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My Ultimate Team: Karl Harrison’s best 13 including Hull FC, Great Britain icons

Karl Harrison enjoyed a highly distinguished playing career in rugby league, starring for Bramley, Featherstone Rovers, Hull FC, Halifax, Great Britain and England.

In partnership with eToro, the trading and investing platform with over 35 million users, Harrison, 60, whose son James plays for Warrington Wolves, has given Love Rugby League his Ultimate Team of players he had the pleasure of playing alongside.

Unsurprisingly, it is a side packed with some of the most legendary names of Harrison’s era…

1. Jonathan Davies (Great Britain)

Jonathan Davies Great Britain Alamy

This is self-explanatory. Jiffy was just a legend wasn’t he? In both codes.

I played in that famous game at Wembley in 1994 when he scored for Great Britain against Australia.

What a try and what a player who could do it in big moments. And a lovely fella too. 

2. John Bentley (Halifax, England and Great Britain)

John, like Jiffy, was a player to do it in both codes and the fact he played for the British and Irish Lions said everything about his talent.

He was just a great rugby player and another top bloke.

3. Paul Newlove (Featherstone Rovers and Great Britain)

I played in Paul’s debut game for Featherstone when he was 16 years old.

He was big, athletic and raw but also a very special talent.

Peter Fox was the coach and gave Paul a chance. And what a class act he turned out to be.

4. John Schuster (Halifax)

We signed John from Newcastle Knights and he was another dual-code international who had played for the All Blacks.

He was born in Samoa – and was one of the first Samoans to come over here to play – and was a really classy centre who was a joy to play alongside.

John was the ‘Samoan Chief’ and had great footwork, could sidestep anybody, and was also a fantastic goal-kicker.

5. Martin Offiah (Great Britain)

I played with Jason Robinson and obviously everyone knows what an unbelievable talent he was.

But Martin was just Martin wasn’t he? The ultimate finisher and, if there was half a gap, he was gone.

Jason was a more hard-working player, but Martin was the better finisher and again, a really good fella.

6. Garry Schofield (Great Britain)

People forget that rugby league existed before the formation of Super League in 1996.

Garry was a Great Britain tourist at 18, as a centre, and he was just a fantastic rugby league player.

I played against Schoey throughout my career, right from being amateurs, so I’ve known him for 50 years and he was a special talent.

7. Greg Mackey (Hull FC)

This was tough because I had three players in mind – Shaun Edwards, Deryck Fox and Greg Mackey.

But I’ve gone for Greg, a fantastic Aussie scrum-half, because I played with him at Hull FC after Brian Smith signed him at the same time as me.

Sadly, Greg passed away in 2014 but he will always be fondly remembered and is a legend at Warrington too after what he achieved there. A brilliant competitor.

8. Brent Stewart (Halifax)

Brent was a New Zealand international who I played with for two years at Halifax – he was a very tough competitor who would take all the hard carries.

I had a few tussles with him in the Test matches as well when Great Britain played the Kiwis.

Brent lives on the South Island of New Zealand and I still keep in touch with him now.

9. Lee Jackson (Hull FC and Great Britain)

Lee Jackson Hull FC Alamy

Lee was just a different level of player and won a Grand Final in Australia with Newcastle Knights in 1997.

A tough, skilful hooker and a fantastic team-mate to play alongside in the front-row.

10. Andy Platt (Great Britain)

Andy had a fantastic career with the likes of St Helens, Wigan and the Auckland Warriors.

He was arguably the best front-rower in the game at the time. A class act. 

11. Denis Betts (Great Britain)

Denis is a great guy and someone I have been friends with for many years.

He was my assistant when I coached England and as a player, he was fantastic – the ultimate professional and one of the finest second-rowers of his era.

Denis set new fitness levels, along with Phil Clarke, before Andy Farrell came through and did likewise a few years later. 

12. Paul Moriarty (Halifax)

Paul was a big, long-striding and uncompromising Welshman who I played with at Halifax.

A really tough competitor who was a joy to play alongside. 

13. Ellery Hanley (Great Britain)

Ellery Hanley Great Britain 1992 Alamy

What can I say about Ellery that has not already been said?

He had an aura about him and, even when he was playing poorly, he was still fantastic.

An unbelievable competitor, ultra-fit, and people thought he was aloof but Ellery was actually a really good fella. And he’s still in unbelievable shape now!

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