I’m bored today , how about a hard British team, and why for each player ...

1) Hardaker (always puts his body on the line, tackles anyone who breaks the line)
2) Gaz Raynor (always just seemed pretty tough to me)
3) Chev walker ( was tougher than most blokes at 16!)
4) Senior
5) Dom Manfredi ( strong as an ox and amazing that he’s making another comeback )
6) Sinfield ( how did he play on and win us a Grand Final after being knocked out?
7) Burrow


Morley (bossed in NRL)
9) Micky Mac ( hardly flinched after fracture dislocation to ankle)
10) Peacock (warrior)
11) Gaz Ellis ( made of granite)
12) Andy Farrell ( monster of a man)
13) Lockers ( so so tough in defence)

Interchange
14) Fielden ( was untouchable at one time )
15) Sam Burgess ( again NRL hard man)
16) Cunningham ( an absolute beast)
17) Kylie ( don’t run at him)

Coach - Brian Mac

If we are doing teams of people you’ve actually seen play:

Hampson
Drummond
Carroll
Senior
Gill
Hanley
Cooper
Skerrett
McIlorum
Barrie Mac
Ellis
Morley
Sam Burgess

1. Wellens
2. Charnley
3. Senior
4. Newlove
5. Hall
6. Sinfield
7. Long
8. Morley
9. Newton
10. Barrie McDermott
11. G Ellis
12. A Farrell
13. S Burgess
14. Mcllorum
15. Peacock
16. Graham
17. O’Loughlin

I used to love watching Gaz Ellis tackle. When he hit someone, it was like they run full tilt into a brick wall.

I think i'd have Lager in the fullback berth.

David Barnhill

Its hard to say who's the toughest when only an observer but from the older ex pro's ive spoken to the name that usually most was mentioned is Malcolm Reilly.

Looking back, my memories of tough players would include

1. Derek Turner. You would just not cross that guy or he would make sure you ended up in the treatment room
2. Vince Karalius. A scrapyard owner who had no need for a car crusher.
3. Jim Mills. Tough, hard, skilful......a smiling assassin.

Kurt Sorenson
Jim Mills
Adrian Morely

will probably think of a few more as the day goes on

adrian vowles was hard for his size. remember his punch on lowes, and knocking a barnstorming vainakolo into row z at valley parade

Keith Senior.
Kylie Leuluai.
Jamie Peacock.

Trevor Skerrett
Roy Dickinson
Des Drummond

1, Kurt Sorenson (predominantly played in Uk)
2, Steve "Knocker" Norton
3, Adrian Morley

Australia/New Zealand
1, Paul Harrigan
2, Glen Lazarous
3, Les Boyd

Of those not mentioned Kevin Ward and Karl Fairbank plus Tony Fisher

Maybe the Legend John Holmes for all the late hits he recieved

Hard to say who whos the toughest but easy to say Tonie Carroll isnt one of the team. Jeez how the hell have people mentioned him in this thread?

Kevin Tamati, Les Boyd and Sorensen.

It's interesting to see pretty much entirely forwards in the list of "toughest" players. Forgetting of course that backs had to play against these thugs usually with a massive size disadvantage. It's why I included Drummond. Nobody f******d with him, despite him playing in "less enlightened" times. I could also include Kevin Dick, Sid Hynes, Alan Smith, George Fairbairn, Daryl Powell, etc.

Led Boyd was a disgrace. He may have been tough but he rightfully got banned out of the game here in Aus. Unbelievable how some Wire fans saw him as a cult figure but were seemingly horrified by Bailey signing for them.

That he was. Shame because he could have been a great player had he just played rugby. Fast, great ball skills and a destructive wide running second row.

Boyd was a prop mainly, he was a disgrace and a thug, but was very tough as well, and was a great player but should gave been an sllrine great.

Was originally a pacy back row forward. Was selected as a back row for the '82 Kangaroo tour.

All th 82 kangaroos looked paced compaied to over here at the time Craig young etc another prop looked faster than most our backs.

Toughness was different in those days were a punch wouldn’t necessarily get you sent off and head high tackles were almost routine

Saw Roy Dickinson get in a fight and knock Les Gorley out at HQ during one particularly bad tempered game against Widnes (which is saying something). Gorley was stretchered off and I think Roy was given a stern talking to. I seem to remember the first thing Kevin Dick used to do when we played Widnes was punch Andy Gregory. Dick was not the most gifted half back but he could make anyone playing against him have a stinker - even did it to Peter Sterling when he was at Hull. Mostly by thumping them at every opportunity.

The introduction of the 10 minute sin bin hardly helped as nobody got sent off at all for fighting.

Brian McTigue, nobody messed with him. I was on a supporters tour to Aus with Alex Murphy and he said McTigue was the toughest he had ever played with or against.

Tommy Leuluai must be a good shout from the modern era.

I was at the Widnes game dhm remembers. Gorley and Prescott spent the whole game high tackling our playmakers until Roy ended it. The only other punch I saw Roy throw broke John Dalgrern's jaw vs Fulham.

Incidentally the Widnes game was Roy Powell's debut.