BRIAN JULIFF was a well-established rugby union player in Wales when he accepted an offer to join Wakefield Trinity in 1978. He played at Wembley for Wakefield, Wigan and Halifax and won the league Championship with the latter in 1986. In a ten-year professional career, Juliff also featured briefly for Widnes and Castleford and won eight Wales caps.
If you could relive one day from your career, which would it be?
As a Halifax player, drawing with Featherstone to win the league in 1986. The hardest thing to win was the league. That day was incredible. We had a team of boys who had come together, including five of us from Wigan who hadn’t wanted to go full-time.
As a Welsh rugby union player, what were your opinions on Rugby League?
I absolutely loved it and watched all the games with my grandfather, and there were so many Welsh players. It was physical and there were good crowds, and I thought I wouldn’t mind having a go.
When did you start thinking about switching codes?
Wigan approached me when I was 18 or 19, but I turned them down. The approaches became regular. I turned down Widnes after playing one game for them against Wigan in which I scored, but it was too big a step. I was in the Wales ‘B’ squad and I’d been asked about my availability for a Lions Tour. I wasn’t going to look at Rugby League at that point. Then I pulled my hamstring and had to pull out of a Welsh trial. A few of us were back-ups to the great players in the Wales side. I missed out on the tour, and they got in. I thought my time had gone, and that’s when I hoped a Rugby League side would come in for me.
Why did you sign for Wakefield?
I’d seen This Sporting Life and their Boxing Day game against Leeds was always televised. I knew people up there. It was appealing. I liked their history and I still love the club. Anne and I got married that year. We had a new bungalow with a 100% mortgage. I went up to talk to them and to train with the team. I signed and got a substantial cheque. I woke up and thought, “What have a I done?” Then I looked at the cheque and felt better. It wiped out the mortgage. We invested in another house in Leeds, and it was a great start to married life for us.
You were the second man to play at Wembley for three different clubs. What do you remember of your first visit in 1979 when Trinity lost to Widnes?
Playing at Wembley was immense. When you’re in the tunnel, you can see the sun, and then you see all the club colours when you come out of the tunnel. It was the 50th anniversary of the first final being played there which was pretty special. We were a good running team with some fantastic players. I had been out for four or five weeks with an ankle injury and hadn’t done much training before Wembley. I felt guilty that Steve Tinker had come in for the semi-final and had done well, and that I came back for the final. I really enjoyed Wembley, but we were second best on the day.
Talk us through the best players.
Toppo (David Topliss) was an incredible player who I learned so much from. He quickly worked out what I was about, and he picked me out with some great balls. He taught me about the timing in coming onto the ball. He glided into gaps and went past people. Bill Ashurst was an amazing footballer, one of my favourite players. He taught me to come short off the touchline and hit gaps. He did more to convert me into a forward than anyone else. Keith Smith was another outstanding player. Trevor Skerrett and Graham Idle were great – always available for the ball. Graham never stopped tackling. Harold Box was a really physical fullback. Andy Fletcher had a great step. Alan McCurrie was a very underrated hooker who organised everything. The Rayne twins were superb. We had a very good side, but it was a shame it was broken up after Wembley.
Why did you sign for Wigan?
Wakefield were selling players like Toppo, the Raynes, Trevor, Graham and Alan. All my mates had been sold off, so it was inevitable I would go. I was listed at £30,000, but I didn’t want to leave, and I turned down Oldham the year before. I loved Wakefield – both the club and the city. Hull KR also came in. Bill went to Wigan as assistant coach, then they came in for me. Wigan had just got promoted. Gary Stephens and Mick Scott, great friends of mine, had gone there, and with Wakefield going nowhere, I knew I had to move. Central Park was a great place to play. I’m very proud to have played for Wigan. The team was still finding its way under Alex Murphy, but we won the John Player Trophy in 1983 against Leeds. I scored from a move with Scotty, which we used time and time again.
Wigan signed Shaun Edwards at 17 that season. What are your memories of him?
I used to go and warm up before training and warm down afterwards, as I was at the end of my career. The two players who always stayed out with me were Steve Hampson and Shaun. They were always prepared to do extra work. Shaun was an amazing professional and I have a lot of time for him.
On your second Wembley visit, Wigan lost 19-6 to Widnes in 1984. What went wrong?
Widnes were the cup kings in those days. I was in the second row that year and really enjoying it, alongside Scotty or Graeme West. Then I dislocated my shoulder about three weeks before Wembley. Colin Clarke, the assistant coach, was asked by Murph to test my shoulder, and he did me a real favour. He asked which shoulder was bad and then tested the other one so I could play! I was very nervous. I was fit to play, but the scrummaging was tough. Murph told me to go on and sort Kevin Tamati out. That was easier said than done! My memory was of Joe Lydon scoring a long-distance try and me running after him all the way to the line.
You scored a crucial try in the 1985 semi-final against Hull KR. Why didn’t you play in the classic final against Hull?
I’d broken my arm playing for Wales against England at Ebbw Vale and was out for about five months. I was still running and keeping fit, but out of the blue they picked me for the semi-final. I’d been playing most of the year in the second row, but they picked me on the right wing because John Ferguson had gone back home. I was just coming back to fitness. I got some early touches, and I was okay. The try was a work of art. Mike Ford chipped and regathered. Shaun Edwards went through and offloaded, and I just had to run it in. We’d signed Phil Ford, so I went back into the forwards. We played Hull a week before the final and I played loose forward. I was disappointed not to be in the 15 for Wembley, and I travelled as 16th man. Nick du Toit was picked as sub and didn’t come on. Colin Clarke has since told me it was an error not to have me on the bench.
Were you sorry to leave Wigan as they were clearly going places?
I was offered a contract to stay, and they wanted to move me back onto the wing, but I had a really good job and knew I couldn’t go full time at 34. It made no sense at all. I’d been knocked about in the pack because I was probably too light at 13st 10. Scotty and Gary had gone to Halifax, and when Chris Anderson came in for me, I thought, “Why not?” I still had plenty of rugby in me. I could play across the team. John Pendlebury was a great player, tough as old boots, and they also had Colin Whitfield from Wigan. We all travelled over together.
Did you expect them to compete so strongly with Wigan in 1985-86?
I knew we’d be difficult to beat. Chris was very clever and put together a team of boys with good attitudes. It didn’t surprise me that we did well. Training was great and it was a great place to be on matchdays.
Your third and last Wembley appearance brought you success in 1987. Did you have a moment of thinking the game was gone before Pendlebury tackled Mark Elia?
I was blindside prop and was running across from the scrum. I could see they had gone through the gap, and yes, I thought they were going to score, but John was clever and took the ball away. I did think he’d scored, but when we saw Mark had dropped it, we were elated. The celebrations were fantastic. Halifax had taken all the families down. They looked after everyone. It was a great occasion.
What were the highlights of your Wales career?
Playing against Australia at Ninian Park in 1982, even though we lost. We put up a good show in the first half, but they scored 30-odd in the end. It was great playing in Wales, and I loved playing in the second row.
What is the latest with Anne’s health?
Anne has myelofibrosis, which is a very rare form of blood cancer. She was told she would need a stem-cell transplant to treat her condition. The search for a stem-cell donor began five months ago, but a matching donor hasn’t yet been found. It was a massive shock to find out. It all started on holiday 12 years ago in Majorca. Anne was having headaches. She went blind in one eye. We went to the hospital when we got back. They sorted the headaches, but when they did a test, they found an abnormality in the blood. It was diagnosed as a rare form of leukaemia. Too many red blood cells were being produced. She’s such a positive person and we just got on with our lives. Then on a recent holiday, she complained about being fatigued, which is unlike Anne. That was the start of where we are today. Her haemoglobin levels were low and the condition had progressed to myelofibrosis. She’s been given a limited life span and that’s prompted us to try and find a match. Recently, she’s been well. The blood transfusions have stopped. She’s on new tablets which have been successful in America, and we have a fantastic professor who’s overseeing her case. Her haemoglobin is up and so are her energy levels.
How can someone go about finding out if they would be a suitable match for her?
They can go to anthonynolan.org and click on ‘Join The Register’. That has the details someone will need. The best match would be a young male athlete, and I’m in the best field to try and find that. We’ve been promoting Anthony Nolan in the hope of being able to find someone. If we find one, that would be great, and she would be able to have a stem-cell operation. That’s the only way we can extend her life.
