I have fond memories of 86/87 for various reasons - that was the start of a glorious epoch (a couple of seasons earlier we'd simply been making up the numbers), plus it was the first year Micron did a full 'highlights of the season' video, so every try scored was captured on tape (albeit grainy, flickery tape). To blitz everyone the way we did was absolutely astonishing and completely unprecedented in my life, even though as a lad I'd watched Boston and Ashton.

Certain funny memories still stand out: Len Casey saying the only difference between Wigan and Hull was Ellery Hanley (Gregory, Bell, Lydon, Edwards, Gill, Case, Hampson etc, obviously didn't count). Ron Hill saying that Graham Lowe didn't know what he was doing moving Hanley to loose forward (incredibly, Hanley had played all over the back division before joining Wigan, including out on the wing). Less funny was the Oldham full back blatantly trying to trip Wigan players in the Lancashire Cup Final and going unpunished, and Des Drummond's new 'headbutt' style of tackling as exemplied in the Premiership Trophy final.

It was a heck of a seasonl, though interestingly Warrington were our main rivals that year as well. The four games we played against them were all epic encounters.

I'd have to disagree about Brian Case being the best prop but only just. Reckon Andy Platt, followed by Greg Dowling, just shaded him. Having said that, Case was the original unsung hero and hard as nails too.

Dowling was playing in the season I first started watching, and being honest I didn't see that much of him. Clearly highly rated though. You could be right about Andy Platt.

What I liked about Platt was that he was quite a running/passing second rower at Saints, and when he came to us, he piled the muscle on and became a proper biff and bang front rower, which benefited his game.

I agree with this, I think Wigan had it much harder in the early days to establish themselves, once already at the top it was easy to sign the best players (but in fairness there was a lot of quality coming out of Wigan's youth team as well so I am not saying you bought success!)

I also think the competition was tougher in the mid-late 80s. I think after the collapse of Widnes as a powerhouse in the early 90s, there was a vacuum at the top and that allowed Wigan to clean up.

What would have been interesting would have been if Saints had matured 10 years earlier, imagine if the Saints team of 96 had emerged in 86 with a young Cunningham and co, and then Saints period from 96-06 had been 86-96. There would have been some great tussles then. I still think Wigan would have won more of the trophies but they wouldn't have cleaned up, I think Saints would have taken a share.

This! Possibly the best back line up club rugby (or any rugby for that matter) has seen. And we had Radlinski also bursting onto the scene at the same time.

I've always said that ironically we peaked so soon before the wheels came off - It was a fast decline from the all conquering season of 1994/5 to where we went in the next 2-3 years, almost as quick and spectacular as the Whinoes current decline!

I remember him - Hussein M'Barki from Morocco originally. He was always trying to trip people up and was a total house and finger pointer. It was as if he was still in the playground telling tales to the teacher.

Also, a certain Stuart Raper played in that game as Oldham's loose forward.

Not overly convinced by that. Don't forget, Leeds were doing what Wigan have been accused of constantly, and spending millions signing players from Australia and Rugby Union, as well as older players from other RL clubs including Wigan (Hanley, Gregory, Shaun Wane to name three), and for a time became a real threat - possibly the ONLY real threat - to Wigan at that time.

A common misconception is that we kept signing superstars. We didn't. We had a great youth system, but also a great talent for scouting for youngsters with other teams who hadn't fulfilled their potential. Wigan had a massive talent for turning these good players into great players, as well as a great team ethic.

Look at the 1992 GV v Aus test when we stuffed them 33-10. Wigan formed the backbone of that side, including the ENTIRE pack, and there were no superstars amongst them, bar Martin Offiah. These were simply a bunch of good, well drilled players who knew each other's game inside out.

91 mission impossible I worked in London - difficult to comprehend now but I could not get any updates for the widnes game on the Tuesday - no mobile phones, no internet, ceefax didn't do score updates, no sky sports news and no coverage by BBC or London radio. I rang central park but no one answered!

My best teams were 82/83 punching above their weight a trophy and gave the aussies there closest game; 86/87 a few changes in personnel made a good team great;92/93 so close to winning the lot and great competition with saints; 94/95 a clear cut above the rest.

That Widnes game was fantastic. Nearly 30k on at CP, genuinely world class players on both teams. Those were the days. God I miss Central Park!

When I say there was a power vacuum at the top after the demise of Widnes which allowed Wigan to clean up after the early 1990s, Im not saying that to try and lessen Wigan's achievements, I mean in terms of comparing the Wigan teams of 92-95 with the teams of the late 1980s, I think that has to be taken into account. Like you say Leeds signed more 'big names' than Wigan did however I think the Leeds team under Dougie Laughton was like Warrington under Cullen, they would sign more internationals every year but the mix somehow wasn't right. It was an assortment of big names where Wigan like you say, were a real team unit. It was as well that Hanley joined Leeds because that at least gave the rest a bit of hope, without him Leeds would have been a real flop in that era. If Wigan had Hanley from 91-95 it would have been clean sweep unbeaten seasons.

I thought the leadership of Dean Bell and Edwards was fantastic in terms of getting a team unit together, there was no way a big name could come in and rock the boat or act up at Wigan, they would have got put in their place instantly. I still think Bell is one of the best role models in RL, pretty quiet unassuming guy but up with Hanley for toughness and he was a superb ambassador for the Wigan ethic at that time.

I think the Wigan team today has got a good team ethic to it, there are no real big names, the better performers are similar types of characters, low key low profile, so I think Wigan have got back up there again in that respect, the difference between now and that team of the late 80s, early 90s is there aren't the world beaters.

Here's a follow up question for Wigan fans as well,
who out of the current team do you think would have been a regular in the late 80s-early 90s era
and also, who out of Wigan's less successful era (2003-09) do you think would have been a regular then (other than Radlinski and Farrell who were anyway). I can think of say Lam, O'Connor, maybe Craig Smith.

Out of the current team Lockers would have been in there, I think he is a better player than Clarke was to be honest but late 80's early 90's with a back row of Betts, Goodway and Hanley he may of ended up on the bench. As soon as I saw the question I obviously thought Sam but when you think about it it's not that easy (apart from the Atcheson era of course).
The 2003 - 09 years I'm sure Newton would of been there, arguably a better player than Hall and Dermott.

It depends on which rules you play under. With the old 5 metre rule, todays scooter hookers would be mullered. Only the likes of Monaghan, Cameron Smith etc would get a game at hooker. Roby would be a loose forward.
Dermott was in a class of his own from a distribution pov. If you read John Monies book "The Ice Man" he says that a lot of Wigan success came from fast accurate passing from dummy half. That allowed the decision makers (Edwards, Gregory etc) to play.

I think Clarke was awesome.