Best Uncapped Players Ever

[Bleep1673 1,846]

3 minutes ago, RS said:

Reg Bowden he won the lot domestically 

But then he was the first player to sign for Fulham.

[Barry Badrinath 338]

3 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

Houghton has been unlucky to have a lot of very good hookers around at the same time. Still think he is better than Hodgson though!

nah, i doubt most coaches tip sheets have an awful lot of details stopping houghton in attack.

 

He's not someone i've ever thought when playing warrington he's ripping us apart.  Similar with morgan smithies now, tackle machine, but not much going forward.

[Tommygilf 8,128]

Just now, Barry Badrinath said:

nah, i doubt most coaches tip sheets have an awful lot of details stopping houghton in attack.

 

He's not someone i've ever thought when playing warrington he's ripping us apart.  Similar with morgan smithies now, tackle machine, but not much going forward.

I think the point is that in another era with less high quality competition he'd have probably got more opportunities. 

He's had Roby in front of him consistently alongside an occasional inclusion of McIlorum at the start of the last decade then Daryl Clark and just as he's coming to the fore Hodgson goes to the NRL and goes from decent Super League player to automatic England pick. Likewise McShane then emerges at Cas under Powell as the most talked about hooker and even now Houghton is probably behind the likes of Leeming and Dwyer at Leeds looking at an England call up.

He's been very Roby-esque (though I agree less attack minded) and, for want of a better term, has flown under the radar really - in fact he epitomises the "sleeping giant" that is Hull FC. He's a good player playing in a side that is good but not spectacular - meaning he neither gets the benefit of being in a top side (and therefore more likely to be selected) or being a shining light in a less fancied side.

[Marauder 1,048]

On 02/03/2021 at 21:30, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

If Irish International Tommy Martyn counts then surely so does Scotland International Danny Brough. 

And Scotland International Martin Ketteridge.

[Dave T 18,911]

Should clarify that Lee Briers did play for GB once - in 2001 versus France in a full Test match, partnered Paul Deacon, in a strong team that won 42 v 12.

I'm also not sure we should count players like that who played for Wales 20 times, with many of them full on Test matches and World Cup games. 

He was an excellent player who had a good international career.

[Marauder 1,048]

17 minutes ago, Barry Badrinath said:

nah, i doubt most coaches tip sheets have an awful lot of details stopping houghton in attack.

 

He's not someone i've ever thought when playing warrington he's ripping us apart.  Similar with morgan smithies now, tackle machine, but not much going forward.

Houghton is brilliant at what he does and better than most at what he does do best, if he had the electric pace (That you obviously think is the everything for a hooker) he would be up their with the best in the world.

[Davo5 5,502]

Whitehaven centre David Seeds had everything needed to be an international but work commitments kept him part time in the Championship.

[Marauder 1,048]

11 hours ago, Bring back the Boyd said:

Phil Mackenzie is a good shout

Mark Preston

Mark Roberts— don’t think I’ve seen a faster 2nd row forward 

Gary Sanderson 

Lee Briers and Tommy Martyn should have featured for GB

Phil Blake

Denny Solomona 

Jon Roper

Don’t think I’ve seen a faster 2nd row forward Phil Lowe

[Barry Badrinath 338]

1 hour ago, Marauder said:

Houghton is brilliant at what he does and better than most at what he does do best, if he had the electric pace (That you obviously think is the everything for a hooker) he would be up their with the best in the world.

i never said anything about pace

[del capo 462]

11 hours ago, latchford albion said:

Parry Gordon.

Parry was handed a cap towards the end of his great career. He played against PNG coming on as a sub in Port Moresby in 1975.

[Marauder 1,048]

7 hours ago, Barry Badrinath said:

i never said anything about pace

Apart from pace what does he lack ? 

[Tommygilf 8,128]

Just now, Marauder said:

Apart from pace what does he lack ? 

Well he doesn't strike me as the most inventive attacking dummy half, that said Hull don't strike me as the most inventive attacking team

[The Frying Scotsman 275]

9 hours ago, Marauder said:

And Scotland International Martin Ketteridge.

Best uncapped player? Really?

[arcticchris 204]

22 hours ago, EastLondonMike said:

Did Martyn Wood not get a game for England? I'm sure I remember him playing at least one game back in the day. Maybe it was even 7's or9's?

Not mentioned on his Wikipedia page though I accept it’s not entirely reliable as a source.

[arcticchris 204]

9 hours ago, Davo5 said:

Whitehaven centre David Seeds had everything needed to be an international but work commitments kept him part time in the Championship.

Whitehaven had a cracking team in that era with plenty who could have made it in super league but I suppose the stability of combining top end championship with good steady jobs at Sellafield Nuclear Plant made it a tough decision for people to take the risk on going full time with rugby.

[TheYoungBaron 66]

10 hours ago, Marauder said:

And Scotland International Martin Ketteridge.

Errrr, give yer head a shek....beats up a 7 stone lass working the taxis in cas....send him back to Donny....All mouth no action 

 

[Damien 13,390]

On 03/03/2021 at 23:35, Wellsy4HullFC said:

England, but second tier to Great Britain at the time so not a full cap.

Cooke was someone I thought about.

Danny Houghton, former Man of Steel, is another that should have had a shot.

Cooke had all the talent in the world but never fulfilled it in my opinion.

On Houghton, unfortunately for him he had some pretty tough competition. As good as player as he was I never thought of him as good as Roby or Clark.

[Marauder 1,048]

14 hours ago, TheYoungBaron said:

Errrr, give yer head a shek....beats up a 7 stone lass working the taxis in cas....send him back to Donny....All mouth no action 

 

Heard about the taxi rank incident but not the in's and out's, but I've also heard about the day he walked into the Fryston Hotel and when he flattened Kelvin, not once but twice, I was witness to when he levelled Nikau near the Roundel.  

[Marauder 1,048]

15 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

Well he doesn't strike me as the most inventive attacking dummy half, that said Hull don't strike me as the most inventive attacking team

Apart from dummy half running how many 9's are inventive these days ?

[GaryHall 111]

Geoff Pryce and Gary Smith would have been capped if they had been with a more fashionable club that York.

[Tommygilf 8,128]

1 hour ago, Marauder said:

Apart from dummy half running how many 9's are inventive these days ?

I think that is a bit harsh tbh mate, Mcshane strikes me as the obvious example of a 9 come 6 and the kicking games of hookers like Roby are great additions to their teams. Some clubs also play with 2 9s on the pitch at certain points in games too.

[The storm 200]

Steve Pitchford - Leeds 

 

[Szymala 26]

1 hour ago, The storm said:

Steve Pitchford - Leeds 

 

Played in the 1977 World Cup in Australia for GB, shortly after winning the Lance Todd Trophy.

[Moominman 12]

Arnold 'Boxer' Walker (former Workington and Whitehaven scrum half) was a far better player in the late 1970s and early 1980s than the one cap he earned.

[Moominman 12]

On 04/03/2021 at 12:51, Davo5 said:

Whitehaven centre David Seeds had everything needed to be an international but work commitments kept him part time in the Championship.

David Seeds was a real class act, who was clearly capable of playing at a higher level.

Scoring well over 200 tries as a centre in some good, average and on occasions poor Whitehaven sides is only a small reflection of the talent he had.