Wilf joined Oldham from Leigh in a transfer deal which took Tommy Warburton to Hilton Park in time to beat the deadline for the 1968 Challenge Cup. Oldham also picked up a £5,000 fee. From a positional point of view the exchange was a straight swap with both players being stand-offs.
Wilf soon made himself a favourite with the Oldham fans when, in the cup second round, he dropped a goal and scored a try under the posts at Odsal, as Oldham held Bradford to a draw before winning the replay at Watersheddings before more than 18,000 spectators. “Northern” were very much the team of the moment in Rugby League and the Oldham victory was the shock of the competition.
In the following 1968-69 season he topped the Oldham try chart with 26 touchdowns and added to his points tally with nine goals. These were mostly drop goals and a typical effort won a tight Lancashire Cup tie against Workington (7 – 5), as Oldham progressed to the final. The following season he continued where he had left off in the previous campaign and scored 13 tries in just nine appearances, including three “hat tricks”, before an ill fated trip to Barrow led to a dispute between the club and three players (including Briggs) that effectively saw him miss most of the rest of the season.
Wilf left to join Warrington in 1971, after injuries had severely restricted his Oldham appearances. Now, I imagine Wilf would probably be the first to admit that defence was not one of his playing strengths, but as a ball following, try poaching, stand off, it is unlikely the club has ever had any better. A support player of the highest calibre.
Player profile
Wilf joined Oldham from Leigh in a transfer deal which took Tommy Warburton to Hilton Park in time to beat the deadline for the 1968 Challenge Cup. Oldham also picked up a £5,000 fee. From a positional point of view the exchange was a straight swap with both players being stand-offs.
Wilf soon made himself a favourite with the Oldham fans when, in the cup second round, he dropped a goal and scored a try under the posts at Odsal, as Oldham held Bradford to a draw before winning the replay at Watersheddings before more than 18,000 spectators. “Northern” were very much the team of the moment in Rugby League and the Oldham victory was the shock of the competition.
In the following 1968-69 season he topped the Oldham try chart with 26 touchdowns and added to his points tally with nine goals. These were mostly drop goals and a typical effort won a tight Lancashire Cup tie against Workington (7 – 5), as Oldham progressed to the final. The following season he continued where he had left off in the previous campaign and scored 13 tries in just nine appearances, including three “hat tricks”, before an ill fated trip to Barrow led to a dispute between the club and three players (including Briggs) that effectively saw him miss most of the rest of the season.
Wilf left to join Warrington in 1971, after injuries had severely restricted his Oldham appearances. Now, I imagine Wilf would probably be the first to admit that defence was not one of his playing strengths, but as a ball following, try poaching, stand off, it is unlikely the club has ever had any better. A support player of the highest calibre.