IT is sad to report that former Saints, Wigan, Bradford Northern, Widnes, Oldham and England prop forward Brian Hogan has died. He was 74.

Tough and uncompromising on the field, but warm and friendly family man off it, Hogan will be sadly missed by family, friends and former work colleagues, teammates and opponents.

 

Former teammates Eddie Cunningham and Jim Mills were among those leaving tributes on social media.

 

A St Helens-born product of Merton Bank Junior School and Parr High School Hogan played for the Town and Lancashire schoolboy teams before joining Blackbrook Under 17s.

He signed for his hometown Saints aged 16 in 1964 and made his senior debut in January 1966.

A rough, tough no-nonsense packman, Hogan played 53 times for Saints, including five assorted finals.

St Helens Star:

He flitted between second row and prop in his time at Saints – which ended in the Floodlit trophy defeat by Wigan at Central Park in the BBC2 Floodlit Final on 17 December 1968.

It was a fiery one, with Hogan and opponent Bill Ashurst sent off for fighting. The pair were soon teammates as he joined Wigan, playing there in two spells from 1969-1972 and 1974-1978.

The big man played in the 1970 Challenge Cup final defeat against Castleford and the 1971 Championship final loss against Saints.

Hogan joined Workington Town briefly and then Bradford Northern, where he again tasted Wembley defeat in 1973 against Featherstone Rovers.

He was brought to Widnes by Vince Karalius for the first of his three spells at Naughton Park and he helped in turning around their fortunes in that first stint. Bigger days were on the way for the Chemics.

Hogan returned to Wigan for a second spell, earning five England caps between 1975-77, including for the 1975 World Championship which was held in both hemispheres. His second spell at a Cherry and Whites side yielded just a Lancashire Cup runners up medal in 1977.

In a second stint at Widnes, Hogan played in the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy win at St Helens in December 1978, but missed the Cup Kings’ other final successes that term with a shoulder injury.

Hogan was in his prime as a prop in 1979-80 – and collected Lancashire Cup and Premiership winners medals, to go with a John Player runner up.

Hopes of a Wembley appearance with the Chemics were dashed when he had a try chalked off in the semi-final defeat by Hull in the 1980.

After picking up a mammoth 13-match suspension for a late, high tackle on Mal Reilly Hogan missed much of the latter half of 1980-81 season and was not picked in the 1981 Wembley win, with Widnes going with Mike O’Neill, Brian Lockwood and Glyn Shaw for that one.

A stint as a ball-playing prop at Oldham followed in 1982, where Frank Myler was guiding a team to promotion with future GB internationals on board at the Watersheddings. Hogan’s physical presence was helpful in stopping that young side from getting bullied.

 

Hogan had a short third stint in black and white from 1983 before injuries finally made him call time on a career that started by playing in a side that included Tom van Vollenhoven and finished with one including Andy Gregory and Joe Lydon.

And Hogan’s last game? Of course, it was at prop in an 11-9 Easter Monday win over Saints at Knowsley Road where it all began.

Condolences to his family during this sad time.