The programme for the 1973 Doncaster home game today celebrated the contribution of ‘Mr Hunslet’, Geoff Gunney M.B.E.. Geoff had come out of retirement to help out the new club the previous week at Workington, coming on as a substitute for Fred Pickup. He then announced today’s game would be his last and he took to the field in the second-row. The programme looked at his career from his debut on the 15th September 1951, through his many exploits in cup and league for Hunslet and his adventures in the representative arena including a Lions tour and a World Cup. Supporting the club from seven years old, the young Gunney must have been courted by more fashionable clubs but only wanted play in the myrtle white and flame or chocolate and white and he remained a one club man. His last match was a try scoring finale in a 16-12 win, his last action being leaving the field as he was substituted by Gordon Johnstone.
For season 2000, Willie Swann was brought in at half back as the Grand Final team began to break up. He played twenty-one games and scored a record six tries against Lancashire Lynx and capped his season today with an appearance for Samoa against Ireland in Belfast in the World Cup. I don’t know if we can claim his as a Hunslet representative as we don’t know when his registration lapsed.
Apart from that game it was a day for Yorkshire playing Cumberland….
In 1922 Walter Guerin and Arthur Walker travelled to Maryport and assisted in a 9-4 win to the Tykes. Winger Walker’s strong run was Yorkshire’s first attacking foray and his second ended when he cross kicked and Bramley’s L Marshall followed up to score. He later had a try disallowed.
In 1925 Hector Crowther lined up in Yorkshire’s forwards against team mate Johnny Coulson in Cumberland’s three-quarters at Huddersfield. A 4-1 pull in the scrums gave Cumberland a platform to comprehensively outplay Yorkshire in a 33-13 win. Johnny scored two tries and ex-Hunslet three-quarter Billy Batten, now of Wakefield Trinity, played in Yorkshire’s backs.
And in 1931 Hunslet had no less than five players on view. Johnny Coulson was again with Cumberland and forward Len Smith, half backs George Todd and Billy Thornton and full-back Jack Walkington were with the White Rose at York. The Cumberland forwards dominated the Yorkshire six which gave Hunslet’s half-backs very little opportunity to combine as they did for their club as Cumberland ran out 35-20 winners.
