In 1921 Leeds were the visitors to Parkside for a league game. It was a bad day at the office for Hunslet as they went down 2-29. This was the 38th Parkside derby and it was the heaviest defeat at home to Leeds to date. Reading the match reports it shouldn’t have been this way. For the first 28 minutes Hunslet’s kick and rush tactics “seriously disturbed the balance of the Leeds combination” but they just couldn’t take their scoring chances apart for a Walter Guerin penalty. In the last 12 minutes of the half concentration lapsed and they allowed Leeds to score 13 points. The second half was almost identical and the 15,000 crowd saw Hunslet hold Leeds to one further try until the 29th minute when again they fell apart and allowed Leeds in for another 13 points in the last 11 minutes. Hunslet did have to play the second half with 12 men as Ernest Fearn was withdrawn due to injury at half time. Hunslet’s Jack Walsh and Leeds’ Hardaker were sent off in the second-half for “paying too much attention to each other”. This margin of defeat to Leeds at Parkside would not be beaten until 1966 when the Loiners won 42-12 and it was 1952 before Australia widened the margin with a 49-2 win at Parkside.
In 1892 the Rugby Union introduced a league structure for the first time and Hunslet were included in the ten team Yorkshire Senior Competition. Today was their first match in this new competition, a visit to Park Avenue, Bradford. Bradford had been a top side for a number of years while Hunslet had slowly being improving since the only previous meeting, a 7 goal to nil win by Bradford in a cup tie inn1885. Hunslet weren’t quite up the task today going down 8-0 but they would reverse the result 6-0 at Parkside later in the season. Bradford won this first competition by five points over second placed Hunslet.
In 2017 in the League One Shield, London Skolars were the visitors to South Leeds Stadium as the sides played for the privilege of home advantage in next week’s final. The Skolars, coached by former Hunslet man Jermaine Coleman, were unbeaten in eight matches and had humbled Hunslet by 30-16 at New River Stadium in July. In a tense and close encounter Hunslet came through 18-12 with tries by Marcus Webb, Joe Sanderson and George Flanagan with Joe also getting three goals.
Two years ago the 2023 season came to an end. Having finished second in the league, Hunslet had lost their first Play-off game 14-26 at Doncaster and todays match was with North Wales Crusaders at home. The Crusaders had finished sixth but wins at Workington and Oldham brought them to Leeds today. They led for much of the game, but going in to the last quarter Hunslet had a slender 18-14 lead. A spill by Alfie Goddard from a bomb led to a North Wales unconverted try. Golden point was beckoning, Matty Beharrell going just wide with a drop attempt. North Wales scored their attempt on 73 minutes and Hunslet old boy Cole Oakley scored their decisive converted try to win the tie.
The 1910 Tourists arrived back in England today, docking at Plymouth. Despite six-weeks at sea, it was decided to play a game in Plymouth, billed as England v Wales And The West Of England. Hunslet’s Freddie Farrar and Bill Jukes were in the England side. F Smith played for the Wales side but it’s not confirmed that it was Fred (he also changed sides with Davies at half-time!). Wales and the West won 27-25.
