A tribute to Jiffy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt4AIRMzJ2o

Greatest dual code international to ever play the game, now a hugely respected pundit.

Hugely respected?...in Trimsaran maybe. Nah, He's alright. Does get a bit excited at times and with his favourite catchphrases. 'Numbahs, dog leg, gotta goh wide/left/right, straighten up, Greight play...

Breadvan wrote:Hugely respected?...in Trimsaran maybe. Nah, He's alright. Does get a bit excited at times and with his favourite catchphrases. 'Numbahs, dog leg, gotta goh wide/left/right, straighten up, Greight play...

It must get pretty frustrating for him.

100%beefy wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt4AIRMzJ2o

Greatest dual code international to ever play the game, now a hugely respected pundit.

Really, I never knew that.

aucklandlaurie wrote:

100%beefy wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt4AIRMzJ2o

Greatest dual code international to ever play the game, now a hugely respected pundit.

Really, I never knew that.

Have to agree with Laurie.
You know that Brad Thorn, has played in a winning Origin side for Queensland, won the NRL with Brisbane, won the Super 14 with the Crusaders and the RU world cup with the ABS. I say he was the greatest Dual code international. Maybe followed by Jason Robinson. Then Scott Gibbs.

Followed by Dally Meseenger, Michael O'Connor (that ones for Linebreaker) Matt Rogers, Ricky Stuart, Ray Price, George Nepia, Bert Cooke, Noa Nadruku, John Bevan, Craig Innes,Mathew Ridge, Sonny Bill Williams, Wendell Sailor Henry Paul then Jonathan Davis.

Another category we aren't the best in.

No RL players.

MotelMoneyMurderMadness wrote:

aucklandlaurie wrote:

100%beefy wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt4AIRMzJ2o

Greatest dual code international to ever play the game, now a hugely respected pundit.

Really, I never knew that.

Have to agree with Laurie.
You know that Brad Thorn, has played in a winning Origin side for Queensland, won the NRL with Brisbane, won the Super 14 with the Crusaders and the RU world cup with the ABS. I say he was the greatest Dual code international. Maybe followed by Jason Robinson. Then Scott Gibbs.

Didnt he pick up a Heineken cup somewhere as well?

I always thought Scott Quinnell was the better player, followed by Allan Bateman before Jiffy.

Just an observation by when Jiffy gets excited when commenting does anybodys dog hide putting thier paws over thier ears and howl in pain???

Other welsh guys who were handy at both codes was Ackerman and Deveraux.

Laurie, to be fair I dont recognise half the names on your list, but can I add Va'aiga Tuigamala?

Knackeredknees wrote:I always thought Scott Quinnell was the better player, followed by Allan Bateman before Jiffy.

Just an observation by when Jiffy gets excited when commenting does anybodys dog hide putting thier paws over thier ears and howl in pain???

Theres two more then. Good call.

Allan Tait?

Jason Robinson, Brad Thorn, Sonny Bill Williams, Lote Tiquiri, Inge Tuigamala & Frano Botica were better.

Israel Folau looks like he will join that list as will if he stays the course. He was magestic on the weekend. Looked like a 10 year veteran.

Better than Iestyn Harris though. Then again I'd rather have Priestland play in a game of death for me then Harris.

fa0019 wrote:Jason Robinson, Brad Thorn, Sonny Bill Williams, Lote Tiquiri, Inge Tuigamala & Frano Botica were better.

Israel Folau looks like he will join that list as will if he stays the course. He was magestic on the weekend. Looked like a 10 year veteran.Better than Iestyn Harris though. Then again I'd rather have Priestland play in a game of death for me then Harris.

Thats quite funny fa0019 as Izzy Folau has now been playing rugby for whole 10 weeks.

It would have been great to see Jonathan Davies on Lions tours. I remember being really disappointed when I hear he had switched codes because he would have been certain to travel to Australia.

You can't blame him for wanting to take financial advantage of his skills. Rugby union didn't go fully professional until 1995, by which time his international career was virtually over.

can't spell but I'm sure you got what I meant! D'oh.

Now starting to believe that Folau could feature in the lions series.... could make Halfpenny's tour a nightmare.... he is a master of collecting high balls and Halfpenny won't have a chance over him if accurate.

Only his defence which needs to shore up in terms of his positioning and kicking.

Jiffy as a person for me is an annoying twxt who's full of his own self importance. As a player however he's possibly the best 10 that ever played for Wales and watching him play RL for GB just illustrated what a great all round footballer he was. Genuine world class without a doubt both as a player and as a complete twxt

I think people listing all those players before jiffy forget just how good he was. He may be quite irritating as a pundit but as a player he was sublime. All of the players listed may have been more successful but as part of successful teams. Jiffy was brilliant in rubbish teams for Wales and his RL teams weren't exactly top but he always looked a different class. Tackled above his weight class and could break up play like nobody else. Way out in front for me.

good player

Knickers pundit

Jiffy was a lot more than a good player Tattie

Growing up watching rugby in the eighties and early nineties I use to watch Jiffy play and was always amazed by his ability on the rugby pitch, never have I seen a 10 with such acceleration and poise, he was the heartbeat of the 1988 triple crown winning side and when it was announced that he was leaving union to play league I was gutted, I remember saying to my mates that now he has gone we were inn the shat. The next season was a shambles because although he was probably the highest profile Welsh player that went a lot of other good players in there position also went, almost a whole generation, even lesser known players like John Woods from Tredegar RFC. If anybody remembers Welsh rugby before professionalism then they will have to concede that Jiffy was easily one of the best around, and he proved it in league as well, I will never forget that try for GB at Wembley against the Aussies, he threw a dummy in his own 22 and ran the length of the pitch to score in the corner, class.

i have nothing for or against tributes but this incessant blowing smoke up his rectum is pathetic, he isn't dead, he has had his day and yet seems to evoke oohs and aahs from evryone and his wife, their tennis partners and their tennis partner's dogs becuase he isn't going on tour

yes Secret,
the underrated Jiffy should be invited to tour !

Jiffy is up there with Thorn, Robinson and SBW for sure.

Gibbs, Tait, Sailor, Rogers etc aren't fit to lace his boots.

Genius player, the Ian Madigan of his day.

the Ian Madigan of his day. Quality Rodders

RubyGuby wrote:Jiffy as a person for me is an annoying twxt who's full of his own self importance.

Of all the former players working as pundits, I'd say Jiffy is the least self-important.

Most self important twix bar in my eyes.................

sorry, has to be mister suave and debonair himself, Denzil Washington

BBC pundits should pass a GCSE English language test before being allowed near a studio to speak live to the nation.

Leaving Cert will have to do Keith Wood...and a handheld loudpeaker.

Wilkinsons has said 'Jiffy has had his day at the BBC and that it would be a backwards step for them to offer him another contract.'

Woodie is alright, I can understand what he says. He is the epitome of eloquence compared with some. Some ex footballers can be pretty bad.... just a bundle of soccer cliches passing as 'English'. Jiffy may be the most cliché bound of the RU commentators. Paradoxically Jiffy's post move technical analysis I find very good... if only he could express it better.

VictorU3 wrote:Wilkinsons has said 'Jiffy has had his day at the BBC and that it would be a backwards step for them to offer him another contract.'

rodders wrote:Jiffy is up there with Thorn, Robinson and SBW for sure.

Gibbs, Tait, Sailor, Rogers etc aren't fit to lace his boots.

Genius player, the Ian Madigan of his day.

I always thought Mat Rogers had real potential myself. How many league players were able to run a union game? Most are wingers, none had playmaking responsibilities.

Had Rogers had a few more years I think he could have become a class union individual. He had a lot of skill.

Its a lot more difficult for league players going into union from those positions.

gregortree wrote:Jiffy's post move technical analysis I find very good... if only he could express it better.

So what you're saying is that Jiffy knows his onions, he just doesn't know what they're called?

LP. yes, words limited to 'numbahs' and 'onions'.
He uses arrows on the replay screen on the principle that a picture is worth a thousand words. But his live commentary is gibberish.

Fast brains always seem to be talking gibberish. They see things quicker and in the attempt to explain it, they hit the last words of a sentence at the same time as the first bit is still on the tongue.

I was playing squash with Ron wadron in the early 80's (Neath coach) and was talking about the current Neath outside half and how good he was. He said, we have a better kid coming through who's lightening. It was Jiffy of all people. At least he's ugly; I find that helps to make him more tolerable

gregortree wrote:BBC pundits should pass a GCSE English language test before being allowed near a studio to speak live to the nation.

Leave it out, English is Jiffy's second language! Ibanez and Betsen struggled a bit too.

So to summarise, apart from Brad Thorn, Jason Robinson, Scott Gibbs, Dally Meseenger, Michael O'Connor, Matt Rogers, Ricky Stuart, Ray Price, George Nepia, Bert Cooke, Noa Nadruku, John Bevan, Craig Innes, Mathew Ridge, Sonny Bill Williams, Wendell Sailor, Henry Paul, Allan Bateman, Lote Tiquiri, Inge Tuigamala and Frano Botica - we agree that Jiffy was the finest dual code international?

Glad we can all agree on something on these boards.

rodders wrote:Jiffy is up there with Thorn, Robinson and SBW for sure.

Gibbs, Tait, Sailor, Rogers etc aren't fit to lace his boots.

Genius player, the Ian Madigan of his day.

I agree. A lot of those comments are just out of genuine dislike for Jiffy rather than fact. Just press the mute button lads.

Best cross code player of all time?

Mr C Ashton jumps to mind

VictorU3 wrote:Wilkinsons has said 'Jiffy has had his day at the BBC and that it would be a backwards step for them to offer him another contract.'

Victor you brilliant Bar stid.

Ibanez has a better command of English, so maybe he should get the BBC match commentary contract.

now a hugely respected pundit.

I don't think so.

George Carlin wrote:So to summarise, apart from Brad Thorn, Jason Robinson, Scott Gibbs, Dally Meseenger, Michael O'Connor, Matt Rogers, Ricky Stuart, Ray Price, George Nepia, Bert Cooke, Noa Nadruku, John Bevan, Craig Innes, Mathew Ridge, Sonny Bill Williams, Wendell Sailor, Henry Paul, Allan Bateman, Lote Tiquiri, Inge Tuigamala and Frano Botica - we agree that Jiffy was the finest dual code international?

Glad we can all agree on something on these boards.

We have a mix of union to League converts and vice versa there. TBH I cannot comment on the RL ability of many of th eNRL stars but:

Jiffy was better than Gibbs and Bateman at RL, and probably at RU too.
He was much better at his secobnd sport (RL) than Henry Paul was at his (RU). I reckon he was better at his primary sport as well.

While it was silly to call him the greatest ever dual code rugby player, he was a damned good one, having real success at both elements.

One of the finest dual code internationals sure... but perhaps thats because some of the greats decided they didn't want to leave their own sport.

Radlinski was highly regarded by many in union and I think SCW tried to court him heavily.

Also, Will Carling is often quoted in saying he was offered 1MM GBP to switch to rugby league!

How do you quantify 'greatest'? Gibbs went on 3 Lions tours and won trophies while with league. JD had nowhere near the success in RU trophy wise as far as I am aware.

Gibbs 3rd lions tour was solely because of Henry's involvement in reality... it wasn't really earned on form. Still a great player mind.

May have been a simple role compared to that of a 10 but if its so easy then everyone would be doing it. Not many have equalled his performances since.

MotelMoneyMurderMadness wrote:How do you quantify 'greatest'? Gibbs went on 3 Lions tours and won trophies while with league. JD had nowhere near the success in RU trophy wise as far as I am aware.

It's hard to measure greatness by being called up to a Lions side as that's all down to a selection panel which is inherently subjective - you could be awesome and not get picked (see the myriad of recent Lions posts) - doesn't mean you're a bad player if you don't get picked. Just means the panel didn't rate you. Similarly getting picked doesn't mean you're mustard.