Players You Were Most Disappointed In Losing From Your Club.

[The Rocket]

The Defection of David Fifita from the Titans to the Roosters brought back memories of players whose defection from St. George most stung me. Probably losing Steven Edge to the Eels in 1980 after he had captained us to a GF win in `79 was the one that most surprised and confused me as a kid, Michael O`Connor to Manly was another I remember being particularly disappointed with as well. 

Interested to hear other stories and your reactions to defections from your team or other teams as well.

 

[Just Browny]

Paul Sculthorpe leaving Warrington to Saints. A generational player: we needed the money at the time but that didn't make it any nicer seeing him go on to achieve his potential with a local rival.

[sam4731]

Kevin Naiqama. Not so much losing him but the fact that he said he was retiring.

[Ullman]

One stands out on his own.

Clive Sullivan.

[Chrispmartha]

Iestyn Harris.

Should never had gone to Union, wasted his prime years there.

[boris74]

Back in the eighties when Hull FC let Lee Crooks go to Leeds. Coming to the end of a successful decade of success, Lee was the cornerstone of our pack and leader - Mr Hull FC. The fact he didn't want to leave either made it doubly difficult to take!

[Vambo]

Terry Newton.

Got Higham instead 

[Dave T]

53 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

Paul Sculthorpe leaving Warrington to Saints. A generational player: we needed the money at the time but that didn't make it any nicer seeing him go on to achieve his potential with a local rival.

Beat me to it. Iestyn Harris was a particularly unsavoury one to, although I've never found him a likeable player he was absolute class. 

[Chrispmartha]

2 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Beat me to it. Iestyn Harris was a particularly unsavoury one to, although I've never found him a likeable player he was absolute class. 

He was untouchable for Leeds, the type of player that made everything look so effortless 

[Dave T]

11 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

He was untouchable for Leeds, the type of player that made everything look so effortless 

Could tell he was special even when playing for us as a kid. A step above. But he was a miserable git. 

[roversspud]

Steve Nash ! As a 13 year old I cried when he left Rovers to go to Salford. Best player I've seen on a regular basis live. He could do everything 

[ivans82]

Where to start  . After Towns Lancashire Cup Finals in the late 70`s the board for whatever reasons  (can1t all have been about money to sell half the Team ) . We lost Arnold Walker , Eddie Bowman , Les and Peter Gorley , those were the main backbone of the Team .

[wakeyranger]

Gareth Ellis. Can't blame for leaving wakey at the time though.

[Tonka]

Tuigamala to Union in 1996(?).  We’d spent 2 years getting him fit, then he was awesome, then Union went pro and bought him back.  Always thought he was box office and great for the sport, and Wigan.

[Lowdesert]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

Could tell he was special even when playing for us as a kid. A step above. But he was a miserable git. 

Similar with Sculthorpe coming through the academy.  No matter what plan we had to reduce his impact, he always shone.

[marklaspalmas]

Graham Steadman.

More than Deryck Fox and Paul Newlove which makes no sense, but there you go.

[Hanover XIII]

Offiah. Followed by the backbone of the late 80s early 90s team once financial realities began to bite after the 93 Cup final.

[Harry Stottle]

Des Drummond and John Woods both to Warrington, and in later years also Chris Hill to Warrington- grub of a club!

[Just Browny]

6 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Des Drummond and John Woods both to Warrington, and in later years also Chris Hill to Warrington- grub of a club!

Leigh Centurions Head Coach Ian Millward also added: “I am delighted for Chris. As the fans will testify he has developed all season and is ready for super league. It would not surprise me if in due course he won national recognition.

“Everybody here at Leigh Centurions wishes Chris well for the future. Quite rightly he is a firm favourite with the fans and never takes a backward step.”

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/chris-hill-signs-for-warrington

 

 

[Gooleboy]

2 hours ago, marklaspalmas said:

Graham Steadman.

More than Deryck Fox and Paul Newlove which makes no sense, but there you go.

Paul Newlove for me. Especially to Bradford. Saints was the right club for him.

[Barry Badrinath]

5 hours ago, Dave T said:

Beat me to it. Iestyn Harris was a particularly unsavoury one to, although I've never found him a likeable player he was absolute class. 

i was more bothered about sculthorpe going than harris,  i was unhappy about the harris departure but he was sort of replaced with briers, we never really replaced sculthorpe, in the short term (unless you really really like chris morley or brendan tuuta)

[Futtocks]

Shaun Edwards, although he had off-field reasons to head South at the time.

What he did after leaving Wigan showed he still had plenty to give.

[marklaspalmas]

2 hours ago, Gooleboy said:

Paul Newlove for me. Especially to Bradford. Saints was the right club for him.

Yeah. The move sideways to Odsal made no sense, but I guess that was the Peter Fox influence. Took him two years to work out his mistake.

[OMEGA]

David Topliss to Hull FC

Andy Kelly to Hull KR

Henry Paul to Wigan

Nigel Wright to Wigan

Ben Westwood to Warrington

Gareth Ellis to Leeds

Tom Johnstone to Catalan 

 

[daz39]

Going back to the 80's i'd say when Anthony Farrell let for Sheffield in a club record transfer, we desperately needed the money at the time, he was my 1st real RL hero.

My all time fave was Wally Gibson and i was heartbroken when he left for Oldham.

More recently i'd say Martin Gleeson, he was showing real signs of being the top class player he turned out to be and was a big loss to me.

Modern day, definitely Jake Wardle, he was turning into one of the best centres in the land, obviously it wasn't an ideal situation that led to his departure but i'd watched him from scholarship and seen his progression from a young age, still disappointing to not see him in Claret & Gold still.