The best Cross-Code Players XIII

[Mumby Magic]

With tragic passing of Inga Tuigamala recently and people placing him as one of the greatest Cross-Code Players of all time got me thinking.....

Plus you all know I like a good XIII list. This can be moving either way too. I'll get me thinking cap on and give you mine soon.

[Mumby Magic]

FB J. Davies 

RW J. Robinson 

RC Inga 

LC Tuquiri 

LW Offiah

SO 

SH 

P 

H 

P 

SR SBW 

SR T.Foster

LF 

I know I'll have missed some obvious ones particular from the past but I've only had 5 mins to think.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FearTheVee]

Luther Burrell captain

[EastLondonMike]

Ricky Stuart started off in RU. Wouldn't be a bad option for 7. If just having played RU is the qualification you can also have Gary Connolly, Henry Paul, RTS, Benji Marshall, Wendell Sailor, Mark Gasnier.. 

[Davo5]

1.J.Davies

2.M.Offiah

3.D.Messenger

4.V.Tuigamala

5.B.Boston

6.A.Summons

7.R.Stuart

8.J.Mills

9.J.Gray

10.R.Mossop

11.A.Perelini

12.E.Koloto

13.R.Price

I’ve only included players who came from the dark side.

[Mr Frisky]

Andy Powell - Prop!

[headtackle]

Van Vollenhoven on the wing

 

[Futtocks]

A lot of competition in the backs, harder to find real contenders in the forwards. Here's a tentative selection:

Fullback: Puig-Aubert
Wings: Billy Boston & Martin Offiah
Centres: Inga & Jiffy
Halfbacks: Arthur Summons, Ricky Stuart
Hooker: Craig Gower, maybe?
Props: Apollo Perelini, Scott Quinnell (in his last RL season form)
Second Rows: Jean Galia, Dave Valentine
Loose Forward: Ray Price

[headtackle]

Sure Saints signed a Union prop in the 60s. Name does not come to mind but think he was from Coventry and answered an advert in the paper

if team short of forwards could include Stuart Evans (Wales RU late 80s) and Fasavalu (Samoa)

Scott Gibbs in the centre ?

[White Chevron on Blue]

Prop- Cliff Watson

[headtackle]

That’s the one.  

[Jim Prendle]

Nick Du Toit on the bench.

 

[The storm]

2 hours ago, Davo5 said:

1.J.Davies

2.M.Offiah

3.D.Messenger

4.V.Tuigamala

5.B.Boston

6.A.Summons

7.R.Stuart

8.J.Mills

9.J.Gray

10.R.Mossop

11.A.Perelini

12.E.Koloto

13.R.Price

I’ve only included players who came from the dark side.

Very good selections

[Tom Moore]

British Only, Union to League

Bev Risman

Billy Boston

Lewis Jones

Allan Bateman 

Martin Offiah

Jonathan Davies

Jonathan Griffiths

Cliff Watson 

John Gray

Mike Coulman

Ben Gronow

Trevor Foster 

Dave Valentine 

 

[headtackle]

Ray French ?

[koli]

10 minutes ago, headtackle said:

Ray French ?

I think you have to make a distinction between people who signed from RU but grew up in RL areas and those with no prior direct exposure to the game.

[Davo5]

1 minute ago, koli said:

I think you have to make a distinction between people who signed from RU but grew up in RL areas and those with no prior direct exposure to the game.

Why 

[HullWire]

2 hours ago, headtackle said:

Sure Saints signed a Union prop in the 60s. Name does not come to mind but think he was from Coventry and answered an advert in the paper

if team short of forwards could include Stuart Evans (Wales RU late 80s) and Fasavalu (Samoa)

Scott Gibbs in the centre ?

I think you would have to be very short before including Stuart Evans. I could never understand how he was on the pitch  and it looked like he had the same opinion

[bobbruce]

I’m only doing players that started in union and came over. Rather than people like Robinson or Farrell who went the other way

1/ Davies

2/ Offiah

3/ Tuigamala

4/ Boston

5/ Van Vollenhoven

6/ Jones

7/  Botica

8/ Watson

9/ Stuart

10/ Mills

11/ Quinnell

12/ Mantle

13/ Price

Had to shoe horn Offiah Boston and TVV in somehow. 

[RBKnight]

How does "League to Union back to League then back to Union" fit in ? If you're looking for a forward, then Brad Thorn is your man :-

1994-2000 Three premierships with the Brisbane Broncos, SoO and Kangaroo caps

2001-2004 To Union with Canterbury in NZ - 12 All-Black caps - played in 2003 RUWC

2005-2007 Back to the Broncos, another Premiership in 2006. He also played all three SoO games for Queensland in 2005

2008-2015 - back to Union, another Super Rugby title, RUWC winner in 2011 - won the Heineken Cup with Leinster in 2012

That's some career.......

 

[koli]

32 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

Why 

Because it’s a very different proposition.Ray French as an example watched Saints from a young age,played touch in the street n park,probably played for his primary school and maybe some amateur RL as a teenager.So familiar with the game and of course the region.

A Welsh convert needed to move geographically to an area he was unfamiliar with to play a game that he’d probably only ever seen on TV.

 

 

[TheFlash]

1 John Gallagher 

2 Gareth Thomas

3 Luther Burrell 

4  Steve Diamond

5 Jim Fallon/Nigel Heslop

6 Gary Pearce

7 Terry Holmes

8 Stuart Evans

9 Paul John

10 Tony D'Arcy/Dai Young

11 Shem Tatupu

12 Garrick Morgan

13 Andy Powell 

Coach: Balmain legend Alan Jones would surely get a tune out of this star studded lineup. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bring back the Boyd]

Alan Tait

Martin Offiah

Alan Bateman 

Inga

John Bevan

Jiffy

Kevin Ellis

Rowland Phillips

Jonathan Griffiths

Mark Jones

Scott Quinell

Paul Moriaty

David Bishop 

 

[Pigeon Lofter]

No mention of David Watkins yet.

Or George Fairburn.

Both legends.

[League of XIII]

Sam Burgess - centre