What a match. I remember that one. It just seemed to "kick-off" every 5 minutes. LEGALISED VIOLENCE for 80 minutes. That was the pre-curser to World War Three which happened a couple of months later.

I think the RL hierarchy only gave us that game against Aukland, after not giving us a match against the touring Aussies the year before, when our Premiership winning side WOULD have given them a game.

The game in question was the Good Friday `81.... The Wire needed the win ,to win the Div 1 title. Attendance about the 10k mark on a sweltering Easter period.
Lasting memory was Shirley Hesford giving Dessie the outside and everyone thinking( wtfs he done that for), Dessie went under the sticks and Shirley was eating grass........ You ended up Runners up to Bratfurt Norvern.
Dessie ( similar to Woody) became a terrace hero to most clubs he played for, no quarter asked nor given.
Whilst playing for Leyth he scored some totally amazing tries/tackles which would have Eddie & Stevo creaming themselves, it`s great to hear that he was held in as high esteem to the Wire as he was to the Leythers. A top bloke as well.

Although Hicks has been a good pro and a points machine for Wire, it could only be Des. The atmosphere generated whenever Des was involved, either in attack or defence, was very special. So what if he had butter-fingers, that just added to the excitement!!!

I'll always remember a night game at Knowsley Road where Des streaked in for 2 long range efforts, showing the young upstart Gary Connolly a clear pair of heels in the process!! There you go young pups,there was a time when we could beat Saints!!!

I'll always remember a game at Wembley where Briers put an attacking kick up to the corner which was going into touch, Hicks used his Jedi skills to do a double somersault, pick it of the air and come back in bounds to ground it inside the line, then later on in the same game we were running it on the last, there was nothing on, Briers and Westwood were throwing it around like a hot potato and it came to Hicks with four Leeds men between him and the line, he did the foxtrot, Ali shuffle and moonwalk and skinned them all and completed his hat trick.

Hat-trick at Wembley even Dessie couldn't manage that one...

Look, if you're going to extol the virtues of Hicks at least get it right.......... it was the quickstep not the foxtrot. B-, must try harder!

On a side note about Des Drummond, I remembered this morning of the impact the fella must have had. I was in a pub near Stamford Bridge a couple of years ago when I was watching Bolton away to Chelsea and they had the NRL on the big screen so I was watching that and got talking to a Chelsea fan who was over from Australia for the game and got talking about the rugby. He asked who I followed and upon replying Leigh, the first words he said were "Dessie Drummond"! When the Aussies know him, you know you've done well.

Don't want to derail thread, Sal, but this is why I'm gutted about Hicks' "retirement" in favour of JMonaghan.

back to thread now...

Was going to post that memory of Des until i came across it.I was stood about 5 yards from where they were both getting a telling off then all of a sudden i'm watching the Auckland player holding his nose with blood pouring out.Hardest player for his size i've ever seen.Des wins hands down for me but Hicksy has done his status at this club no harm with his great try scoring record.

You lot only saw Dessie after his shattered ankle, misset in Cumbria and re-broken by doctors to allow it to heal.

Hicks isn't remotely close to Dessie.

Dessie for me, not only a great RL winger but a sensational all round athlete including a black-belt in judo.

His broken field running was incredible, and you just don't see players, especially wingers like that athletic ability any more and the games worse for it. I vaguely remember his debut (I'm pretty sure) it was against Bradford @ wilderspool. Dessie had been in dispute with leigh and training on his own before he signed so there was some concern he wouldn't be match fit. Then we got him 1-on-1 with Phil Ford (no slouch himself) and Dessie absolutely mullerred him.

After he finished playing, Dessie was also landlord of a pub in moss side ........ which tells you as much about his toughness as you need to know.

Hicks was a fine player, and did things Dessie and many others couldn't but Dessie was one of the best in the world in his pomp and it was a priviledge to watch him. Like John Woods, we (and GB) didn't see his best but dear god, I count myself very lucky to have seen them both in the P&B - players like that are originals of the species.

Such a difficult choice but so easy to answer. As the game was when I started watching Dessy (watching him chase down Offiah and put him into the boards ..) BUT the way the game is now, as a winger it would have to be Hicks

Brave words those.
I've seen them both.
Dessie had an aura about him because he was soooo hard - and fast - but certain aspects of his game were a little suspect.
Chris was a try scoring machine and ultra safe.

They are two of the best wingers we've ever had along with Bevan(s).

Henare could have been up there to but blotted his copybook.
Forster has a very good record at wing too, as does Fa'afili (even though people crticized him for having ''walk-in'' tries).

couldnt agree more...only met the fellow once and was a very nice and well mannered bloke who had time to chat..one of my all time favourite players..totally agree about john woods as well...and it was bradford dessies debut the week after the same bradford team dumped us out of the cup here at wilderspool

Definitely Des Drummond for me. Hicks, brilliant at times and at his very best in his last game for the club. But I think Des was just so dangerous and exciting.

Dessie every time for me. The thing people don't factor into this debate is that the players were still part-time. If Dessie had been a full time pro I've no doubts things like being better under a high ball etc. would have been coached in a full time pro environment. His attitude was always spot on and kept himself fit etc. and seems to be a nice bloke off it so would have fitted well into a full time set up.

Great to see that YouTube clip - I also found the coverage of the 1st ever match (New Years Day 30 years ago) I went to via that which was pretty cool.

Phil Ford was another great winger we had.