I also attended Saint John Fisher school and I am not too comfortable with accrediting too much to McLeod. The feeder schools into Fisher gave the school a virtual monopoly - Saint Patricks, Saint Marys, Saint Johns, Sacred Heart and some from Saint Williams too. All coming from what was then a really competitive Junior Schools competition. There is actually a case regarding John Fisher as to how many players didn't make it because of too much rugby rather than the opposite. Without going into detail, McLeod was not a particularly popular teacher and certainly in my view not someone to put on a pedestal regarding the production of great rugby league players. I attended during the 70s. We didn't lose in the Wigan and District Schools in all the 5 years I was there and fared well in the Lancashire Shield losing to a team from Leigh. Of all that group of players, Ged Byrne was the only one to make in the professional game. The players from the school who have in more recent times made the grade (post Edwards) have also benefited from the local club scene in Wigan which to me is the real gold mine for rugby players in Wigan.

You would have been the year above me at J Fisher if you are the same age as Ged Byrne, the year I was in had more luck in winning the National Comp. Only Mike Gregory went on to make it as pro but we did have Fran Clough who played RU for England. I think we were all encouraged to participate in sports and McLeod was for me a popular teacher. I think it all depends on your own experiences. It is a positive for the town that a school can have so many top players going through its doors. I do think that the draw of the school as a RL hot bed has led to youngsters being pushed there by parents. St Pats has the same draw with kids being ferried in by parents as they believe they need to be there to get noticed.

They were wrong about the Galloways chunky steak pies I think the minced steak are far superior

A surprisingly good read, but still slightly condescending towards Wigan and Rugby League in places. I'd expect that from the Guardian, though.

Why SHOULDN'T Wigan provide several players to Rugby Union? Wigan is BY FAR the most prolific producer of rugby talent in the country, and the only reason there aren't more Wiganers playing union for the national side, is probably snobbery.

I see an earlier entry stating that Mr McLeod wasn’t popular and that he shouldn’t be accredited for the success of rugby league at John Fisher....It would appear this post is the anomaly in the thread. Mr McLeod was known and respected by colleagues and all good committed school boy sportsmen and his dedication to the game and coaching of the students was absolutely exceptional.
I guess in life people will always see the negative side if that’s the vibe that envelopes them.

Pity some put thirty pieces of silver before their love of Rugby League and the town of Wigan.

The players like Radlinski and the others who turned down offers from Union are the ones who get my respect!

A very strange first post - to dig up a thread from over 8 years ago.

really? he was paid by the RFL from club Great Britain not to go as did others, so to say he didnt chase the money is garbage as did Cunningham, when other clubs asked for the same help the year later it was denied

rlhttps://www.theguardian.com/sport/2004/oct/09/rugbyleague.mattscottrl

Rather strange this mate

But the fact remains that Radlinski and others, did not go in spite of turning down what was more than likely more money in offers from Union than what they got from the RFL who when they saw what was happening then offered the money as a incentive to protect the strength of the Great Britain International team and also the game at the top level.

The sad thing is that most of those at the time who were so quick to defect to Union were from the Wigan club which questions their loyalty to the club, game and indeed our town of Wigan.

p.s. Have you seen any message on the club website about staying safe in the present virus crisis from the likes of Edwards, Ford, Lydon etc.

yeah that makes no sense, what would have made your argument is if Rads would have turned the club GB money down and stayed on a lower contract at Wigan, club GB matched the RU offers that were on the table so how do you say he did better than Faz? Faz wasnt offered the money from RL, and again it doesnt question anyones loyalty when you look after yourself and your family, Chris Ashton tripled his wage but your saying he should have turned that down??? Im sure noone on here would turn down triple money for doing the same job.

I always liked how Cunningham took the club GB money but then never played for GB

yeah he didnt play an awful lot after that contract

You're a fool.

1- what's loyalty to the town got to do with anything? Are people now not allowed to leave the town? That's a new one right there!

2- Check our the club's Instagram, there's a stay safe message on there from Fax

What are on about?

Of course people are allow to leave Wigan, but I was only on about players leaving Wigan for Rugby Union in normal playing circumstances, not the present virus crisis.

And you call me a fool!