The big game today was in 2014 at Headingley where Hunslet faced Oldham in the Championship One Grand Final. Oldham had lost five of the last seven Grand Finals so were hoping that today would finally be their day. For Hunslet it was their first since the Super League debacle following the 1999 Grand Final and a chance to partly put right a wrong. Hunslet had won their home league match easily earlier in the season but two more recent meetings had been won by Oldham by one point. The sides traded tries in the first half before future Hunslet winger Dale Bloomfield put Oldham 10-6 ahead at the break. Two tries in the first ten minutes of the second half put Hunslet in control at 16-10 until six minutes from time when Oldham drew level and Golden Point beckoned. Both sides missed drop gaol attempts before Tom Coyle’s success after 85 minutes and Hunslet were in the Championship.

The 1912 league game with Leeds was played today at Headingley and in a keen game Hunslet came through to win 6-5. However the story of the game was the sending off of Herbert Banks and Godward for “misbehaviour”. The Yorkshire Post reported that the game was marred “by the players paying too much attention to each other”. The NRL held a meeting to consider the game as there was much press criticism about the handling of the game. Their conclusions were – 1) some players displayed a greater keenness than usual 2) there were some regrettable incidents which resulted in the dismissals 3) that if greater firmness had been exercised earlier in the game the later events would likely not have happened 4) a further player should have been sent-off not cautioned and one touch-judge failed in his duty by not reporting an incident to the referee, who had missed it.

The first player to make his debut in the Northern Union era was forward Arthur Sapcote today at Bradford. Arthur was a policeman who transferred to Holbeck after only four appearances.  

The 1957 match at Oldham today was postponed as the Hunslet players went on strike over match terms. The players wanted an increase for a home win from £8 to £9, and losing pay from £4 to £6. The club referred the matter to the League Management Committee saying the players were in breach of contracts signed at the beginning of season. The RL met with the club and Geff Gunney, Brian Shaw and Martin Boland, the players agreeing to play the next match and would put their grievance to the board in the proper manner, The club would consider their request. The parties finally agreed on just a £1 rise for a defeat.

Forward Tommy Walsh was suspended today in 1902 after Hunslet had signed him when he was registered with Birkenhead. Hunslet were expecting a points deduction but later only received a punishment of a one guinea fine and Tommy’s suspension was lifted.

Tommy Walsh

A couple of County games today. In 1949 Bill Metcalfe played for Yorkshire against Lancashire at Warrington. Yorkshire, needing to win for the Championship, raced into a ten point lead and it was 30 minutes before they were seriously tested in defence as Lancashire fumbled and blundered although they did get a couple of penalties as Yorkshire romped over for a further try. A soft try on half-time gifted Lancashire another 5 points and it was 13-9 at half-time. However the second half was a reversal of the first as Yorkshire “deteriorated into a state of impotency. Lancashire’s coach, in full view of all the crowd, gave his players a ‘pep’ tablet at half-time and we can only wonder what it was as his side dominated possession and play in the second half scoring two converted tries to Yorkshire’s nil.

Under the Odsal floodlights Yorkshire faced Cumberland in 1955 with Sam Smith at hooker. In what was described as a ‘dreadfully dull match’ it was only Cumberland losing their captain for a head injury which gave Yorkshire prop Coverdale the room to barge over. The second Yorkshire try came seven minutes from the end, Yorkshire winning 14-2. There were nearly 60 scrums in the match, Smith gaining a narrow advantage.

In 1901 a trip to Runcorn dealt Hunslet their biggest defeat since their formation, 2-19. As we saw yesterday this only lasted a year as a weakened side lost at Oldham 0-26.