It was definitely Mick Joyce and not David Hick who was on the bench in the 68 Watersplash Final, largely because the big prop had scored a decisive try in a tough quarter-final at Oldham that year.

And Graham Eccles won a Championship Final in 72 and later added Cup winners medals from the 77 and 78 deciders at Wembley.

All 3 tries proved pretty decisive as Oldham manage a grand total of 0. Mick Joyce was also preferred on the bench to David Hick in the Semi Final V Wigan at Swinton as cover for Mick Clark who was nursing a hamstring injury.



He did indeed (as did David Ward) so thanks for that.

So, I'll try again:

57 CC - 61 CHP - Lewis Jones and Don Robinson

68 CC - 69 CHP - Bev Risman, Syd Hynes, Bernard Watson, John Atkinson, Mick Shoebottom, Barry Seabourne, Mick Clark, Tony Crosby, Ken Eyre, Bill Ramsey, Ray Batten, John Langley and Mick Joyce

72 CHP - 77 CC - Alan Smith, John Holmes, Les Dyl, David Ward, Graham Eccles and Phil Cookson

Now you know why this thread is approaching milestones rather than past ones.

When I said 'decisive' I really meant a rare and unusually long-distance touchdown for Mick Joyce. But, despite the 13-0 scoreline (from memory) it was a tough game in awful conditions, as it usually was at Watersheddings in those days.

I remember people saying things like 'Dave Hick's time will come again' when he was omitted for Joyce at Wembley - and it did....he was in the side hammered by Leigh at Wembley in 1971.

They said the same thing to Dave Heron, too, when he was omitted from the 77 Cup SF side that beat Saints 7-2 at Wigan, because he was due to play in a Colts international curtain-raiser that same day.

Heron, thus missed out on Wembley in 1977 and 1978, and must rank as one of the finest Leeds players never to grace the famous ground.

He was equally unlucky at international level, being thrust into the 1982 series against the greatest team of all-time, never to be sighted in a GB jersey again, despite being a class act throughout his lengthy career.

I would agree but IIRC Dave Heron was only just around the fringes those two Wembley winning seasons with first Stan Fearnley and then Mick Crane brought in for short spells to fill the loose forward role.



Dave Heron was a new type of loose forward and left most opposition backs in his wake. A Kevin Sinfield with pace, if you like.

And a fabulous moustache. Don;t forget that. It's a sadly lost part of our game.

On a related note, it was good to see Tansey reviving the headband on Friday. His had a very 'Zip Zap Rap!' look about it.

Louis Macarthy-Scarsbrook.



Jason Golden.

But he's about the only one.

Back in the day I'm sure you could get a pretty good world 13 of tached players.

Her's what I can think of, off the top of my head.

1. Ian Wilkinson
2. Carl Gibson
3. Gene Miles
4. Garry Schofield
5.
6. Cliff Lyons
7. Paul Harkin
8. Kevin Ward
9. Whichever Beardmore
10. Gene Miles
11.
12.
13. David Heron

Any suggestions for the missing, or changes?

Graeme Steadman for the wing berth?

Leeds first then (others)

1 - Ian Wilkinson (Harold Box)
2 - Andrew Smith (Andy Fletcher)
3 - Syd Hynes (John Joyner)
4 - Les Dyl (John Gilbert)
5 - Neil Hague (Stuart Wright)
6 - John Holmes (Steve Hartley)
7 - Kevin Dick (Steve Nash)
8 - Mick Harrison (Mick Gibbons)
9 - Tony Fisher (David Watkinson)
10 - Roy Dickinson (Brian Lockwood)
11 - Bill Ramsey (Bob Eccles)
12 - Bob Haigh (Phil Hogan)
13 - Ray Batten (Dave Heron at Bradford)

Coach: Marice Bamford (Alex Murphy)

Edit: Leeds wingers.... sort of and a couple of coaches added for good measure.

I wasn't suggesting Heron would have been in the Wembley starting line-up - obviously Fearnley and Crane were established at loose-forward - but he might well have won a place on the sub's bench ahead of Roy Dickinson as he did in earlier rounds.

He made a sensational entry to the Leeds team - scoring tries in his first two games on one weekend at Castleford (Fri) and Bradford (Sun) - and, as you say, was a new type of loose-forward with pace to burn.

Very unlucky not to skipper Leeds at Wembley in 1986 after Peter Fox's side was robbed by Hull KR in the drawn semi-final at Elland Road - oh for a video referee that day as winger David Laws virtually threw the ball over the line !!!

Heron scored some of the finest long-distance tries I've seen from a Leeds forward. And he was still playing for Bramley after turning 40.

Regarding the 'team of taches' how about Eric Grothe on one wing and Tonie Carroll at centre with Les Dyl on the wing ?

Or just go for Grothe and Tony Currie on the flanks.

Which would have been a shame missing out on the 'Dicko' strut out of the Wembley tunnel. Dave Heron's inclusion on the bench would have been useful in '77 with Stan Fearnley's shoulder going through it's oft repeated dislocation routine.



Leeds' inability to control a 12 man Rovers and needing a comeback of their own to secure the draw didn't help either.



He also scored the best disallowed try I ever saw. While Graham Eccles and Trevor Skerrett were busy with their introductions Heron was left to weave his way past several defenders (some of them twice) on a mazy run to the line over 70 odd yards. Pity it had to be chalked off with the double sending off.



I did consider working Neil Hague in there somewhere but the Hynes - Dyl combo tach was an awesome sight.

I was deliberately going/hoping for all British line ups though.

Do beards count??

It's a good question.

GCH is the judge (and given his facial hair I wouldn't dare prejudge the outcome) but personally speaking there should be no place for full sets in this category which for me excludes Neil Hunt, Eric Grothe, Andy Hay and JJB from consideration.

What about Andy 'Rambo' Smith from the mid-80s ?