For Leigh I fully agree. They're a club on the up who want to get in to superleague and Hock is an unbelievable talent. At his best he's as good as any forward in world rugby league but his issues have ruined his career.

He's got this opportunity at Leigh now to try and turn things around. If he can have a positive few years before retirement his talent may not have all been wasted.

Changing a lifetimes worth of habits though can be difficult.

Jesus Christ, he looked good against a part-time Workington team that was probably littered with some young kids from Wigan on DR? He should be looking good against opposition like that. A proper test of his character, ability and mental state will be in the games against Bradford and Super League opposition during the Super 8's (or whatever name has been given to the split!).

No doubt he's a good (not great) player on his day, but since he left our performances on the pitch has increased ten-fold and the team spirit is visibly 100% better.

Hopefully it turns out to be a good move for both Salford and Leigh.

Why are you denigrating Hock's playing ability ?

On his day, he is world class and is a handful for ANY defence.
IF he keeps his head, he will be a fantastic player for Leigh but, its a big IF.
Just because he "failed" at Salford, it's no reason to relegate him to "good".

Think the problem at wire was they relied on their forwards laying a platform for their half-backs who then usually kicked for Joel to score.....from what i've seen so far the forwards aren't making the yards and their half-backs aren't anywhere near the standard of Briers and co in the past, alas we see Joel with only 2 ?? tries this year i think they said on Sky.

It was attitude I was more impressed with on Sunday he looked hungry and willing too work! He's a tremendous talent one of only a few British players the Aussies are intimated by!! There is a lot of risks and I'm not saying he's our saviour but it's a bloody good start

Don't think the Aussies are intimidated by him at all. They probably find Graham and the Burgess boys more intimidating.

All I ever hear from people when discussing Gareth Hock is "on his day he is world class", but the fact is he isn't world class. Back in his earlier Wigan days he was, but those days are long gone for him now hence why he is playing for Leigh in the Championship. I agree he could turn out to be be a fantastic player for Leigh, as the standard of opposition is predominantly part-time and so you would expect him to stand out and do well.

The reality is "on his day", he is a good Super League player but at 31, whilst playing in the Championship and with his disciplinary issues we unfortunately wont see many more of those.

Burgess brothers I'll give you but graham?? He's a big soft ginger baby!

Well he's hardly going to take a view that Hock should be promoted to World Class status is he?

Whats this Myth about Gareth Hock ever being world class? Hes far from world class now and was never even world class to begin with. He was a good player a long time ago but thats about it.

Regards

King James

Agree and what's all this nonsense I'm reading about world class on his day? Surely to be World Class you have to show quality over a prolonged peried, not a few purple patch minutes every now and then between the countless brain fart$.

No, happens regular. In soccer, John Barnes was world class for one dribble, and Michael Owen was world class for one goal. Even I was world class once, for a silent but deadly one dropped in a lift going up 16 floors. Although modesty made me refuse to accept the credit.

I don't think anybody ever considered Barnes or Owen World Class, Messi and Ronaldo yes. However, you could argue the goals you mention above were. There's a difference between somebody being world class or something they once did being world class.

Indeed. Just about everyone who has played the game has looked world class in one game or another. If you only do it a couple of times per season it counts for nothing.

Agreed.Hock should have been World Class, and everything about his game when he is actually on the pitch and just playing consistent RL suggests he is worthy of being put in that bracket, but those days are more and more fleeting now and all the baggage he has brought on himself over the last few years which should have been the prime of his career leaves him firmly in the category of a player who never maximised his talent.He is in his 30's now and should have a boatload of international caps and personal awards but it wasn't to be and only one person to blame.

Hopefully he can leave a decent footnote on his career with his time at Leigh but the days of 'the World Class Hock' have passed, if they ever existed imo.

Messi and Ronaldo are great players because they play in a dire league full of dire teams. Ronaldo was a lot better playing in the Premier League because it was a more difficult league and 6-0, 7-0, 9-1 scorelines and not a regular occurance in the PL unlike La Liga.

As the old addage goes, I'd like to see if Messi could do it on a cold, wet, Wednesday night in Stoke......

As for Hock, he's had plenty of chances to become world class, but the only thing that has shone is his idiocy. His off field and on field antics have tained his career and it's gotten to the point that no-one wants to take a punt on him, apart from a team in the CHampionship.

Vic Mauro and Liam Foran ?

Its only a matter of time before he does something stupid again.

That would imply that you have to be arguably the best player in the world to be world class? Is that the case? Is only the golden boot winner world class, or mearly just the 13 players picked in a world select team?

Definition: "of international standard", well, Hock certainly used to fit that definition and at his best was close to unplayable.

For warrington the answer is a four letter word beginning with A. For Salford it seems there is a greater team spirit in the dressing room than there was after the Saints game.

That's what supporters of every team he goes to say - until it's not.

Having Hock play for your team is akin to being in an abusive relationship - he does nice things every now and again to keep you hooked, but he will absolutely positively, definitely, without a shadow of a doubt, hit you again. That's why he's not world class - he is deeply flawed.

Massive game for Salford this week.
Defending their good home form against Leeds.

Last one in to celebrate gets fined type of team spirit

I would fancy our chances if we weren't missing Chase, Hauraki, J.Griffin, Paterson, Lee and the Walne brothers.