First game 14/09/1977, Last game 17/05/1987, Played 239 + 52 Tries 119 Goals 30 Drop Goals 8 Points 469.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.

More than 30 years after he played his last game for Warrington, Bob Eccles is still the club’s highest try-scoring forward with 119 touchdowns to his credit and his record looks safe for a good while yet.

Eccles was also a great entertainer and scorer of spectacular tries, qualities which were recognised by Andy Gregory, who named Eccles in his Fantasy Rugby League XIII in his autobiography “Pint Size: Heroes and Hangovers”.

“Bob’s selection might come as a bit of a surprise to some people but I really rated this fellow,” wrote Gregory. “His record of tries for a back-row forward speaks for itself. He had bags of pace, and although he came into the game late, he made up for lost time by fulfilling his ambition of playing for Great Britain.

“Obviously, Bob needed someone to put him through the gap in the first place but once he had the ball there was no stopping him. There are plenty of forwards these days who are looking for support after about five yards but he always had the confidence in his own ability to make the line. And he usually did.”

Eccles was at his best in the 1982-83 season when he scored a remarkable 37 tries in 37 appearances – including five in one match against Blackpool Borough – to become the leading scorer in the game.

His form even earned him a place in the Great Britain side to face Australia in the second Test at Wigan’s Central Park that November. It was a baptism of fire. The Kangaroos had already won the first Test 40-4 and Great Britain coach Johnny Whiteley had made 10 changes for the second instalment of the Ashes series. Australia were unchanged and romped to a 27-6 victory.

Eccles was never invited to wear the red, white and blue of Great Britain again, although he continued to torment defences in the primrose and blue of Warrington until a twice broken right arm virtually ended his career in the top division. He suffered the first break in the 1985 Lancashire Cup final defeat against Wigan and the second in his comeback game against St Helens the following January.

Eccles was born in St Helens in July 1957 and was discovered by the then Warrington coach Alex Murphy playing soccer for Culcheth in a local league, although he had played rugby league for Rochdale Hornets Colts between November 1976 and March 1977.

Eccles, who was 6ft 1in and 15st 4lb, made his Wire debut against Salford at Wilderspool in September 1977 and really made a name for himself that November in the John Player Trophy semi-final at Wakefield. Eccles, still only 20, scored a cracking solo try and helped to set up one for Ken Kelly as Warrington built up a match-winning 10-0 lead before half-time.

He collected John Player’s winner’s medals in 1978 and 1981 and Lancashire Cup winner’s medals in 1980 and 1982 as the try tally continued to rise. From September to November 1982, for example, he scored in nine consecutive matches – another record for a Warrington forward.

Finally, at Bradford in April 1984, he broke Harry Bath’s club record of 90 tries for a forward, but he was still far from finished. His 100^thtry arrived the following season and many more would undoubtedly have followed but for those broken arms.

“Bob Eccles is one of the fastest forwards I have ever seen,” wrote John Bevan in his testimonial brochure. “When he sees the line, you need a crowbar to get the ball out of his hands. He has scored tries that a flying winger would have been proud to claim.”

He also represented Great Britain Under 24s twice and played twice for Lancashire.

Eccles was sold to Second Division Springfield Borough in August 1987 for £25,000, where he played alongside his brother Cliff, and later coached Blackpool Gladiators, Chorley and at Crosfields. He carried on playing until the hanging up his boots during 1994-95 season, whilst a Barrow player. He had previously played for Chorley Borough, Trafford Borough, Rochdale Hornets and Blackpool Gladiators.

He remains a regular and popular visitor at The Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Hall of Fame: Nicholas, Eccles and Hamblett