1st half highlights of the classic battle at Wilderspool which saw 2 brawls, 4 sent off and 1 sin binned, plus a few tries, some big hits and Les Boyd at his best. Look out for Des Drummond's sneaky heads down 'hand off' at 8.45 :)
My friend George Thornton died today 4 Dec 2019 ex warrington player and then photographer to the team and warrington council to those that love his game you will always remember his big smile and warm heart
Look beyond some of the rough stuff, there was excellent rugby being played. Some fantastic passing with a ball that must have been like a bar of soap in those conditions.
I was at this match ( been in Mr Smiths for the New Years Eve 87 ). The atmosphere was electric and full of spite and so it should be , it’s a local derby not some Rah Rah match The Rugby League on show was terrific considering the conditions . Some fantastic players on show . Andy Gregory one of my favourite players of all time who also had a great season at Warrington. Hanley , Les Boyd ( Aussie tourist 78 and 82 ) John Woods , Des Drummond , all quality .
This was my childhood. Watching full guts and glory battles, fought for pride not a pay packet. No fancy hairstyles, no tattoos, no under-soil heating. And I used to relive it all years later in the back of Graeme West's taxi on the way home from King Street. I once remember someone trying to run off without paying their fair. Graeme was in his 50s by then and had the fella in under 25 yards. The lad never walked the same again after that!
Agree, I was there as a teenager, it was brutal, on and off the field. Real passionate rivalry. As regards the unacceptable face of RL, this is what our game is about, it’s not football, or tennis , it’s the hardest physical contact sport on the planet alongside boxing and MMA, and we love it
Same as when tv football commentators say, "This is the sort of thing that nobody wants to see", as a million people shout at their telly, "Shut up you prick! This is EXACTLY what we want to see".
Played against Graeme West once. The only guy I didn't even try to tackle. Don't think I could've got my arms around his stride. No regrets though. It was an honour to be in the same game.
@J G Where did you copy and paste that from? No self respecting Football fan calls it 'soccer' and by the way, shut up, you melt. Penchester Yanited idiot. I bet you're not even from Manchester, are you?
I was there, took the full Wigan squad out single handed. My fists are classified as lethal weapons...I call my left the widow maker and my right...instant death. I am a hard bastard who you really dont wanna fuck with.
these old clips highlight just how good today's groundsmen are. I those days, regardless of the sport, mid to late season most of the paying field would be earth or mud. even in the top flight.
Magic! In the late seventies I started playing RL at Manchester University…. After quitting RU in my last years at grammar school…Absolutely loved RL plus listening to Eddie Waring(up and under) on Tuesday nights!
@J G for the record uve missed alot of countries. Australia, Canada, England, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea Wales, Canada, Malta, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji. Get your facts straight before you start badmouthing our amazing sport
some great stuff here. Yes the pitch looks awful but some real hard men playing, some good old fashioned biff and some of the skills wouldnt look out of place in the modern day game, lads who can pass, offload, run at angles etc, and they all play the ball...with their foot!! Wow Les Boyd what a forward
"Brian johnsons barmy army" The first wire coach I remember and chanted for. Gutted when he died. And the guy I modeled my youth rugby on as a no7, the one and only Greg Mackay.
Remember Les Boyd when he first started at Wests in about 1976. He, together with Donnelly, Gibbs, Raudonikis etc created havoc under the coaching of Roy Masters. Lidcombe Oval was the undoing of many a fancied side in the day. Thanks for the memories Les / a great competitor on the field and a true gent off the park.
Yes, Les Boyd was an animal, but a very talented player. He was one of those players that, as a supporter of the opposing side, you would give come verbal "stick" but secretly wish he was on your team. (Lifelong Oldham supporter)
Great Stuff ... Before big business took over ' Sport ' .. Thanks for the passion you played the game .. That's what I loved to watch .. not a logo covered field, and endless replays .. was more real then for me.
I've only been following League for about 10 years but these older matches seem more physical and creative than what I see today. Perhaps it's the corporate environment of today that makes the game different than it was. Just a dumb Yank's observation 😉
You're right on the money! I'm in my 50's, played reps in my teens and today's game doesn't resemble the game back in the 70's and 80's one little bit. To be honest, it's boring and predictable now. The running, inventive game of those days was brilliant to watch.
@@paulbyron8231 League has changed so much over the years because of how professional and organised it is now. Teams have had to adapt to the new rules.
No interchange back then, only allowed 4 subs. Once you came off you stayed off. As the heavier players became tired it opened the field up for the little generals to shine. Most players had to be solid 80min players. So miss the "softening up period" where both sets of forwards would pummel the shit out of each other for the first 10-20 minutes. Today's game is to sanitised. Get rid of the interchange and bring back players who play with heart when the going gets tough and the players get tired.
I agree with Ian Dawe. cannot stand seeing the silly names (we are not the NFL). Glad that my team (Hunslet) have dropped the 'Hawks' suffix from next season
I watched my first game around 10 years old, Bradford northern v Hull Kingston rovers at odsell top, the sound of guys smashing into each other has never left me !!! Fucking proper game for men !!
Fantastic player. One of a handful from here who the Aussies still rate, although I think our forwards have gone up in their estimation in recent years
If it's winning the league you're referring to, which I assume you are by 'Title', then we've actually won in twice in the last 60 years 1974 when won about 6 trophies including Challenge Cup, League, Lancashire Cup, Premiership and also more recently in 2011. Don't know where you've got your figures from.
+Nottalot1 Salford won the League in 74. Warrington did win 4 trophies that season Cup, John Player Trophy , Captain Morgan Trophy which was only ever played once and the play off which that season had the bizarre name of Club Championship Merit Trophy
Good to see Ellery Hanley in action after all this time.. 'Soccer is a gentleman's game played by hooligans. Rugby Union is a hooligan's game played by gentlemen, and Rugby League is a hooligan's game played by hooligans.'
That was great ,a very high level of football played there, that Worington and Wigan team were world class even by todays standards, I was only 11 but I remember players from both teams here, a few Kiwis, and everyone remembers Little Andy Gregory he was very unpopular when he toured for the Lions, Always starting fights and continually in trouble for dirty play,what we call grub today, well Little Andy was a little maggot. But even though he was a little jerk, he was a tough little bugga.
LOL he's now bankrupt and has just been given a suspended prison sentence for having an uncontrolled dangerous dog badly maul & injure a guy in a park.
06:00: *Camera pans to dead body lying on the pitch. *Medic runs over and touches him. *Man Immediately comes back to life and tries to kill the man who clotheslined him. This is awsome.
@@loneranger5954 Great IQ on the pitch with a hand off rivalled by few. Lol..I'm waxing lyrical about him but everytime he came to the Boulevard I hoped he was on the injured list.
That’s how good Hanley was, he scored tries which no one else could and despite Johnson being great cover tackler (stopped Eric Grothe a few times in Sydney) still couldn’t prevent the try.
Some great players on show there. Some legends of the game as well but crikey, Wire had some proper hooligans in that side. Boyd, Tamati were proper hard men and Des Drummond wasn't someone you messed with and he just stayed out of it all. Great video. Seems like yesterday but look positively post war 😂
Briliant. Those were the days. Wiganer now living in Dorset. TV just doesn't appeal. Bring back the scrums, not the pathetic ones they have now. Favourite 13:- Griffiths, Boston, Ashton, Davies, Sullivan, Bolton, Entwistle, Barton, Sayer, McTigue, Collier, Lyon/Cherrington, Evans.
