Don't think the Aussies are intimidated by him at all. They probably find Graham and the Burgess boys more intimidating.

All I ever hear from people when discussing Gareth Hock is "on his day he is world class", but the fact is he isn't world class. Back in his earlier Wigan days he was, but those days are long gone for him now hence why he is playing for Leigh in the Championship. I agree he could turn out to be be a fantastic player for Leigh, as the standard of opposition is predominantly part-time and so you would expect him to stand out and do well.

The reality is "on his day", he is a good Super League player but at 31, whilst playing in the Championship and with his disciplinary issues we unfortunately wont see many more of those.

Burgess brothers I'll give you but graham?? He's a big soft ginger baby!

Well he's hardly going to take a view that Hock should be promoted to World Class status is he?

Whats this Myth about Gareth Hock ever being world class? Hes far from world class now and was never even world class to begin with. He was a good player a long time ago but thats about it.

Regards

King James

Agree and what's all this nonsense I'm reading about world class on his day? Surely to be World Class you have to show quality over a prolonged peried, not a few purple patch minutes every now and then between the countless brain fart$.

No, happens regular. In soccer, John Barnes was world class for one dribble, and Michael Owen was world class for one goal. Even I was world class once, for a silent but deadly one dropped in a lift going up 16 floors. Although modesty made me refuse to accept the credit.

I don't think anybody ever considered Barnes or Owen World Class, Messi and Ronaldo yes. However, you could argue the goals you mention above were. There's a difference between somebody being world class or something they once did being world class.

Indeed. Just about everyone who has played the game has looked world class in one game or another. If you only do it a couple of times per season it counts for nothing.

Agreed.Hock should have been World Class, and everything about his game when he is actually on the pitch and just playing consistent RL suggests he is worthy of being put in that bracket, but those days are more and more fleeting now and all the baggage he has brought on himself over the last few years which should have been the prime of his career leaves him firmly in the category of a player who never maximised his talent.He is in his 30's now and should have a boatload of international caps and personal awards but it wasn't to be and only one person to blame.

Hopefully he can leave a decent footnote on his career with his time at Leigh but the days of 'the World Class Hock' have passed, if they ever existed imo.

Messi and Ronaldo are great players because they play in a dire league full of dire teams. Ronaldo was a lot better playing in the Premier League because it was a more difficult league and 6-0, 7-0, 9-1 scorelines and not a regular occurance in the PL unlike La Liga.

As the old addage goes, I'd like to see if Messi could do it on a cold, wet, Wednesday night in Stoke......

As for Hock, he's had plenty of chances to become world class, but the only thing that has shone is his idiocy. His off field and on field antics have tained his career and it's gotten to the point that no-one wants to take a punt on him, apart from a team in the CHampionship.

Vic Mauro and Liam Foran ?

Its only a matter of time before he does something stupid again.

That would imply that you have to be arguably the best player in the world to be world class? Is that the case? Is only the golden boot winner world class, or mearly just the 13 players picked in a world select team?

Definition: "of international standard", well, Hock certainly used to fit that definition and at his best was close to unplayable.