Non-fictional article for magazine

[Draken]

Have been asked to write something for a rugby league magazine. The club and the sport almost certainly won't be of interest to many on here, but let me know what you think of the style/readability etc. Here's what I've come up with:

Gateshead Thunder Legends XIII

'Draken' was the Thunder’s stats man during their sole Super League season in 1999. When the club ‘merged’ off to Hull he was one of the founders of the ‘Thunder Storm’ campaign for a new professional club on Tyneside. With the return of the Thunder in December 2000 he resumed his stats role along with other behind-the-scenes jobs, eventually becoming a director in 2003 during some crisis or other. In 2004 he resigned from the board to allow time for less painfully frustrating activities (such as ramming one’s head continually into a brick wall, for instance). He now supports the club as a fan and is looking forward to spending games with a pint of Newcastle Brown in hand while hurling advice at match officials.

I must admit to having more than a few problems in selecting a Thunder Legends XIII. Firstly, as I’m sure you’re aware, Gateshead Thunder’s history stretches back only as far as 1999 – a heinous sin in the eyes of those who value where we have been as a sport more than where we are going. Secondly, there are two distinctly different phases in the club’s brief history: one season in Super League, when we won games, and (so far) four seasons in the Northern Ford Premiership/National League, when we haven’t. In terms of proven ability, it is very hard to argue against simply listing the starting line-up from just about any Super League IV game and calling that our Legends XIII. After all, it’s very hard to compare the side that finished sixth in a fourteen-team Super League with what has come since.

But that would make for a pretty boring article wouldn’t it? So I hope you won’t mind if I use a different criterion and consider players for what they meant to us at the time – no matter how bad that time was. The list will still be dominated by the Thunder side that played in 1999, when life was good, the sun always shone and we beat Wigan and St Helens (twice). But I think I should give mention to some of the players who have done their best for us since then, often while surrounded by team mates whose talent was, shall we say, somewhat elusive. So alongside the heroes of sunny 1999, there will be a few who join them from the stormy days of 2000-2004 (just as the Inuit have many words for ‘snow’, Thunder fans can now spot at least 27 different types of storm cloud gathering over the Thunderdome).


Fullback
The regular 1999 fullback was Ben Sammut, who was also the stand-by goal kicker. Micky Johnson filled the role admirably from the club’s reformation through to early 2002, and was a big favourite with the fans. However this is the one position where a current player most merits inclusion – and a local lad at that. Safe in defence, dangerous in attack and with a work ethic second to none, KEVIN NEIGHBOUR gets my vote.

Wingers
One of the regular 1999 wingers was Ian Herron. ‘Chook’ was the first choice goal kicker, with a distinctive and somewhat protracted style that was guaranteed to irritate rival fans. This of course made him a big favourite with Thunder fans – but to be honest his impact in open play never matched his kicking. For re-formed Thunder, Ritchie Barnett hit a purple patch in 2003 that led to his signing by Hull FC: the transfer fee he commanded makes him in one sense a very important Thunder player indeed. Native Geordie Robin Peers has always given his all, managing to find the try line regularly even during the club’s lengthy barren spells. However my selections for the XIII are MATT DAYLIGHT and BRIAN CARNEY. Matt’s status as a Thunder legend is unassailable – fast-talking, fast-running and with an eye for finishing a move, his 25 tries during Super League IV made him the joint top scorer that year. Brian Carney is maybe a more controversial choice. He only ever played five games for the Thunder, making the starting 13 just three times, but the potential of the immensely popular young Irishman was plain for all to see. What clinches it for me was that fantastic opening try in the defeat of Wigan at Edinburgh’s Tynecastle Stadium, staying on his feet despite the attentions of a host of Wigan tacklers and calmly reaching through the crush to place the ball over the line. Plus my missus says I have to include him cos she fancies him.

Centres
To be honest the Thunder have never really been blessed with the sort of centre who made the position his own; a Paul Newlove or a Keith Senior figure, say. I should mention Damien Reed, who after a lacklustre start to his Thunder career hit a vein of form during the 2003 season with a string of try-scoring performances. However, rather boringly, I’ll award the centre berths to two of the class of ’99: DEON BIRD and DAVE MAIDEN. Deon was a classy utility player who could also turn out at stand off and loose forward. His attacking skills were exemplified by a memorable try against Castleford, when he stooped to catch a bootlace-height pass while running at a sprint. Dave was highly popular member of the squad who caught the eye despite spending much of the 1999 season coming on from the bench. His crowning moment was returning a kick-off for a spectacular 80 metre try against Hull Sharks.

Halfbacks
Obviously it is very hard to look beyond the 1999 combination of Willie Peters and Will Robinson. However in terms of their importance to the club during the difficult years that followed you’ve got to acknowledge the Carl Briggs/Scott Dyson combination and the brother-act of Paul and Neil Thorman. In recognition of his sheer never-say-die commitment to the newly-reformed club, I’ll select CARL BRIGGS and ask him to play at number 6 for a change, outside the mercurial WILLIE PETERS.

[Draken]

Props
In terms of career prospects, being a prop for Gateshead Thunder in Super League ranked up alongside being a drummer for Spinal Tap. Craig Hicks and Brett Green filled the role all too briefly before injuries struck both, and the attrition continued until, by the end of the season, the club was forced to play centres in the back row and a hooker at prop. For the reformed Thunder, Ryan Bailey had a brief cameo on loan from the Rhinos in 2002 and the likes of Lee Garside, David Bates and Carl Stannard have toiled away making some very hard yards for us. But my selections are DANNY LEE and YUSUF SOZI. Danny – ‘the Ox’ – came to the club at the end of a very successful career in Australia, and his sheer size and strength made him a big hit in every sense of the word. He did a great job in Super League until the Thunder Prop Curse struck and a back injury ended his career before the end of the season. I suppose I’m picking Yusuf as an example of (and tribute to) the young props who week in, week out gave their all for a struggling Thunder against usually bigger and always more experienced packs. He improved steadily after joining us from London Broncos’ Academy side, with the ability to make yardage in a team that was so often on the back foot.

Hookers
With due respect to those who have pulled on a Number 9 shirt for the reformed Thunder, this slot is a straight choice between 1999’s Kerrod Walters and Mick Jenkins. The club’s first captain and a ‘big name’ that gave the new Super League outfit credibility, Kerrod was a livewire of a player, especially when attacking from the ruck. Sadly a serious injury to his wife in a car crash obliged him to leave the club mid-season and another Aussie, Mick Jenkins, was drafted in to replace him. Mick was a very different player, running from dummy half much less than Kerrod but really putting himself about in defence. So successful was Mick that when Kerrod returned later in the season he found it hard to reclaim his place in the team. Awesome in defence (it was he who once served as an emergency prop), tougher than the Angel of the North and genuinely scary during the post-season ‘Mad Monday’, MICK JENKINS just shades it for me.

Second Rows
It’s hard to decide who have been the definitive Thunder second-rowers, largely because they tend to get drafted into service as props at regular intervals. Adam Maher, Craig Wilson and Danny McAllister all did sterling service in 1999. Later, Jim Carlton was one of few players to catch the eye in Thunder’s comeback season, scoring a hat-trick in the long-overdue first win at Hunslet. I’ll split the honours here between Super League Thunder and reformed Thunder. The towering LUKE FELSCH gets in for some domineering no-nonsense performances in 1999. From later years it has to be the ‘Geordie Mauler’ himself, STEVEN BRADLEY. Steve is another local player who has given his all for the club through some pretty thankless seasons. Often obliged to play at prop, and with a work rate that is second to none, Steve simply doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘defeat’. Good job, really….

Loose Forward
Again with apologies for those who have come since, for my money there is only one candidate for this position, and that’s TONY GRIMALDI. A quietly influential player, Tony took over the mantle of captain following Kerrod Walters’ departure. He has of course since gone on to great things with Canterbury Bulldogs, and along with Brian Carney and Willie Peters is one of the few Thunder players from 1999 to still be playing at the top level. An honourable mention goes to Andy Walker, who scored a club record five tries in a game in the 2003 home defeat of London Broncos.

So there you have it. My very subjective and not necessarily best-ever Thunder Legends XIII is:

1) Kevin Neighbour
2) Matt Daylight
3) Deon Bird
4) David Maiden
5) Brian Carney
6) Carl Briggs
7) Willie Peters
8) Danny Lee
9) Mick Jenkins
10) Yusuf Sozi
11) Luke Felsch
12) Steven Bradley
13) Tony Grimaldi