Jinking Jimmy

Frank Halliwell and Sid Fenton were the reserve wingers at Wigan in the late 1950s to 1961. Halliwell played in 53 games and Fenton in 38. They were the Wigan wingers in the 1960 Championship Final against Wakefield. Both were very good “reserves”.

“Like glue” was actually constantly pulling him back before he had the ball. Boston told Lake to swap wings when they came out for the second half but Burgess followed him over. When they swapped back Burgess followed Lake again. I don’t think he fancied doing the same thing to Boston.

Would any other team in that situation have allowed an “equaliser”?

I must admit that had St.Helens allowed Hull to score from the restart it would have been a tremendous sporting gesture.

I would love to be able conduct a poll of current and former professional players to find out what they would have done in the same situation.

Let’s imagine that this was the Challenge Cup Final and there are just a few seconds left. A player from the side that’s 2 points in front drops the ball close to his line because of injury. Does the other side do the gentlemanly thing and allow the game to be stopped and subsequently lose the game or do they take advantage of the situation and score a try that wins them the cup? Let’s have honest answers only please.

Yet some on this forum describe Hardaker, Joel Tomkins and others as thugs but they are not in the same league as Mills. There have been many instances of players who have history meeting up and having a beer but it doesn’t take away what occurred. “The game’s very different now” doesn’t make what happened ‘then” acceptable.

I don’t think John Greengrass thought he was “a brilliant bloke” when he was having 15 stitches in a head wound courtesy of the Mills studs.

It’s amazing how Jim Mills is described as a hard man and not a thug considering he was allegedly sent off 19 times and one of those was for stamping on the head of an opponent just after he had scored.

Even with Clubb available I would still argue that 2 additional experienced props are needed. Powell gives 100 per cent every game but doesn’t have that ability to cause problems from dummy half. Wigan will probably still win more games than they lose this season but even with everybody available do you really think they can take the top prize?

I made the point recently that Havard, Smithies and company in another era would have been playing A team rugby but now they are the among the mainstays of the pack. Wigan appear to be falling over themselves to re-sign the overrated George Williams when any spare money should surely be spent on a couple of decent, experienced props. If this result doesn’t make those in control sit up and think then nothing will.

You are obviously not at the game so how do you know that?

I remember “The Jimmy Birts Crisis” well.

Yes they did but I wouldn’t change my opinion of the current Wigan pack.

Havard, Partington, Byrne, Shorrocks and Smithies in another era would have been playing in the A team with one of them getting a game every few weeks. Now they are among the mainstays in the current pack and they are going to be found out in this type of game. Wigan lack an “enforcer” and also an impact player such as a Ben Murdoch-Masila. Smithies has got to learn that it’s not macho to be hitting players late and giving away penalties. Hull, like Leeds last year, played the conditions well and deserved to win.

Both Edwards and Hampson played their first game for Wigan against York at Central Park, 6th November, 1983.

Goodway must have had smelling salts on his boots because Cullen’s recovery was remarkable!

That sort of humour was commonplace in the eighties and of course still is today. It’s beyond belief that someone would react like that instead of laughing it off. Absolutely nothing wrong with it; give some, take some and enjoy the banter.

Substitutes were first used, I think, in the 64-65 season and the Wigan-Hunslet CCF was the first time at Wembley. The game was in many ways much harder then.

He was knocked unconscious and taken off in the 1963 CCF against Wakefield Trinity.

He was moved to full-back by coach Griff Jenkins who preferred Stan McLeod at stand-off. He played full back in the 1963 CCF against Wakefield Trinity; one of my favourite players.

Ray French again; “good ball” for a simple pass, followed by “better ball” for another simple pass.

Henderson Gill was a special player and a great character.

I think that was Green Vigo in 1977.