Quote: The Ghost of '99 "There's some serious re-writing of history going on here.
The players who became part of the Golden Generation were doubted all the time they were kids, with constant demands to get the chequebook out.
And the idea that when Dunemann signed it wasn't greeted with derision on here/Rivals/wherever we were then. Well, as Jeff would have said BWAHAHAHAHA.'"
Seconded.
A lot of people thought Connolly was too old when he was signed, but were proven wrong (we still didn't win owt with him).
Dunemann was seen as potential backward step even if he had done well at Halifax - don't forget Iestyn Harris was still a not too distant memory as a superstar half-back and we'd already had one failed replacement attempt in Ben Walker.
Adamson was heralded as a good signing and was popular in his first season or so, until being exposed by the southstander intelligentsia as a bit of a cheerleader in 2004. Did he really need to play with the titanium plate in his cheek in the 2003 CC semi? A bit like Senior in the 2005 CC (a moment which arguably ruined our potentially greatest year that never was, but I digress), sometimes ego seemed to get the better of some of these players.
McDonald and Feather were project signings - the Kirke and Achurch of the day. We all hoped they would make it but it wasn't to be. Well, at least Kirke picked up a few GF rings
Plenty of the younger players received tons of stick before they made it - not least JJB and Calderwood.