Injury forced him out.

He might have done, handsome enough though I’m no expert.

I think the heart and effort thing is a bit overdone with JD to be honest. I’m not doubting there was plenty but in truth he was just a very good player.

I think at the time most Wakefield fans and certainly the wider game struggled to accept we had any real quality. The SKY ten in particular put any success we had down to us being a team of battlers. In truths we weren’t JD and Solomona and a fair few other were absolute quality.

Same now, why we can’t turn that into more I really don’t know.

Heart has a great deal to do with a good team. It's the unsung acts that go on week after week that allow the greats to sprinkle there magic dust. The likes of Graham Idle, Duncan Mcgilvary, and the like, who you don't realise what they did until they're not there.

For me JD epitomisers everything that makes a great RL player ,was never the best , the fastest or the most skilful , but with a heart of a lion and a never day die attitude he was living proof that if you put the effort in you can become a great player no matter your shortfalls . Came in as a relative unknown and went out a folk hero .Far bigger names have played at our club and never come close to the impact he had on the club and fans .

Utterly disagree. JD was easily one of the top SL centres especially from 2004 to 2008. He absolutely was one of the best.

During my time of watching, these are the top 10 that have really stood out in the teams they were in at the time. In no particular order:

David Solomona
Danny Brough
Gareth Ellis
Tim Smith
Brad Drew
Tom Johnstone
Ali Lauititi
Garen Casey
Jason Demetriou
Willie Poching

People really under estimate JD. Yes he had the heart of a lion and was tough as old boots but he could play the game. He came over to Chorley and paid his own fair I believe. Picked up by widnes and by the grace of god ended up at Belle Vue. What a player he was he had pace strength and skill and was probably the best captain of our recent times.

Are you referring to the singer ? Because if it’s the Michael Jackson that scored a try against hull kr or saints that led to him being signed by Halifax he was a decent club second row with a bit of pace - went to Wembley as a sub for Sheffield and played a couple times for Great Britain .

Decent but hardly wotld beating

For me Demetriou was a very good player who’s determination and leadership at the time has lead him to cult status. Is he the best centre we have had at Wakey, no. I can think of a few who I personally think were better than him. Would he be the first centre I’d pick, absolutely because he was more than just a player for us, he was the ultimate pro and leader, hence why he’s the top boy at Souths. Reports saying Souths are eyeing up Johnstone too.

great club servant but if I remember rightly the very first game he played for us had a total mare

He made GB whilst playing for Wakefield. That should tell you enough. Run of the mill players don’t get GB honours

Tell that to GB winger Blake Austin

Austin ripped teams apart when he came to Super League.
He was only on the wing because of injuries.

Very true. GB flew Ash Handley out for that test but didn’t play him. Austin then had one of the worst games I’ve seen in a GB shirt, obviously not his fault, should of never of happened. That tour for me showed just how much the NRL and SL have polarised over the last 5 years.