The same could be said about Kelvin Skerrett who still to this day holds huge affections from the Wigan faithful. We all like to see abit of biff and the characters that go with it.

Being niggly, dirty and hard players is how Newton and Skerrett played the game from grassroots. It's their Rugby League personality and way of life which lead them both to be reasonable successful players both at club level and internationally, I wouldn't have them any other way (apart from drug taking!).

I remember when we played Halifax in the early 2000's at the JJB. Big Paul Davidson bullying one of one younger players before Newton stepped in and peppered him with punches whilst driving him back around 30 yards to his try line. After getting sin-binned he recieved a standing ovation. Same with famous brawl at Knowsley Road in 2004, Wilkin being typically niggly in the tackle before Newton giving him a good pasting....I wouldn't swap those moments for the world regardless of the outcome.

Instances like that are part and parcel of the game and most fans love to see that type of passion/aggression. Remember Farrell at knowsley road, part of the same incident you're talking about. Apparently Fitzgibbon had 'a word' with James Graham at the weekend. Seuseu and Barrie Mac going at it at the JJB. All teams need an enforcer or someone who'll dish it out when it needs it...

..but the shot Newton put on Long was a disgrace.

Not that I'm justifying someone smashing someone's face but when Kelvin got his jaw broken by Samson (Dean, not the fella from the bible) you could almost say he'd asked for it. Skerrett would have done that to someone else without a second thought. Long would never do that to someone. He has never been a dirty player. Irritating? yes. Dirty? No.

Probably has an issue with Saints after Scully pounded him for GB.

I heard he was gingerist

McCormack is one of the best ive seen

Are you sure that list of wrestlers isn't just those who are dead for whatever reason?

Owen Heart died from falling off a gantry, Benoit commited suicide and I'm pretty sure Yokozuna didn't need to use steroids.

Then promptly banjoed O'Meely for good measure.

I always liked big Paul.

Yokozuna used lard if I remember correctly. Also a lot of the wrestlers were taking loads of other drugs to keep them going. They would be doing 5/6/7 shows a week and were loaded up on cocaine, pain killers & steroids.

They were PROPER sportsman as you so elegantly put it before they entered the sports entertainment business. Wrestling is an Olympic recognised sport so back off that high horse of yours.

The point I was attempting to make was that if we allowed steroids in our game that list would be compiled of RUGBY LEAGUE SPORTSMEN.

Benoit committed suicide after steroid abuse over the years led to "roid-rage" where he murdered his family with his signature move. Yokozuna, it depends where you read the information, some say he died because of heart failure due to steroids, other's argue differently. Either way in all these deaths, when it came to the autopsy/post mortem, steroids where found in all their blood streams. Whether they directly are to blame for the deaths remains to be seen and cannot be conclusively proved or dis-proved. What can be certain is that in most of the list compiled (except Owen Hart, it would of taken a miracle to survive that) steroids played a part.

In all honesty I didn't compile the list myself, I obtained it from a website, but the evidence for keeping steroids illegal is there for all to see. I don't know whether the priestman has just lost his head or what but I go to a gym, I see the effects steroids have physically and mentally. Physically, on the outside at least they look fantastic and are all too tempting for those who want to be big now, on the inside the strain being placed on the joints and heart will eventually become all too much.

With Chris Benoit, his mental state had been severely affected by the death of his closest friend Eddie Guerero (sp?), who again died because of steroids, he heavily abused steroids, which eventually made him snap and do what he did. Do we really want that not just in RL but in any sport? Mourning another sportsman every week?

Must be my age, but the only wrestler names I've ever known are :

Big Daddy, Giant Haystacks and yon mon out of Auf Wiederson Pet (who was in Raiders of the Lost Ark).

Oh and Hulk Hogan.

mick mcmanus, and the woman with the brolly wot hit them lol... omg i must be old... think i shud change my name on ere lmao

omg u making me feel older now lol..