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Class Player RIP Mick Adams

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Class footage from that game, way before my time, but the quality of the passing and tackling is top notch

Forward pass
Winger chickens out of diving for the corner
Leeds hit an awful drop out
Winger bombs another certain try
After repeated possession near the line they only score off a fluke deflection off the posts

Is this what was so good about the 80's? All the above would be slated in a match played today.

At that speed tackling was easier as was passing - although the technique for both was much better in those days

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Condolences to his family. 65 is no age.

Some observations from that footage:

Terrible wing play from Stuart Wright, hard to believe that he was a GB winger. Atkinson was all at sea in defence, but that wasn't exactly uncommon. Alan Smith on the other hand showing how it's done.

The scrums were shocking, I don't think the ball even made it in.

The worst 5 minutes of Devon Dick'scareer?

Some very dodgy PTBs in there, from Gregory especially.

The DHs didn't seem to be able to pass the ball right without turning their back to defence. Myler had a superb pair of hands, though.

Ray French's commentary was ridiculously biased.

How old was he? Watching the match like I watched it yesterday. Nostalgia I guess, but the game did seem much better those days and unpredictable with 'contested' scrums ..John Holmes, Les Dyl, Dave Heron, Kevin Dick, Neil Hague...all my "heroes". Never won a bloody thing though

I might have been bit by the old nostalgia bug, been constantly lectured on how things were better in the old days , it just seemed a better quality of contest, bit more random like you said, you get plenty of forward passes today so that can't be used as a measure tool.

I agree there not the athletes of today but there just seems more effort, urgency, variation than what I'm used to when watching the bulk of Super League matches.

Yeah have to agree Myler looked an handful, whose academies (or equivalent) produced the best players back then?

That game was the cruellest defeat I have ever seen. A fair few of that Leeds team were past their sell by date but Holmes and ward and a few others ran their blood to water.

The following Wednesday night Leeds played Widnes at home in the league and Adams landed another bomb on the bar and they scored again. Tony Binder was at full back that night

Good footballer and a sad loss.

It was a different game back then. Part time players, nowhere near the organisation, fitness or defence of today.

It was far less structured so you saw more chancing the arm and throwing it about. Plus contested and random scrums meant you could get the ball back if you knocked on or threw a forward pass. Play the balls were random as well.

Players had more space.

I think it was more entertaining but the modern game is On a different level.

Nobody had heard of an academy

Teams had Colts, which was the U19s. It should also be pointed out that the very next year saw the arrival of the Kangaroos, who showed how far behind we were - much further than today.

I was abroad by 82 so didn't see the game for a few years.
I remember Adams from earlier days. I believe I have his autograph on a 77 CC final programme signed by everyone who played. I'll have to look it out.
Condolences to his friends and family.

As for wingers bottling it, I suspect many of today's crop would too, were they faced with the industrial tackling techniques they'd have faced then.

Mick was my hero as a lad growing up in Widnes, he had everything, good hands, a great kicking game, was as tough as teak and always played fair.

A sad loss.

As for people saying Wright bottled it in the corner, don't forget in those days you couldn't dive and take out the corner stick while scoring as you can now.