Completely get the point about most players not transitioning between eras at the same level, although they would have access to better quality training methods some would still end up down t'pub.

Hanley was a standour because of his physical ability more than his passing or kicking, and that would transfer to any era. He was simply a beast of a player, someone that would be a legend no matter when they played.

Agree fully with the 2 previous posts. Can the modern game produce another Ellery Hanley or is the wrestle and the three man tackle king?

You're saying players from the 2000's (which ended 10 years ago) were not as fit as the players today? There is no magic wand waved now to make players "fitter" than they were 10/20 years ago. The game went pretty much full pro back in the mid 90's and full pro when SL started - over 20 years ago. The game today is littered with defensive errors, so much so that attacking play consists of hitting it one up, kicking it and seeing if someone makes a mistake. Nobody offloads and skillful passing is on the wane so defending is easy. I watched the Leeds/Saints league game from '07 last night. It was played at a pace I haven't seen in a SL game for years. The key tries had to be scored by brilliant offloading, support and passing. Defence was outstanding and attack had to be better. A lot of that Leeds team were still playing 10 years later when their legs had gone and were coping perfectly well with the "pace" of the modern game.

My guess is that the training and player development focus shifted to big lumps like we have trudging around today who can do an extra couple of laps in a bleep test rather than those who have genuine pace can pass, kick or read a game.

I hate wrestling by the way.

Ellery Hanley would have gone straight to Union and earned 500 grand a year.

Without a doubt. Imagine how many tries he would have scored if he'd been wearing one of the skin tight shirts they wear today?

Did nobody work out that baggy shirts were easy to grab hold of? I think Bradford were the first team to tighten things up as I remember.

The only time Ive heard anyone accusing Bradford of cutting their cloth...

Agree with that Christopher

Hed have gone to NRL for more.

He got the best of both worlds by playing in Oz during the off season and was fantastic there

Watching Leeds v Warrington in challenge Cup.
So sad to watch Burrow at his prime....
Danny Ward at prop, died anyone know why he fell out with Tony Smith? Looked a good player.

Wasn’t it some kind of drinking escapade in Perpignan before the game v London?
I’m sure it was something to do with that game.
You’re right I always rated Ward. Maybe not as an amazing world class prop but as a good solid top end of SL prop who you need as your 2nd or 3rd prop in your squad. Kind of like Ava now.

Ward was sacked just before the start of the 2006 season, wasn't he? That would mean he was kept on for quite a while after the perpignan trip.

Hmmm interesting, I wonder what went on....

got drunk at the airport by all accounts. as Barrie mac once said he liked a drink but often at the wrong time

It was for several breaches of club rules over 12 months https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.indepe ... html%3famp

It was for several breaches of club rules over 12 months https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.indepe ... html%3famp

Must have been pretty serious as was a GB International at the time.
Apparently Thakray feel foul of TS re drinking too....

Ward had been given nuerous chances his dad even saved his once prior to his eventual departure.

Didn't Danny Ward breach club rules several times then the final straw was him getting drunk and having a punch-up at Diskin's wedding?

He liked a drink on more than one occasion but I heard he was sniffing around some one elses Mrs. Don't know if there is any truth to it but it came 2nd hand from his girlfriend

The big rumour around the time was that he been drunk and got lost in Perpignan airport. Anyone who has been there will realise he must have been reeeally drunk, cos that airport is tiny.

If true, of course.

Thats the rumour I heard. Took a swing at Tony Smith at the wedding. Probably all bunkum but still....

When Tony Smith came in, put an end to the drinking culture, stopped the infamous "Dews Fests" and generally cleaned up the squad. Some got onboard, some didnt want to.

He eventually rinsed the ones who didnt get onboard.

I've never got it. You do a job and everyone expects you to be sober when you turn up and fit for work every time. They are professional sportsmen paid good money and asked by their employer to follow a few simple rules. Having said that we had the same at U16's at our RU club. It's a competitive game Sunday morning so don't go out and spend all night drinking at a party the night before. We played a Bristol club and the entire back division had been up all night on the lash. It was embarrassing. The coaches sent out the message that if you rocked up "unfit" to play then you would be dropped for three weeks. I think it was the right message, especially at that age, to act responsibly. Adults at a junior club can do what they want - it was practically a requirement when I played to be hung over on a Saturday afternoon. But professionals? One request, don't get drunk when we ask you not to. Nothing sadder than an interview I saw with Gareth Hock moaning about the time Steve McBanana sent him and Hardaker home.
Some of the extracts from Sean Long's autobiography answered the question regarding why he never became the best half in the world and was almost always awful for GB/England. Imagine if he'd just not been p!$$ed all the time.

Yeah,, solid post there DHM.

TBF, its a bloody hard, stressfull job and somewhere along the line, you are going to need some sort of "crutch" that you are going to develop / feed either in the short or long term.

Drinking culture has been around from year dot, its everywhere and its a hard circle to come out of. I used to be in catering for years and the level of what you can only call substance abuse is rife. Thats another high pressure, results based cut throat business and thats without the public scrutiny of us fans / media / fellow professionals not even mentioning the steady increase in injuries etc

They have to have some sort of "blow out" every so often for their own well being, some channel it into different hobbies, some take advantage of the time off and some get absolutely blotto.

I like Jamie Peacocks line on drinking - 2006 tour - NO DRINKING!!! Which had a tacit understanding (unwritten of course)

Anyone who had 1 - 3 beers - off the sauce
Anyone who had 4 - 8 beers - down to 1-3

Anyone who drank over 8 down to 4-8.


Sad to say that alcohol is the easiest to legally do, but over time really degrades the body and is whisper it (is why most of the new breed take coke) not that I partake or condone.

There's a lot of downtime and boredom I imagine. You can't train all day (unless you are a swimmer) and you can only watch so many match videos. I guess you also forget the influence of "mates" as well. A lot of rugby lads come with "baggage". Especially in RL which is so geographically limited.

I don't doubt it.

We have a club run out to Ponte for a good drink every now and again and 2015 we were there after the GF and Zak and Kallum were in having a few bevvies, the amount of people around them in their group was massive.

You can only trust your judgement and sometimes its the oldest friends who take the P more as they know you've been mates longer so try it on more.

Its a hard path to walk.