Mick Sullivan R.I.P.

Quote: stillinthepast "Mick Sullivan R.I.P, a great player a supremely fast balanced winger with a bit of a mean streak.

There a few things that stand out in my memory about Mick in his time at Wigan.
One was in the semi finals of the cups of 1959 and 1960, Wigan beat Rochdale 5-3 in the first one and Leigh 5.0 in the second one and Mick scored Wigan's only try in both matches. Just imagine a total of 10 points scored in 2 winning consecutive winning semi finals. Mick also scored a try in both finals as well against Workington and Hull.
In the Leigh match I remember Mick meeting his match in the hard man game, he clashed with the Leigh centre Keith Holden (later signed by Wigan), Holden gave Mick such a going over that when the players went off at half time it was a few minutes before one of the Wigan trainers came back out to find Mick wandering about on the half way line

In the Workington match Mick showed he often played up to the edge in what could be construed as fair play, in my mind a bit over in this instance. Sol Roper of Workington made a break and tried to step Mick.
Mick absolutely close lined him, there was a photo in the Sunday papers the day after showing Roper on his back in an horizontal position, the only problem was he was about 4ft off the ground. Why Mick wasn't sent off for that I do not know.

But the best memory was the play off Semi Final of 1961, Wigan had to go to St Helens who happened to be red hot favourites, the match was played on a Saturday night with a 6-30 pm (app) kick off.
The Wigan team sheet had Mick down at stand off (first time ever in that position), he was set to mark Murphy, everybody was stunned but had an idea what would happen.
After one of the first scrums Mick piled into Murphy who retaliated and was given the penalty, a few scrums later Murphy piled into Mick, penalty to Wigan and a final warning to both of them.
Then came the inevitable, they came together again throwing punches with sending off for both of them the result.
Wigan went on to win the match easily and said after the match that the Sullivan to standoff had not been planned to get Murphy sent off, a lot of fans smiled at that.

In those days it was a very tough game played by some very tough players some of who also happened to be very highly skilled.'"

Sullivan was a bit before my time but I grew up on anecdotes from my old man similar to yours. Thanks for sharing your memories.
I read these stories then watch full time pros fall over at play the balls (Clark last week was more than pathetic) and shake my head as to what proper hard lads like Sullivan, Holden, Greenall, Jack Arkwright et al would make of today's moaners and arms open wide merchants which every team has today.
It sounds like another world but I would have loved to have watched RL at the end of the 50's early 60's when GB gave the Aussies a walloping in rugby and fisticuffs if required.