I keep hearing that todays game is short of characters. Howabout this for a Leigh team of "Characters"?
Fred Hewitt:Ernie Hutson,Don Gullick, Gwyn Davies,Joe Walsh;Alex Murphy,Kenny Green; Benny Coffey,Paddy Lannon,Tim Street, Alan Rathbone,Rex Mossop,Don Platt???

I think every team has its characters still, its just that some of the activities are frowned upon today.
What the game lacks are real characters fans can idolise as in previous era's, Hanley, Offiah, Edwards, Robinson were all recognised household names in 80/90's today we have Sam Tomkins as the nearest thing - that's what lack of BBC/ITV does for you. Our local idols were Woody and Dessie in my day.

Robinson Tabern and Owen when I was a lad.

What no T.C in the team,me thinks he will be most upset.

Every team in the country has its so-called Characters , even school teams , a Dog Sleigh team has its Characters, even the North Stand has them i met and spoke with Simon Svabic last week , i always had him down as a quiet bloke , but he is really a Character and a very nice guy to .

Peter Smethurst

See if you can guess who these Characters where from their nicknames thay all played in the Nineties early 2000's for us most of the nicknames came from the players. Some are very easy some not so!

1. Bag of Cement Head
2. Aunt Sally
3. Pudder
4. The Whippet
5. Half a Barra
6. Sid
7. Chizza
8. Toppo
9. Casper
10. Lager
11. Chip
12. Billy
13. Herbie
14 Enty

What about the more recent Nicky 'short man syndrome' Stanton

Geoff Fletcher.

Would you not class Sinfield or Peacock as players fans idolize?

After those two though i'm struggling to find another SL player that could be classed the same.

I don't think you would described either Sinfield or Peacock as "characters" of the game - total professionals, yes - idolised by their own fans, yes but definately not characters.

I personally think that this is one big problem with RL these days - there are very few characters who have their own individual attributes that get the fans talking or interested and as such the press aren't interested. I have tried and tried but cannot get my kids interested in watching Leigh - they just have no one to identify with. They do mither the life out of me to go to City because they are familiar with the entire squad who they see in the press and on TV almost every day. Unfortunately, breeding the "individuality" out of our players and making them into a game plan driven machine does not endeer itself to the general public at large. (IMO of course).