 side is unquestionably the best Fc team I have watched, but sadly they fell at the very final hurdle. But all things considered that team tops both the 2004-06 and 2016/17 sides.

There was rumors the team were on the p1iss the night before the game and didn't take Fev to seriously . Loosing Harkin didn't help either .

Re: Who wins? : Fri May 17, 2024 7:32 am  

giddyupoldfella wrote:

Never watched that game, but I'm sure I'll find it online. It's one I want to watch to see why we lost it. I know we were champions that year.

You'll find it on the horror channel.

Re: Who wins? : Fri May 17, 2024 7:32 am  

giddyupoldfella wrote:

Never watched that game, but I'm sure I'll find it online. It's one I want to watch to see why we lost it. I know we were champions that year.

You'll find it on the horror channel.

Re: Who wins? : Fri May 17, 2024 7:35 am  

Wembley 83 was terrible. I was once told by a former player who played that day that we thought we were going to walk it plus half the team had been out on the pizz the night before

Re: Who wins? : Fri May 17, 2024 7:41 am  

giddyupoldfella wrote:

Like Ratu, those players that seemed to come and go quickly.

Wish Ratu would have stayed on. Considering he switched over to league late he got to grips with the game quickly and was unstoppable at times.

Possible the fastest winger we have had?

Re: Who wins? : Fri May 17, 2024 7:42 am  

Jake the Peg wrote:

Wembley 83 was terrible. I was once told by a former player who played that day that we thought we were going to walk it plus half the team had been out on the pizz the night before

That was the rumour at the time.

Re: Who wins? : Fri May 17, 2024 7:53 am  

Marcus's Bicycle wrote:

Wish Ratu would have stayed on. Considering he switched over to league late he got to grips with the game quickly and was unstoppable at times.

Possible the fastest winger we have had?

I'd liked to have seen Ratu v Best in a race . Ratu was just a train , Once he got going , he wasnt going to be caught .
Best just cruised along , Never looked like he was going that quick .