Wigan Album

who was in the final ? .

whups, try looking at the previous photo.

Jonno,you were the one to fall for it.

I can remember watching this low scoring final on black and white TV on a lovely sunny May afternoon. Didn't Alex Murphy dictate play by continually being caught offside? A ploy explained by my good mate, to win the scrums because Wigan were without their regular Hooker. Wigan narrowly lost. And I do remember Eddie Waring's brilliant commentary.

Please explain Jed.

From memory the score was 2 v 21. Hardly close

Jarvo - are you getting confused with the 1961 final which saints won 12-6

Would be interested to know how those on WW regard Alec Murphy as a player. I remember me and my mates, and everyone around us at Central shouting blue murder at him. Although he was with saints , wigans arch enemy , I always regarded him as a clever player in the Andy Gregory , Sean Edwards mould. I,m sure many will disagree , just wondered how my fellow wigganners regarded him. I personally like players who use their brains, but saying that I also get more pleasure from a fantastic defensive display than I do try time. Each to their own I suppose.

The 1966 final was indeed the one that Wigan lost 21-2. I was there and remember every minute and still have the match programme. It was infamous because Wigan had lost their hooker Colin Clarke through suspension at a time when scrums were fiercely contested, and they did not have an adequate replacement. Wigan hardly had the ball all afternoon because everty time they did Alex Murphy would go offiside, Wigan would get apenalty scrum but would then lose the ball. The match is often cited as leading the RFL to eventually change the rules to introduce uncontested scrums so that the non offending side would not lose possession.

Jeff: No. But I think I got the scores mixed up. Murphy's tactics paid off. Murphy had a brain and was a cunning as a fox. Great, great, player.

Kas,i am a 74 year old, died in the wool Wigan supporter still a season ticket holder, still going to Wembley EVERY year, only missed 1 Catalan away game, you name it and i've done it re Wigan, but, i think Murphy was the best all round player i have ever seen, although it grieves me to say it.

Absolutely Jarvo,cunning as a fox. You ,ve got me thinking Jonno who was the best player I,ve ever seen. Murphy would be there somewhere simply on rugby brains.

Doesn't have to be an older player . I saw Boston and Eric Ashton but in their later years, still great and Ellery Hanley was up there with them. I regret never having seen Brian Bevan play he looked amazing. And who can forget Brett kenny even if only for a short while I still think that the most talented all round player I have seen was Henry Paul, although I sometimes think he found the game so easy (and when also when he went into Rugby Union) that he sometimes lost attention when playing. Of non Wigan players I would go with Jonathon Davies - when he played RU I worried he might be too frail but how wrong can you be.