JONATHAN Davies starred in primrose and blue for three seasons of an illustrious playing career that started and finished in Wales.

His decision to leave his homeland and Rugby Union did not got down well in Wales. Davies was the national hero of a sport still at loggerheads with the League code following the historic 1895 split.

But Davies, with 27 Welsh RU caps under his belt, sought financial security for his family and signed a four-year contract with Widnes in 1989.

Warrington's Cheshire rivals were struggling to maintain Davies' wages and he sensationally moved to Wilderspool for the 1993/94 season.

One man does not make a team but Davies' genius in attack, with the ability to create something out of nothing, helped to steer Warrington to joint top of the table. Davies and co. missed out on the league title to Wigan and runners-up spot to Bradford on points difference.

Davies, playing in the centre, finished the campaign as Warrington's leading scorer with 21 tries and 110 goals, including 11 drop goals.

His outstanding season was rewarded with the game's Man of Steel award and First Division Player of the Year title. He was only the second Warrington player to have won the Man of Steel crown.

Davies' international career was rejuvenated while at Wilderspool with seven Wales and four Great Britain appearances going his way. He appears in the all-time Great Britain top 10 Rugby League try and goal scorers thanks to those efforts.

Warrington's appearance in a cup final came in Davies' second season but he was mainly marked out of the game on that day by a rampant Wigan side in the Regal Trophy final at Huddersfield's McAlpine Stadium.

Davies' services to sport were recognised that year though when he was awarded an MBE.

His third and final season was cut short through injury before he returned to Union with Cardiff in 1995 after the Centenary World Cup in which he captained Wales to the semi-finals.

Father-of-three Davies married for a second time in August, 2002, at the age of 40, and now enjoys his career as co-commentator and presenter of Rugby Union and Rugby League for BBC Television.