I was at the home game v Bradford in the 81 -82 season. Although I don't have a Rothmans to hand, I'm confident that we didn't lose - I remember following a particularly obnoxious Bradford fan back towards Oxford Street who wasn't happy after the game. He was a lot less happy when he found he'd got a parking ticket.



For me, the thing that separated the 71 and 82 teams was pace. The half backs and three quarters of the 82 team were dazzlingly quick. And they won the championship, which is a bigger ask than the Challenge Cup. I remember that the general feeling was that Leigh's style in 81-82 was suited best to hard ground and therefore we were more likely to win the Challenge Cup. A lot of people felt we were nailed on to win it. When we lost to Castleford, there was a massive feeling of deflation. The fact that we went on to win the championship, despite almost chucking it away at the death, makes the 82 team (which changed quite a lot between September and April) the superior one for me. However, they both punched above their weight.

What about the 2001 side?

When I replied to Charlie`s post I`m fairly confident that the game he had in mind was n`t in `82 but a few years later when JW was coaching us `85ish.

Barty the game i refer to was in the 80s though im not sure of the year ,Woody ran rings round Hanley , and later that year we beat Wigan easily at Hilton park their Half backs were Shaun Edwards and Mike Ford .

Your bob on - Either 83/84 or 84/85 season but Leigh did win.

Yes - the [isixth[/i best side since the aforementioned teams IMHO.

I personally wouldnt put the 2001 side above the 2006 side although in a face off an all conqouring Neil Turley would have been a huge and obvious threat.



The 2001 side effectively blew it that year after a roaring start and by the time Oldham and Widnes turned up for the play off's we had been sussed out and both turned us over at home ( Rochdale also beat us heavilly at Spotland during the end of that season)



Look at the 2006 pack alone. Ricky Bibey, Tere Glassie, Bryn Hargreaves, Paul Prescott, Chris Hill, Rob Roberts, Dana Wilson with Paul Rowley at hooker. I won't even mention the likes of Aaron Heremaia and Scott Grix in the backs.



One of the better sides we have ever had but unfortunately let down by the then board of directors who brought in one of the worse coaches we have ever appointed.

I was lucky enough to watch both teams,so lets have the best of both.



1 d eckersley 2 d drummond 3 t bilsbury 4 ste donlan 5 j walsh 6 J Woods 7 A Murphy 8 d chisnall 9 k ashcroft

10 a wilkinson 11 p grimes 12 g clarkson 13 t martyn subs r tabern k green p smetherst p fox.

2006 had the better players, 2001 was by far and away the better [iteam[/i.

That decision nearly ruined us and would have but for AT bailing us out. That squad in 2006 was better than our SL one, O'Neill at 6 and Moore at prop as well. With a good coach we would have bankrupted HKR by winning the GF.

I suppose I was just thinking about the 81-82 season because of the thread's title. Hanley did play in 1981 and although I don't remember the details, the Bradford fans (including the obnoxious one) were very excited about him. This can't have been long before Hanley's enforced sabbatical.

I suppose I was just thinking about the 81-82 season because of the thread's title. Hanley did play in 1981 and although I don't remember the details, the Bradford fans (including the obnoxious one) were very excited about him. This can't have been long before Hanley's enforced sabbatical.