Watched the first Million pound game against Cas a few week back .The quality in that game was unbelievable from the tackling to the movent of the ball, to the excitement of the game .Hardly saw the ref .Though after watching were as it all gone Think both those sides could give the so called big teams of today a run for there money

There were some pretty dreadful games back then too, though.

We were missing Rooney, Justin Ryder and Mark Field in that game. That's why Spicer was playing 13 but turned out to be a godsend when Domic went off.

There was ,but the rugby the top teams played then was a lot better The excitement as gone out of the game. Watched S L a lot more than I do now looked forward to the challenge cup final ,and the big one at Manchester. + went to watch G B play when I could .It can not be all down to getting old .Went to most of Wakefield games away .till covid came in .Going to Cas Sataday

Agree with that claim, Pat, but a great shame that you were not around to see Bill Ashurst.

G E is might have been one of the best second row in S L but B Ashurst as got to be up there with the all time greats ,When he played for us he played on one leg and the crowd still went to watch him.

He was an exceptional talent but as said, he was playing at 50% for us sometimes.
I always felt that playing him in the cup final may have cost us the game.
Who knows how it would have gone with someone else in instead like Mcdermott.

That team 77-79 was my first experience watching. Loved that team and he was the best in his day.

Agree, PT, especially re the '79 final. I've never seen an individual player stamp his mark on a game than when he made is debut (I think) at Post Office Road. on the Easter Monday. What a second rower he was!!!

Aye, we’ll before my time but heard he was an incredible player. My dad tells me of some of the players we’ve had before my time ie Steve Ella, Ray Price, Mark Graham. Best player I’ve probably ever seen in a Trinity top was Solomona.

There have been others as good but none have ever had the impact. Sol almost single handed lay turned us from cannon fodder to contenders in a season!

He was a one off and a real character, we will be lucky to get another.

FWIW other players on a similar level were/are Drew, Wright, Henry Paul, TJ, Brough, Ellis, Tay Price, Michael Jackson, Aiton, JD and some I’ve missed.

But over all it’s also Sol for me, if nothing else he’s the only Trinity player some opposition fans hated which translates to feared.

Think you got to put W Poaching up there with the best ,Came second behind Solomona in a poll ,for the best player to play in S L for Wakefield. Solo told fans he was going to stay .Then just left for more money to Bradford and said that who he had though he ad signed for in the first place

I was talking about the most talented players, I don’t think Willie was as good a player as most of those. He was great for us at the time but he was a huge fish in a tiny pond. He did well at Leeds without ever being a superstar.

Had he stayed longer I’d have added him like JD.

However that’s just my opinion.

Poching told the fans he was staying until he turned up at Leeds the following day, players are like that.

You are way of the mark with your last sentence . The Wakefield fans new he was been pushed on to Leeds because the Wakefield board was short of cash so they told him he had to go When he played is last match he came down to the North stand to say good buy.with is two young kids .There were a few tears around that day and not just from the fans .If he can put half the passion in to the team that he had as a player,the team will go well

Willie was a good player, with great physical presence but he wasn't close to Solomona in skill.

Solomona was in the NZ Tri Nations team that beat Australia when with us.
Only other I would say was at their peak was Wally Lewis.

All the others mentioned, including Ashurst, were either on their way up and achieved greatness elsewhere, like Ellis and Henry Paul or on their way down.
Still good for us and sometimes great for us but Solomona and Lewis stand above the others for me.

JD is the exception. Was at his peak with us, and one of my favourite all time Wakefield players but was never going to play International.

Well you’re wrong as ever.

It was me he said it to when I asked him. He was down at Asda shopping and when I asked him cool as a cucumber he said no he wasn’t joining Leeds. Following day he was there.

I’ve no issue with it, he was playing his cards close to his chest but spare me the emotive passion nonsense. Pochings number one priority was getting the best deal for him and his family and rightly so.

Nothing to do with the BOD but you maintain thats pure fantasy. Leeds was exactly the move Poching wanted and needed, emotion played no part, it’s RL not Roy of the Rovers.