That's because they were terrible .

The Shaun Edwards nomination is a bizarre one....

Is this the same Edwards who, at 16, was already being earmarked as a future great and who played in a Cup Final at 17??....I can only think that anybody who thinks Edwards was untalented has simply not watched him play??

This thread belongs to the likes of Cullen, Forster, Neil Cowie, Tony Burke, etc....players who really should have been playing out their careers at the likes of Rochdale or Runcorn, but instead, through a bit of luck and a lot of hard work, made good careers at a very high level....certainly not Shaun Edwards...

As I recall Edwards struggled to nail a place down during his time at Balmain. I think he ended up playing most of the time from the bench, mind you its never easy to displace Andy Currier from the team.

Having played against Edwards at youth level there can be no doubt whatsoever that he was extermely blessed with natural talent. To suggest otherwise GDMM is moving into LWF's twilight zone of Brier's having no kicking game.

Paul Reilly.

Shaun Edwards and Tony Myler. If Myler hadn't been crippled by injuries, do you think Edwards would have gained as many caps as he did?

71, it looks like the general concensus from those up the A49 concurs with myself and Soul Man.

Shaun Edwards for me was one of the finest support players around with a good short kicking game, that suited Wigan back then with having so many other creators in their side that made the breaks. Richie Myler plays in a similar way to Edwards as he is also an excellent support player.

The classier stand offs in that era in my opinion were Tony Myler who you have mentioned and John Woods, they could create something when nothing seemed on, it seemed effortless to both Tony Myler and John Woods in the way they ghosted past players, they were 2 of the classiest stand offs that we have produced in this country. If Wigan would have had either of those 2 at their peak they would have been even greater in my opinion, Edwards was a great player but i think both Myler and Woods were the better creators and more pleasing to the eye.

Kris Radlinski for me.

My mate went to school with him and said he wasn't even in the top 4 or 5 at their school and after reading Rads book he talks about being dumped from the town team at 14 and having to work really hard to make sure he had a future in the game.

He knew he wasn't naturally the most skillful, the fastest or strongest so he went away and worked on his own for a couple of years on his speed and agility.

It worked a treat!

He does also mention how he was on Saints books for a spell and came within hours of signing pro for them

I think the view is that maybe Edwards didnt have the class of Hanley or Gregory but they don't go on to say he was just a hard worker with no/limited rugby talent. The posts all agree on legend status and commend his "rugby brain" and ability to "read a game". This I believe is a talent in itself.

Anyway, we can disagree can't we. I just think there are so many more players which would suit being on the thread more than Edwards.


BTW One of the posters quoted a pivot of 6 Edwards, 7 Gregory, 13 Hanley. It brought a shiver down my spine just remembering that.

edwards...limited talent?

ahahahahaha

Edwards? One trick pony!

It will be a sorry state of affairs when we can't hold differing opinions.

At no point did anyone suggest that he had no talent, what I did was - to answer LWF's query on why he is in the same sentence as Lee Penny and Danny Lima - is take three vastly different players from three different eras somewhat who achieve vastly contrasting things within the game, as no doubt there will be people on this board more familar to any one of those than the others.

Lee Penny is one of only a handful of people to have scored 100 tries for Warrington in a career that spanned more than a decade, yet he'd hardly be considered a Jonathon Davies-esque player.

Danny Lima had a bit of a purple patch during 2005 and faded back into obscurity, he had little talent at all, but made the most of it through his sheer shize.

Shaun Edwards had talent, but he also knew his own limitations and, as such, used his brain to hide his weaknesses and expose his strengths. I agree that this could be considered a talent, and, as such, Edwards could be considered the most talented player of that Wigan side. However, what I stated was that considering Edwards' apparent physical limitations (in comparison to others), hedid quite well for it. Others should takenote of this; Martin Gleeson and Lee Briers, for example, should hang their heads in shame for not having an ounce of the sheer will and determination that Edwards had; combined with their raw and natural talents, they'd be world beaters if they did.

Just as an aside, what did you make of his taping over the British Coal logo during the disputes? I doubt that would've earned him legend status at the young Tories' ball?