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.

since posting earlier it got me thinking who my top 3 legends would be,then it turned into my top 5,then my top ten,now i've given up,It's an impossible task,so many have walked down the tunnel in cherry and white,some more skillfull than others,some faster,some harder,some had an huge impact in a short time, some had a huge impact for a long time,some were huge characters some were simply refered to as god,I even included people in charge at certain times and coaches who changed the history of the club ,others who's ill health cut short their chance to maybe become legends.As a supporter I feel blessed to support a club that as given me the chance over the years to witness some of the greats.and long may it continue

Top 3 of all time, Jim Sullivan - Billy Boston - Ellery Hanley

Hanley had over 200 games....202 to be precise, scored 189 tries , not bat for a loose forward ..by comparison Faz scored just under 1 try every 3 games. tag on a hanful of goals and a couple of drop goals n a few winners medals and you have a legend in my book.
Boston only just surpased his tries /games ratio also scoring just under 1 per game played , and that was on the wing playing outside another legend..eric ashton.

Best i can find when it comes to tries/games is Offiah..150+ games..180+ tries............does that make him more of a legend than boston??? no

and i realise ive just contradicted my own argument there...

reading back i see a lot of posters are basing their legendary player status on players theyve seen?
us older ones probably have a different top 3, and definitely a longer list than younger fans.

for example...my top 10 would include , BOSTON , ASHTON , MCTIGUE and BOLTON
other 6 in no particular order.........JIM SULIVAN (included on hearsay), EDWARDS, FARRELL, HANLEY, WEST, and BELL.
OFFIAH just failed to make the 10