Spot on Madders. It all depends which rules we're using when you pick these sides; modern rules and you'd pick a modern hooker, but when you needed to win possession (rather than have it 'handed over') you needed a Keith Bridges. Simple as. Same goes for props. We'll never know how, say Sam Burgess, would have handled having to help his hooker win the ball - nor will we ever know how much better in the loose such as Jeff Greyshon or Jimmy Thompson, might have been if they hadn't had to spend so much of their energy scrummaging. Would Jimmy Jimmy have been quite so energetic in open play if he'd had to bust a gut getting the ball? Would he have even cut the mustard as a number nine if his position in the side had depended on him winning the ball? How many extra tries would Dave Redfearn, for instance, have scored if he'd been given the try each time he hit the flag? It is endless.

Truth is there are many great players who have been overtaken by the rules and it's totally impossible to be fair in these comparisons.

I think when Jimmy came through as a junior he was a scrum half if I recall fully so I think that adds to the debate about his commitment to winning the ball in the scrum it was never his game even as a kid before the rules changed!!
out of curiosity... is noble high on the list more because of his coaching as I never saw him or bridges play really past comments seem to say bridges would have been the choice of old hooker?

I can remember us having the wing pairing of Mike Lamb and Dave Redfearn. In one season I think they had 30+ trys each. That's some going and they must follow Big Les and Vaikona as our second best wing pairing ever.

Nobby played during the transition period, so he saw both sides of hooking and did so well enough to be selected as GB captain, so his playing credentials are never in doubt. As a bloke who was just an out and out ball winner I'd have to go for Bridges, though we should never forget how important the open side prop was in that regard. A clever scrum half and a good prop and the battle was half won.

Ah yes Lamb and Redfern.I witnessed every try they scored in that season.

Talking of tough Bradford forwards,I nearly forgot Frank Foster the mighty Cumbrian.The rumour was that they wanted to drop Frank one week but nobody dare tell himicon_smile.gifSometimes Frank may have been a little over exuberant-lol.