17th November….
An important debut today back in the Union days was that of forward Jack Carroll in 1888. He had signed from Bramley and came into the side at a time when the fortunes of the fledgling club were on the rise and a team capable of competing with Yorkshire’s best was being assembled. He was with Hunslet for five seasons making 120 appearances and scoring 12 tries. His last game was just as Hunslet set off on their successful 1892 Yorkshire Cup run. He appeared in a County trial in 1890 without making the Yorkshire side.
Jack Carroll
Having made his Hunslet debut in October 1954 Australian “Big Arthur” Clues was soon adding to the representative appearances he had made with Leeds when he lined up today with a Rugby league XIII against Australasia at Odsal. This followed the end of the World Cup in France and the tourists’ team contained nine Aussies and four Kiwis. Although the Rugby League team scored first the visitors ran out 25-13 winners.
Arthur Clues
Arthur’s fellow pack member at Hunslet Brian Shaw made his Great Britain debut today in 1956 at Wigan in the first Test against Australia. The tourists weren’t having a great tour and today’s match went with form as the home side won 21-10, the Aussies resorting to rough-house tactics towards the end as they realised they were well beaten.
A County match at Headingley in 1894 saw Owen Walsh in the Yorkshire side against Northumberland in a 19-5 win and in 1928 Johnny Coulson played for Cumberland against Lancashire at Swinton, his side going down 5-10.
Following the drawn John Player Trophy Cup tie against Castleford at Parkside it was the replay at Wheldon Road tonight in 1971. League leaders Cas had been humbled in the first match by a Hunslet side 28 places below them in the league and the result tonight should have been a formality to them at home. However Hunslet again played well above themselves with tigerish tackling blunting the Castleford attack. It took Hunslet 25 minutes to mount a meaningful attack which ended with a Dave Marshall penalty goal which he followed up with a drop goal and another penalty shortly after. Cas replied with a penalty before half-time. Shared penalties early in the second half led to the one piece of misfortune for Hunslet when Marshall was impeded by a colleague while fielding a Castleford kick through. The ball bounced off his shins into the hands of Dean and he scooted to the posts to put Cas in front for the first time. The home side held out to win 9-8 but all the plaudits went to Hunslet.
18th November….
The programme for the 1911 home game again Keighley commented on the recent Yorkshire Cup semi-final against Huddersfield and a satisfactory gate of £490. However the actual cash take was a little short of this as 10/6 had been received in bad coins, the editor asking what kind of sportsmen do you call those that pass these.
The 1905 Yorkshire Cup tie against Hull Kingston Rovers was played today at Parkside. It was a foggy day but referee Ted Smirk decided play could start. After 63 minutes the fog had really come down and with Hunslet 12-3 in front Mr Smirk abandoned the game and the Rugby League Committee would decide if the result would stand. At the Committee meeting a replay was deemed appropriate and both sides argued for their home ground. The Chairman said it was play 17 minutes at Hull or the full match at Hunslet. The Committee decided on the Hunslet option. Hull appealed saying the decision had something to do with the Hull City v Leeds United cup tie being played the same day. They lost the appeal.
Hunslet representatives today were….
1893 – Owen Walsh for Yorkshire v Northumberland at Newcastle, a 9-0 win for Yorkshire
1908 – Bill Jukes and Harry Wilson for Rugby League XIII v Australia at Liverpool which the tourists won 10-9
2010 – Waine Pryce for Jamaica v Canada in Jacksonville Florida, a match Jamaica won comfortably 32-12.
