Re: The SL Experiment : Thu Dec 08, 2016 1:15 pm  

Fitness? or effort?
That saying that Sir Alex Ferguson quoted as being on a dressing room wall when he started in Paisley - "Hard work will beat Talent, when Talent doesn't work hard"

[Bulliac]

Re: The SL Experiment : Thu Dec 08, 2016 2:27 pm  

Isn't that, at least partly, why we had such a poor season last year? When it came down to attitude we were found wanting all too often.

Re: The SL Experiment : Thu Dec 08, 2016 3:11 pm  

Bullseye wrote:

I've no doubt that players of the past would be just as good now or even better with access to modern training methods.

That said FA I'd say in terms of strength players (backs and forwards) were much less strong than now. In terms of "fitness" I'd probably agree there's not much difference in the backs but there definitely is in the forwards.

Kinda my point, the old style forwards needed to be very heavy and fookin hard as nails. Like William Perry "The Fridge", they had no need of speed or endurance. The job they used to do has almost entirely disappeared, that's why you can't really make a fair comparison of forwards especially props.

Mind you, the excellent Ian van Bellen on occasion did show a surprising turn of foot, even if they did have to train him by putting hot pies on a table at the top of the infamous steps.

Re: The SL Experiment : Thu Dec 08, 2016 8:07 pm  

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

Kinda my point, the old style forwards needed to be very heavy and fookin hard as nails. Like William Perry "The Fridge", they had no need of speed or endurance. The job they used to do has almost entirely disappeared, that's why you can't really make a fair comparison of forwards especially props.

Mind you, the excellent Ian van Bellen on occasion did show a surprising turn of foot, even if they did have to train him by putting hot pies on a table at the top of the infamous steps.

Too young for IvB, but my old man reckons he used to come on in a "cannon ball" type role - in fact he made it sound like he'd do 5 minutes before half time, and look bloody knackered after a couple of destructive runs. Kind of a better Lauaki, really?

Re: The SL Experiment : Fri Dec 09, 2016 8:58 am  

And he could kick drop goals (or was that Gary)

[Bulliac]

Re: The SL Experiment : Fri Dec 09, 2016 9:39 am  

Ferocious Aardvark wrote:

Kinda my point, the old style forwards needed to be very heavy and fookin hard as nails. Like William Perry "The Fridge", they had no need of speed or endurance. The job they used to do has almost entirely disappeared, that's why you can't really make a fair comparison of forwards especially props.

Mind you, the excellent Ian van Bellen on occasion did show a surprising turn of foot, even if they did have to train him by putting hot pies on a table at the top of the infamous steps.

I think that's true enough, though it should be remembered that most props, maybe especially 'back in the day', started life in the second row where they did need a little bit of speed, so maybe a little residual pace was left.

There was the story, true or not I don't know, but I suspect it may have been, of the coach who told his props that, if they got their name in the paper for anything in open play, they would be dropped next week as he, the coach, expected ALL their effort to be spent winning the ball in the scrum. Different game, different planet!

Re: The SL Experiment : Fri Dec 09, 2016 10:17 am  

rugbyreddog wrote:

And he could kick drop goals (or was that Gary)

It was Ian, a left footer from 30-40 yards out which silenced about 20,000+ Hull fans at the Boulevard, not an easy thing to do, great night!!!

Re: The SL Experiment : Fri Dec 09, 2016 11:32 am  

Hehe, I was there and it was just one of those moments! And here is the great man himself in action. Watched by the legendary Jimmy Thompson, who was in size nothing like props of the day, but was one of the best forwards it has ever been my privilege to watch, and a great leader of men. Pic from the excellent http://www.rugbyleagueheritageproject.com

Hehe, I was there and it was just one of those moments! And here is the great man himself in action. Watched by the legendary Jimmy Thompson, who was in size nothing like props of the day, but was one of the best forwards it has ever been my privilege to watch, and a great leader of men. Pic from the excellent http://www.rugbyleagueheritageproject.com

Re: The SL Experiment : Fri Dec 09, 2016 12:07 pm  

Wasn't he nicknamed Selwyn after Selwyn Froggitt

Re: The SL Experiment : Fri Dec 09, 2016 7:37 pm  

rugbyreddog wrote:

Wasn't he nicknamed Selwyn after Selwyn Froggitt

Indeed.

'Pint o' cookin'

Some less kindly disposed inhabitants of the Rooley Avenue terrace also used to dub him Ian van Beergut.