The real scarey thing is how many of them had dodgy 'taches? Groves was a ginner as well which should have prevented him for representing GB.

Here's a tached XIII from that era of GB

Lydon
Drummond
Schofield
Loughlin
Ford
Hanley
B,Beardmore
Ward
Noble
Fieldhouse (Ginner too)
Dixon
Fairbank
Heron

Not a bad side. Harder to think of a Ginner XIII.

Thinking back to hookers in the 80s really illustrates how much the game has changed now. Back then you had to win ball in the scrum and those darts from dummy half weren't the be all and end all. IIRC the best hookers in the 80s in UK RL were Phil McKenzie and Kevin Beardmore. Both would more than hold their own nowadays.

OK, I read this earlier and I could barely watch tonight's game for the distraction of wondering... what's Graham Murray gotta do with the Bullies

Agree with all of that.

Before the eighties winning the ball and a solid tackling stint was pretty much everything for a number nine. Without a decent share of the ball you hadn't a chance of winning any game so if you couldn't do that basic element then you didn't play hooker, simple as.

I think it's fair to say that the better a hooker was at winning the ball the more he would be forgiven for other failings. It was when the referees stopped looking for scrum offences and started to pretty much allow possession to go with the put in that hooker became more an extra half back. I still have an admiration for the Bridges, Nobles and Stephensons (and their busted knees), we won't see their like again.

I/We managed one many years ago on VT. When my head clears a bit more I will have a think. Start with:

1. Radlinski

4. Kris Welham
11. Brad Meyers

is this ginner 13 a GB team?

if not then 2. Brett Dallas