Andy Gregory - Playing Career

Playing Career

Gregory played for Widnes from 1980 until 1984, towards the end of the famous "Cup Kings" era. In his first season for Widnes, he forced his way into the first team and became a regular fixture from them on. The end of his debut season was capped with a trip to Wembley for his first Challenge Cup Final, against Hull Kingston Rovers. Despite having a tooth removed the night before the game, he finished the game with a try, and almost won the Lance Todd Trophy for man of the match as Widnes won 18-9. Gregory reached the final the following season as Widnes reached the final again, but this time losing to Hull in the final. In total, he played 141 games for Widnes scoring 43 tries, and earning GB caps while at the club.

At the start of the 1984/5 season, Gregory refused to play for Widnes, and held out for a chance to play for his home town team. But Widnes refused the deal, and sold him in a deal between Widnes and Warrington for £75,000 and John Fieldhouse moving the opposite way to Widnes. Before leaving Warrington in 1986, he played 60 games as they won the 1986 Premiership Trophy Final against Halifax.

Gregory finally signed for Wigan in 1986 for a reported then world record fee of £130,000. He made an immediate impact as he won the 1987 Player of the Year award, no small achievement as Wigan went on a run of 29 consecutive wins. Also in 1987, he played a big part in the inaugural World Club Challenge win over Australian champions Manly-Warringah and although he was only small in height he dominated games on the field from halfback. In 1988, Gregory also kicked a goal in Wigan's 32-12 Challenge Cup final win over Halifax, winning the Lance Todd Trophy for the first time, a feat he repeated in 1990 as Wigan thumped Warrington 36-14.

Gregory had a successful career at Wigan, playing 182 times for the club and winning awards including the World Club Challenge, five Challenge Cups (the first player to do so), four Championships, two Regal Trophies, two Lancashire Cup's, the John Player Trophy, and a Premiership. He also became the first player to appear in eight Challenge Cup finals.

In 1989, Gregory, and Wigan team mate, fullback Steve Hampson, played several months of the 1989 NSWRL season in the Winfield Cup with the battling Illawarra Steelers. Gregory playing a big role in their thrilling 20-22 loss to the Brisbane Broncos in the mid-week Panasonic Cup Final played at the Parramatta Stadium in Sydney, winning the man-of-the-match award. It remains Illawarra's only appearance in a cup final.

Andy also played nine league games for Illawarra, scoring tries against Penrith, Gold Coast Seagulls, and South Sydney. His first league game was in Round 9 against Manly, and his last was in Round 20 against Eastern Suburbs.

During the 1991–92 Rugby Football League season, Gregory played for defending champions Wigan at scrum half in their 1991 World Club Challenge victory against the visiting Penrith Panthers at the famous Anfield stadium in Liverpool.

Andy was transferred to Leeds in 1992, after feeling he had no option but to leave Wigan when they gave him the terms of his contract extension following his return from the Great Britain Lions tour of Australasia. Gregory had no intention of leaving and wanted to retire as a Wigan player, but the club has been informed by medical staff that he was becoming too injury prone. He was sold for just £15,000. Gregory failed to achieve the same heights at Leeds as he did at Wigan, something not helped by the journey from home and successive injuries, and was then transferred to Salford after two seasons.

Andy joined Salford for the 1994 season for a fee of £10,000, and in 1995 took on a player/coach role, finishing his playing career.