He's not in the same class as Mick Shoebottom, John Holmes or Garry Schofield either and they all played for Leeds. Despite that, you'll still get a few chomps on this forum.

Were Alex Murphy's laces particularly complicated then?

Alex Murphy - the finest English player I have ever seen live.

Did he play in the NRL? can't have been that good.

Seriously though, I only got the back end of his career, but I have seen quite a few players who were his equal and better, great player though he was.

Id turn down a knighthood unless it meant I could travel by helicopter everywhere and get free Burger Kings and have an old well travelled tour guide sorta person. Who knew loads about the places we travelled. We'd fly to Brussels in my chopper, we'd look around see all the sights, he could tell me all about the sights cos he's really smart & knowledgable, but eventually I'd say 'Give it a rest Jim eh? You're boring me now mate' and we'd go and get a pint somewhere.

I'd buy a local beer, sit it down with Jim, he'd have a wine or something boring like a tea. I'd say 'This beer is well nice' he'd say 'Whats it called?' 'Erm... It's called Laprau' then Jim would say 'Ahhh Laprau, first brewed in 1866...' I would just be ready to tell him to shut up and he'd laugh and say 'Only joking ya plonker!' We'd laugh together about it for years.

He was one serious player - he had great skill, a brilliant rugby brain and a turn of pace that was electric.

Plus he played in the days where gratuitous violence on the field was positively encouraged.

And he was brilliant on the radio on the way home from games in the early 90s. Never has so much swearing been so consistently accomplished on a Sunday tea time on a BBC broadcast.

As a player, sadly, I've seen video footage, but is firmly in the "before my time" files.

I can accept and understand St Helens fans waxing lyrical about Alex Murphy,but Leigh fans not really.He made his name and was at his best at Saints

Double knot with a sheepshank flourish, only Alex Murphy could tie them, when he was conscious of course.

I like the sound of Jim, can I borrow him on the days when you aren't helicoptering all over the world, there are bits of Armley that I don't understand and I think he'd be useful.

I am not a Leigh supporter just a supporter of Rugby League for over 50 years who thinks today's players including Sir Kevin Sinfield are well overrated.

I find, in the modern era, nostalgia isn't as good as it used to be.

Seriously ?

I think that in every era you will find a genius in the game and I'm not for arguing that Alex Murphy wasn't one of them, but to extend the argument across the decades and try and maintain that the likes of Sam Tomkins, Kevin Sinfield etc etc are "well overrated" is strange - well overrated by who, do they just get more press coverage ?

Old dude in "Everything wa' better in my day" shocker!