Is that after some comments after they beat us in the final? I heard about them but don't know what was actually said to be honest. He's the most decorated player in SL history, showed up well against the aussies, played a key role in beating them on more than one occasion. I can't dismiss him as just a thug.

Yep. He said that we as a club had no class when we won (the irony of him making those comments totally lost on him) our players were this that and the other and basically went to town on us. I think it all stemmed from the McGuire incident in 2010.

Interestingly, I haven't heard him say too many nice things about us during his punditry either and when we did the shirts for Rob Burrow pretty much every former Leeds player commented on it and shared the auctions except for Mr Peacock who instead seemed more focused on his Nandos.

In terms of him as a player though, he was superb and I think every club would have wanted him in their side

can you not be a thug and legend?

Depends what you mean by thug I suppose. I've just looked it up and apparently it means 'a violent person, especially a criminal'. Obviously he's violent as are many forwards but I tend to think of a thug as underhand in some way.

I loved JP as a player. Less so off the field. He showed his own lack of class with those comments and, as EC says, appeared to be totally unaware of the irony of him complaining about others being classless in victory by being classless in victory. Utterly bizarre!

As for him being a thug; well firstly the word 'thug' carries certain connotations I guess. However one thing I can say without fear of contradiction is that no player in SL history has had so many offences repeatedly downgraded for 'good behaviour'.

look how many times he was let off was a joke, After the WCC fight with Perry he didnt get a ban but a quiet word, the second time he had be found guilty of fighting in 4 games already that season. Its ok though as he was an angel

So in effect no player should be classed as a thug? The game is a violent sport MM is no more a thug than JP was but one is pinged far more, just google JP and look how many times he was let off

It was crazy. I got to thinking they were using the twisted logic that every downgraded offence that he got for 'good behaviour' counted as further 'good behaviour'. I think at one point he was only 3 fights away from winning a medal for outstanding virtue!*


*(Probably)

I'm not sure about the statistics mate but if you can point to all the fights SOL was involved in, I'll take your point. I'm not sure someone involved in fights as often as JP could be excused with 'good behaviour'.

Even if your statistics on O'Loughlin are right (I'm sure someone will have the correct numbers), that equates to one and a half appearances per year of his career. Not exactly a serial offender for a forward who made 40+ tackles a match for the greater part of his career. I don't remember too many incidents of what you'd call "bad ones" and no fights at all.

Just to put it into perspective JP got into fights most seasons and, in some instances, several times a season. I'm not sure the 2 can be equated.

I`ve never thought of JP as a thug just a hard working pretty decent forward.
A grub for me is an irritating pain in the ar$e who always wants to start a fight and takes cheap shots or in other words has no class.
Neither SOL or JP fit into the grub/thug category.
As for MM take your pick.

MM is hard working and pretty decent, JP always started fights (more so than MM), so dont understand the logic you have with that.....

Like I say, by the dictionary definition I suppose nearly all players are thugs. We should bear in mind that Peacock played 18 years, half of which was over a period when players actually had proper fights. McIlorum has done 11 years (minus one season he missed with a bad injury) mainly at a time when players don't fight anymore, so no surprise if Peacock had been sent off more.

so by playing more games he should have been sent off more? Not if MM was a thug and JP wasnt, I could point to loads of props/players and forwards in them 18 years who never got into fights and sent off for punching, same could be said of MM now but like I said only 1 is being branded a thug.