Spot on. Loads of players down the years have had a "reputation" - my first memories of watching Widnes include Jim Mills. Hindsight tells us he was a 'hard man' - many of his actions were just thuggish, but he was on my team and he was a winner and I loved him. More recently I've been watching Toa Kohe Love in a Widnes shirt - never averse to a 'cheap shot', but again, a great player to have in your team. I dare say a look back at Barrie Mac's career involves some shockers - but a nicer man off the field it would be hard to meet.

Tez made a huge mistake with the drugs thing, but he got caught and was serving his punishment as per the worldwide code on drugs. There's a few others around the game who have come back from a ban and got on with it, it's a crying shame Tez couldn't do the same.

So, I think it's right that the RL family show's it's respect for his career and him as a human being. Anyone who disturbs a minutes silence for him should not be welcome at an RL game. If you are strongly moralistic around drugs and don't agree with the silence then fine, but during it is not the time to make your point. Tez's wife and kids may even be watching - or will certainly get to hear about it. Before you boo or make a noise, think of them and how they would feel. Show some respect - it costs nothing, even if you hated him in life.

thats the real risk - the reaction of the Saints fans. and i agree, it will reflect badly on the game as a whole.

The decision is just pure stupidity from the RFL. There will be thousands of drunken young lads at the game. It's just a receipe for disaster.

If the minutes silence is disrupted on mass the atmosphere is going to become VERY nasty. The whole event could be ruined by it. The family and friends of Newton will be upset and angered by it, the Wigan fans will react badly and those decent Saints fans around those who do abuse the minutes silence will be put in a bad position as well.

Why not respectfully put a note in the programme and leave it at that?

I just hope they don't dwell on his passing and that our fans can behave in a respectful manner and that especially there is no chanting Saints fans' favourite ditty about Newton.

Very well said

I do question the minute silence before this match, but I do so for the players that are about to play. A lot of Saints and Wigan players have played and trained with Terry and a lot considered him to be a friend. Considering the circumstances and manner of his death I think a minute's silence in front of 80k could be a bit much for those players.

Nevertheless, though many did not like Terry on the field, he is, with Lowes and Cunningham, one of the three best British Hookers of the Super League era. It is this, the thoughts of his family and the tragic situation that very much involved our sport that we remember at Old Trafford.

Well said bud!

If there is to be a minute's silence before the GF, why not make it for all the members of the rugby league family who have been lost over the last 12 months - the likes of John Holmes and Gary Purdham for example as well as Newton?

Andy, I totally agree with your sentiments. Our showpiece occasion should remember those players who have died with perhaps a small video tribute on the big screen prior to the players coming out onto the field.

It will remind people of how those players contributed to the game and will allow fans of all clubs who attend this to pay respects to players from their own clubs and beyond.

This is a tough game and players put themselves on the line often for little financial gain (especially in the lower leagues), but respect to anyone who will take 40 drives and be pummelled into the ground more often than not.

I really hope that this silence is observed, for the memories Terry newton gave us all, were sometimes good sometimes bad, but always Terry Newton.

I hope that for 1 minute people could just respect the fact he is no longer with us and honour his memory with a fitting tribute to a great rugby player.