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Comments No 29

Hiya Quigs

I was there, I was only 11 then, and must say it is one of my greatest memories at the young age of 28 that I am now. I will never forget the atmosphere that was at old trafford that night, and it carried on back in widnes for some time after. We kept the posters in our house windows for ages too.

The day after the match in school I think we didn't do much work cos everybody was too busy going on about the match. The whole town seemed to come alive and all that mattered was Rugby league in the name that is Widnes.

That night I can honestly say that I didn't mind stepping foot inside Old Trafford cos it was in the name of Widnes but I would never do it any other time due to not being united fan (I prefer the reds known as Liverpool)

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Me and my father attended and to be honest enjoyed it more than Wigan v Manly.

That Widnes team played some great rugby and in the end put the Aussie pretenders to the sword.

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The first real club challenge was Wigan v Manly.

Wigan actualy challenged, in the true sense, the Aussie champions to try and take them on.

37k in an RL ground watching the pride of Australia get a kicking was fantastic for the game.

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I had just Got married and was on My Honeymoon in Cyprus. I spent 2 Hours on the Phone from Limassol The Trans Hotel slowly getting bladdered. As the Final Whistle blew I jumped on the Bar and started shouting "Widnes Widnes Widnes"as my Totally bemused Scouse Wife looked on, wondering what the Hell she had married.. I then Fell off the Bar, to the amusement of all concerned, plus the phone bill cost me a fortune

Glory Days

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Great game good Widnes side. remember parking in the roads outside the ground right dump it was then.

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My abiding memory was Laurie Daley (I think!) clattering Jonathan Davies out on the wing with a superbly timed and executed stiff-armer.

Davies' nascent career hung in the balance - what would he do ?

He bounced back up and scored the try - in that split second he proved that he had the 'cojones' to make it in the big boys game.

I think that's what happened - it was a long time ago.

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I was there.

Much as I hated Widnes at this time, they were absolutely class that night.

Then again any team who beats an Aussie side gets my vote

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The vagaries of memory make it feel like Jiffy did a complete back somersault when Daley hit him. I know he didn't really, but I like the mental image.

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I wasn't there but it was the match that introduced me to rugby league so I always have fond memories of it. Before that I was a football fan who took a passing interest in rugby union but found the latter a bit boring.

However I knew of and liked the big stars like Jonathan Davies so this was my first chance to watch him as he moved to league.

I was astounded by the difference in quality and how much better the game was and bought the BBC Video of it when it was released.

I watched my first live match a year later, Widnes v Wigan in the Charity Shield in Swansea, went to Wales v PNG a year after that, and have actively followed the game ever since.

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Agreed. I also hated Widnes at the time, but in the two-year period leading up to that night they were awesome. They seemed shocked when Canberra scored two early scores, but then ran riot with six consecutive tries. They were too big & just too fast for everyone in those days.

Apart from Sheffield Eagles four days later of course.

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I always remember jiffy doing the full circle, and landing with the ball placed firmly over the try-line.

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It's all a bit hazy, but I remember going along with a mate. I was behind one of the goals and I recall initially being impressed by the wide, slick sweeping passing of the Canberra side. The match was good enough for me to want to see highlights on Sportsnight (I think?). And I'm sure RL had a higher profile then.

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Recently saw a video of the Widnes campaign of 1990 and, TBH, they were an awesome side. I regard them as the most exciting club team I have ever seen live over those 2-3 seasons.

Wigan had the machine-like edge in the big games but for sheer 5 star entertainment this Widnes side couldn't be touched.

Perm any 7 from 8 in this backline of:

Tait
Davies
Devereux
Currier
Wright
Offiah
Myler
D Hulme

Some of the tries scored by the likes of Offiah and Davies during that era simply had to be seen. And Tony Myler, why wasn't this guy the Laurie Daley or Darren Lockyer of his time? He provided superb off the cuff football time and time again yet do not remember him doing it on the international stage - shame as he had everything.

No I am not a Widnes fan but they were a large part, along with the greats of a Wigan-led Hanley, of many fond RL memories during my early teens. Widnes may be struggling now but I am sure fans of a certain age will cherish that golden era.

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I was there - 17 years ago, FFS!! A fresh faced 19yr old!

Widnes were awesome around that time, I'm sure Joe Grima was faster than most of the centres!

One moment I particularly remember was Darren Wright running at the defence and there was a bit of space for Offiah outside him. The entire stand where I was shouted 'GIVE IT!" , and he duly obliged to give Martin another towards his 500+. Also, I remember there being talk of revenge for Andy Currier after he played in the Balmain side that lost the Winfield Cup final to Canberra a few months earlier.

I know it's easy to say, but I really don't think I've seen a team since that looked as fast at Widnes did around that time.

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I was there.

Great night.

Canberra played us off the park for the first 25 minutes, Widnes then ran them ragged.

Managed to get the Aussie version of the TV coverage, there's good old Brian Smith annoucing that Canberra will murder Widnes.

Graeme Hughes and Ian Maurice did the commetary.

Reckon Hughes was as good as anyone I've heard.

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I was there too and recall Davies getting clobbered.

Today you would think that there was only one side betwen 1985 and 1995 but Widnes were a great side who perhaps don't get the credit deserved as we look back.

The following year they took Australia close as well and their mixture of real quality home grown stars and top brought in stars was exciting.

I personally thought Tony Myler oozed lot's of class.

The Canberra match drew over 30,000 and the Aussie match drew nearly 15,000 with over 40,000 for a premiership final win over Bradford......

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In the early eighties Widnes were the team that set the standard for others to achieve. They were a great side to watch and when Wigan finallly started to rise from their slumber there were some superb Wigan v Widnes tussles.

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I was there, stood behind the posts in the Stretford end. That was just about the best night I’ve ever experienced as a Rugby League fan, and I’d seen a lot of great games, including Widnes beating an Aussie touring side.

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i was there as a neutral, got a ticket for parking too near to the ground and my best memory of the game was seeing Jonathon Davies get 'clothes-lined' on the line, the head was stationary and his feet started a foot behind him ending up 3ft in front of him and 5ft off the ground

I went to all the World Club Challenges up until Saints robbed me of £15 when they played at the JJB and really didn't want to play ball

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I was there.......It was one of the best nights at Central Park I have ever been too.

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I was there Quigs there was a big group of about 12 of us. I was 17 then I can remember the atmosphere and the tension after first ten mins felt like we were doomed. I can remember the teams coming out and Widnes going round with the Trophy after the match.

But I cannot for the life of me remember any of the match itself on the night. I have watched it back on numerous occasions and wondered why I can't remember. I can remember the journey there and getting home and watching the BBC highlights on tape but the match nothing. I can only assume that the occasion and atmosphere took over. But boy what a night!

Brilliant could not stop smiling until the following Sunday when we were smashed by Sheffield Eagles at Bramhall Lane. But I forgave the players they were entitled to celebrate their great win, the little town of Widnes were World Champs.

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A brilliant night!

Went with my dad and a couple of mates in the car - we broke down about a mile from the ground so abandoned the motor and walked rest of way. On our return had to wait 2 hours to be picked up by brakedown truck but couldn't care less - we were too elated.

I remember a couple of Wiganers sat behind us who were giving it loads after the first 10 minutes - saying stuff like "this is how to play Rugby.." etc.. It was excellent feeding them humble pie by the end.

I remember another mate of mine was over in Oz at the time and got up early (around 4am) to watch it. It was on live over there. He reckoned the telecast kept switching to the Canberra Leagues club and told me how hilarious it was seeing their celebrations turn to misery as the game turned around.

There'll always be debate about jet-lag and how seriously the Aussies take these games but how sweet it was for us to take down a side including the likes of Daly,Lazarus,Stuart,Meninga,Clyde etc..

Just to finish quigs, Congrats on the site. Era of the Biff is a fantastic site for RL fans new and old I'd highly recommend it to anyone with any interest in the game at all. You mention on the site that Sorenson and Maninga feature in your top hard-men but our side that night also included the great Joe Grima - an absolute looney!!

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I was there too with my mates and my girlfriend at the time. The things that stick out for me were Canberra's inability to get to grips with Derek Pyke whose ball handling skill were nearly on a par with Tony Myler's. Joe Grima's fisticuffs with one of the Canberra props, Mal Meninga pulling back Martin Offiah when Canberra got there second try. Baying for blood when Laurie Daley decapitated JD and we must not forget Barry Dowd's break from inside his own half that led to one of our tries. I think that was the only one I ever saw him make. I bought every newspaper the following day. What a buzz!!

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big joe put tony myler out of the game with a haymaker that missed the canberra man and slashed right across tony'y eyes!!! ouch. joe grima was a top top player!.

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The relief when Meninga didn,t come out for the second half (after loosing Tony Myler I thought that evened it up).....Never felt so proud of the team as I did that night...........No matter what they achieve in the future nothing will ever match that night. Johnathan Davies showed his calibre as well when he was high tackled just before scoring....no play acting he just made sure he got that ball down and stayed put till the try was given.....talk about "True Grit".......they were all magnificient.I shall remember it "till I die"...

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I was at college in Sheffield at the time playing rugby union for a public school in return for my college fees being paid. Luckily, the rugby coach, Ged Glynn was a widnes lad and he managed to put on a mini bus over from Sheffield to take the 1st XV to watch the match. Apart from myself and a couple of lads from St Helens, most of the lads had what could be called a privileged background and didn’t normally entertain the league code. They soon changed their tune though, and our team picked up a few new fans that night who were buzzing off the whole experience. There were an array of lads with us from all over the country, also a guy from Spain, and even a Maltese Prince!! All agreed that it was one of the best spectacles they had ever seen.

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I went to the game on the Appleton Arms Pub Coach, with the Appleton Park Amateur Open age RL lads. Ste O’Neil, another great Biffer, was with us to. We where stood in the Stretford End, behind the sticks.

I really didn’t give us a chance, even though I knew we had a great side. Just one look at the Canberra team sheet read like a who’s who of Aussie RL at the time. It included: Gary Belcher, Mal Meninga (c), Laurie Daley, John Ferguson, Chris O'Sullivan, Ricky Stuart, Bradley Clyde, Dean Lance, Glenn Lazarus, Steve Walters, Brett Todd, Steve Jackson, Kevin Walters.

I remember watching Canberra warming up right in front of us. They looked sharp and really up for it. They were running round inter-passing and geeing each other up. Then within half an hour my worst fears seemed to be coming true. We were 12 points behind and looking way out of our depth. I knew we were much better that this, but Canberra looked like they were going to run away with it.

Then Paul Hulme went over. You could see the belief begin to return. The passing was simply sublime from Widnes, with Phil McKenzie constantly combining with Derek Pike and terrorising the Canberra defence. The big hits started coming in from the likes of Joe Grima and Kurt Sorensen, and suddenly Canberra looked stunned. The loss of Tony Myler was a worry, but it was evened up by Mal Meninga’s absence.

The abiding memories for me are:

The way McKenzie was causing havoc off the shoulder of Derek Pike.

When Daley put that hit on Davies, and Davies being told, by Alan Tait, to get back down and play dead when trying to get straight back up after scoring.

And of course that great try scored by Martin Offiah after picking it up off his bootlaces.

I can’t recall ever being as proud of my club as I was that night, and why not. We’d just beaten one of the finest club sides ever assembled, from the capital city of the biggest Rugby League nation in the world. That’s not bad for a small northern town like Widnes. All I know is that I left Old Trafford an inch taller that night. We had helped put British RL back on the map, and did so with style and sublime skill.

It was even better than the night we became the last English club side to beat an Aussie touring side.

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A fantastic win--one which I believe we have never received real credit for.
I remember standing in front of some St Helens fans who were rooting for Canberra due to Meninga's presence. Having been to many WCC game I could never shout for the Aussie team--may be different if Wire were playing but there's no chance of that is there???!!!

One other thing--it was the vogue to swap shirts in those days--how good it would have been to see them parade the cup in Widnes shirts--but hey just a minor point on a night which will live long in the memories of those who were there.

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I was there with a coach load from the local pub.

Thought at the start we where going to get a hammering, but this was the thing with this widnes side, we seemed to never give up and with the quality players it did not matter if you scored against us we always seemed to score more.

Agree with other post not seen attacking rugby like that team since

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