
As Good as it Gets
The Story of St Helens' Grand Slam Class of 2006
Mike Critchley(Author)
Vertical Editions (Publisher)
Published on 21. June 2014
Book
Paperback/Softback
224 pages
978-1-904091-86-8 (ISBN)
Description
In 2006 St Helens rugby league club won every single team and individual honour that the sport allowed them to compete for. The Saints wiped the floor with all comers domestically and then to top it off they took the World Club crown by beating Brisbane Broncos. It was a special season, illuminated by the appearance of a genuine Australian superstar in Jamie Lyon, but a campaign that had two born and bred Sintelliners in Paul Wellens and Keiron Cunningham as the big beating heart. And with mercurial Wiganer Sean Long pulling the strings behind a dominant pack how could they fail? From time to time sport throws up special teams; a collection of individuals at the top of their game that click together and produce a virtually unbeatable machine. For one glorious year the men in the red vee from the north west glass town earned their plaudits as one of those special teams. As Good As It Gets is the celebration of that team which was so masterful that it was voted BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year.
The book weaves 'as it happened' reaction with chapters of retrospective analysis from coach Daniel Anderson, Man of Steel Paul Wellens, Jon Wilkin, conditioner Apollo Perelini and prolific scorer Ade Gardner.
The book weaves 'as it happened' reaction with chapters of retrospective analysis from coach Daniel Anderson, Man of Steel Paul Wellens, Jon Wilkin, conditioner Apollo Perelini and prolific scorer Ade Gardner.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Skipton
United Kingdom
Illustrations
30 photographs
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-904091-86-8 (9781904091868)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Mike Critchley became sports editor of his hometown paper, the St Helens Star, in 2001 and is now also the senior sports writer on the Runcorn and Widnes World. Prior to returning north, Mike was chief rugby writer at the Birmingham Mail after starting his journalistic career as a news reporter on the Birmingham MetroNews. Born and raised in Dentons Green, Mike was bitten by the Saints bug in 1978 and an obsession was born - despite taking seven years to see Harry Pinner lift that first trophy. This is his third book after assisting ex-Saints skipper Chris Joynt in the writing of his autobiography The Quiet Man and penning The Patience of a Saint, 1978-96. For the past seven years Mike has helped Steve Prescott write his amazing story - One in a Million - which will be published in August 2014. Aged 47, Mike lives in Widnes with his wife Kate and daughter Rosa.