A mixture of things i gues which would differ from individual to individual.

1st Wigan's most decorated son
2nd He wore his heart on his sleeve
3rd He was a great rugby player if not maybe as good as others tbf but still a dam fine athlete.
4th True professional in his time here.

Not all of those easily apply to all legends however. I certainly wouldn't label Hanley under any of those apart from medal count and talent.

What’s the difference for example in Boston and Offiah?

Personally I think it goes beyond respect. The word I would used is admired, that's what makes a legend IMHO.

So to answer the original question some players you liked watching play the game, a small number you admired. This of course will vary from people to people, however, there are some players, eg Radders, that are widely admired and therefore can rightly be classed as legends I think.

Bell was my hero as a kid.

and always will be a wigan legend in my mind.

I don't admire Long, Wellens and KFC but they are legends and I respect them.

Even though he didn't play a full season I'd have Brett Kenny down as a Wigan legend for two main reasons:

1. He basically singled handed, dragged a very mediocre team to the club's first major trophy in 20 years - kickstarting the golden era.
2. He put in one of the finest ever performances in the cup final (when it was the trophy everyone wanted to win)

It's not always about length of time at the club, it's also what someone did for the club. The bloke has hero status in my household.

Brian,do you think any of the current crop of players will be considered 'legends' in time, Lockers ?, Sam ?, Paaaat ?,.......... its a hell of a title to live up to !!!!!

I think apart from the obvious e.g. Boston, Farrell etc, whether someone can be classed as a legend or not is very much a matter of opinion.

For example, Botica is a legend in my eyes simply because he was my favourite player when I first went to watch matches and without that I may not have been inspired to play for the last 15 years. I'll therefore always regard him as highly as other widely accepted legends, even if he was not necessarily as talented on the pitch.

not just a legend of a player but a legend in terms of inspiration and toughness as well. As the flags states "The Wigan Way" was a term invented for the likes of deano.

I don’t think anyone can be classed as a true legend until after the fact.

I am only 30 (only!!!) so when I began watching Wigan my Favourite player was Dean Bell. Now when I was stood in CP watching him from the sidelines I never really had a concept of just what an influence he had on the team. At the time he was, in reality, just another excellent player in a team full of excellent players.
But as the years pass I am reminded of his individual brilliance. The sheer bravery of the man coupled with (what I consider to be) one of the toughest characters ever to grace a RL field. I could now list a many of my favourite moments from watching Mean Dean..........But I do not have to because Dean is a TRUE legend and most of you will know already.
It is only after the years pass that you can look back on a player’s career and reflect on their individual contribution. This thinking is not a conscious thing, it is just that you are naturally inclined to remember the Players who were the very ,very best. These are the players that you babble on about after a few pints, recalling your memories of them with as much exaggeration as admiration. Legends are the players you will tell your Kids and their grand kids about with an equal amount of exaggeration and admiration. In turn your Kids will think of the player in an almost mythical fashion, and as the years go by the players reputation refuses to diminish and if anything grows larger and larger.

This is how I feel about Billy B, Jim Sullivan etc. I have never seen them play (apart from the odd VHS tape) but I know they hold legendary status from the older generations who passed the tales down to lads and lassies of my age group.
So with this in mind I would say give it a few years before we determine if there are any legends the current setup or indeed in the last few years.

I think a legend is someone who is looked at rerospectively as a great influence or servant to a club. Each club wil have 'legends' that are not necessarily recognised as such by other fans. I also think it is quite personal. For example i would class Ged Byrne and Adrian Shelford as wigan legends , but i know others may not. I don't care, as this is personal to me. Dean Bell, Hanley, Gregory, Tuigamala(sp),edwards also can be classed as legends in my book, but maybe that is just 'my' era.

I know the likes of Boston ,Mctigue are also classed as legends by my father-in-law, but not seeing them 'live' it is difficult for me to judge them so.

I haven't really helped in this argument have i?

I can't class any of the current or recent players as legends yet as only time will tell. Hopefully the tompkins brothers will get there but you never know.

Doh! Yeah basically i agree with tugglesf78!

You are underestimating Hanley, he really could, and did win us some games almost on his own, games where we were getting thumped looked certain to lose, and he just decided screw this, we're going to win.

The guy really was that good in his heyday, the best british RL player of my lifetime, and one that would have been a legend in the NRL to. I've never seen a player like him (playing live), and I don't know if I will again.