That is a surprise. I didn't think Smith played anywhere near that many for Leeds. Remember him having a stinker at Cas and some of the Leeds fans booing him. The two well-timbered drunks who ran the now bulldozed off licence on St Michaels Lane even found time to boo. Must have gone a whole minute at least not dipping into their carrier bags full of booze.
Smith started at home V St Helens (Leeds lost 20-40) and then had a run of seven games (your Castleford game was the 3rd of them - YC 2nd Round Leeds lost 16-38) the last of the seven was V the touring Aussies (Leeds lost 0-40.) He then missed the home loss to Bradford before returning off the bench for my best memory of his short stint a very unexpected 32-10 win at the Boulevard where Ettingshausen really announced his star quality. Smith's final Leeds game was the one which probably cost Peter Fox his job - the home capitulation to Warrington, 16-54.
Joined: May 08 2002 Posts: 9565 Location: 10 mins walk from Suncorp Stadium
Peter Smith at least played proper first grade when he signed for Leeds so you can understand why they might have thought he'd be useful. How Bob Morris ever got signed is beyond me. Add him to Ricky Lulham (Wauchope NSW), Darren Stevens and Mark Wilkes as a list of Aussie players who should never have been signed. By any club.
craigizzard wrote:Bob Morris was a short blond hooker and Peter Smith a dark haired prop. Both were really poor, signed by I think Peter Fox and neither of them played more than a dozen games for us, though tvoc can confirm.
I don't think Bob Morris was too bad, but Peter Smith ,oh dear, made Ben Cross look like a world beater ( nice guy though, I met him in the Cherry Tree pub )
Joined: Dec 22 2001 Posts: 31821 Location: The Corridor of Uncertainty
Mark Laurie wrote:By the time Fox arrived at Leeds, the game was moving past his coaching methods, however he did not have much to work with. Sure he would have won trophies if had arrived much earlier in his career.
Sorry Mark I can’t let that pass. Had the Leeds board properly backed Fox financially as they did with Bamford, Reilly, Ward and Laughton they’d have won a hatful of trophies. Fox was more successful with Bradford than any of those coaches were with Leeds 1987-1994.
I rather think Fox put some senior noses out of joint in the Leeds boardroom. Probably those that signed Bob Morris and co without his knowledge. Fox was never one to suffer fools.
"If you start listening to the fans it won't be long before you're sitting with them," - Wayne Bennett.
BrisbaneRhino wrote: Add him to Ricky Lulham (Wauchope NSW), Darren Stevens and Mark Wilkes as a list of Aussie players who should never have been signed. By any club.
I always thought he was OK .... for a mortal.
Oh sorry that was Darrin
A little harsh on Ricky there IMO brought more than Steve Bleakley ever did.
Joined: Apr 03 2003 Posts: 28186 Location: A world of my own ...
DHM wrote:I was probably on the same coach. As good a season as it was the away game at Leigh in sleet and snow was possibly the worst game of rugby league I have ever seen.
Are we having an "awful games I went to and now have no idea why" recollection session?
Prelim round win in one of the Cup comps away at Swinton, think it might have been Carl Gibson's debut? Midweek, freezing fog, crumbling old ground. Could barely see the pitch from the top of the banking opposite the main stand.
"As you travel through life don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things" - George Carlin
Andy Gilder wrote:Are we having an "awful games I went to and now have no idea why" recollection session?
Prelim round win in one of the Cup comps away at Swinton, think it might have been Carl Gibson's debut? Midweek, freezing fog, crumbling old ground. Could barely see the pitch from the top of the banking opposite the main stand.
That's another game I was at. Sat down for that one and got a splinter from the Station Road seats despite wearing jeans.
craigizzard wrote:That's another game I was at. Sat down for that one and got a splinter from the Station Road seats despite wearing jeans.
This is a game I also attended.
It was on an evening and memorable for a PA announcement which stated something along the lines of... "Could the owner of the car [Registration Number *** *** *] please return to your vehicle immediately as it's just been run over by a double decker bus"
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