Players like Briers, Morley et al have always generated a fear factor. They are players that other teams hate to love, either because they are exceptional players and are a constant worry because of their skill, or they are just a niggly kind of player who get under the oppositions skin to great effect. A player you never particularly like, but could not argue that you would want them in your team.



Since I started watching SL in 95/96, there are a few players who I would have loved to see play for us despite never liking them. How about you?



1) Andy Farrell- AKA PanFace. Hated the pan faced idiot, but he was a great player and had it all, including great leadership skills on the field. I honestly don't think Wigan recovered from losing him til 2010.

2) Keiron Cunningham- Fat, round, out of shape head - he didnt even look like a modern day rugby player - He should have been e, so why did he have to be so good?! I am damn glad to see the back of KC but would have loved to watch him play for my Wire. I dreaded watching him play against us every time.

3) Terry Newton- Like Farrell, I really disliked his niggly, sometimes damn right dirty style of play but you always got the impression that he knew exactly what buttons to press to engage other players and was exactly the kind of player you like to see in your pack.

4) Bobbie Goulding - I used to dread the fletcher enders goading him. WHOEVER he played for, WHATEVER he was going through personally, he seemed to reserve a special place for in his heart for us and made us look damn stupid on most occasions.

5) Brett Dallas - Dont ask why on this one, maybe it was because he looked so much like a rat or perhaps he was just bloody good. I thought he was an exceptional winger and my heart sank everytime he got the ball against us. Genuine speed merchant but with brute power.

can i not just have hate to hate, like the march brothers

That would be a thread called Shite and Hate. Although I do agree.

In that list would also be the likes of Stuart Littler, Carl Ablett, and many many more.

alright, we'll leave that for a seperate thread.

The Wigan team of the late 80's & early 90's as a collective. When they went Pro and the rest of us were amateur. Class running through the side, great to watch when not playing your side but how can you actually love Shaun Edwards unless you are a massive lord of the rings fan

MArk Aston, the only player i ever heard referred to in the fletch by the same sweary noun by every man or father figure.



" house"

Ellery Hanley



You didn`t hate him as a person but none the less he was one of those players you loved to hate simply because of how good he was as a player, similar to Martin Offiah.



Hanley was also one of the finest referees ive ever seen, he got very few decisions wrong.

Lesley Vainikolo... With his silly fat head and dodgy hairdo, and the fact that im sure he is/was some kind of genetically modified winger. Nuff said.



Oh, and Paul Sculthorpe, irritatingly deep voice and always managed to be injured...except against Warrington

From a Wiganers point of view :



Lee Briers – can’t stand the bar steward but a very good player who has the knack of winding the opposition fans up. IE Running backwards at the end of the game at the DW last season.



Les Boyd – dirty git, but boy was he good.



Andy Greg – when he played for you. I remember standing behind the sticks at Wilderspool with everyone chanting “Andy Gregory you’re a %^$er” (we are all so fickle aren’t we) and he just raised his hand to his ear.



Sean Long – purely because he got away, plus he needed a haircut for 90% of his career



Keith Senior – not quite as good nowadays, but just pure annoying. Plus he played for Sheffield when they beat us at Wembley.



Kerion Cunningham - already covered by wirefan above.



Could quite easily go on and on. Good thread.



From my perspective I guess Wigan players I imagine who would fall into the category – Shaun Edwards, Dean Bell, Offiah, Sam/Joel Tomkins, Kelvin Skerritt?

Tomkins (sam) will be I think given time. I didn't get to see the good side of offiah and Edwards or Hanley for that matter.



I'll add Henry and Robbie Paul as a Bulls duo to my original list too.

As mentioned, Sean Long by a long long way!

Paul Bishop - need I say more, untalented, arrogant hit and run merchant.