For the first game of 2018 away at Hemel Stags, coach Gary Thornton brought in 8 new players for their debuts. Tom Ashton, Sam Crowther, David Foggin-Johnson, Brad Foster, Ryan Mallinder, Cain Southernwood, Duane Straugheir and, Harry Tyson-Wilson were all the bus heading south. Hunslet won the game 28-14.
In 1977, Hunslet moved in to sign half back Roy Appleyard from Huddersfield. Roy had previously been with Castleford. He had a spell at Bramley, but made 77 appearances for Hunslet, scoring 13 tries, 4 goals and 3 drop goals.
A little later back in time to 1961 and Harry Jepson’s signing ledger shows William Douglas Baldwinson (“Billy”) making has debut away at Bramley. He was signed on in 1956 from Hunslet Juniors (£250 signing on fee) and waited 5 years for his first team debut, but then certainly made his mark, going on to appear 230 times with 17 tries. He played in two 1960s Yorkshire Cup finals.
And back to 1922, and another peice of the jigsaw which became the great side of the 30s was in place. Frank “Dolly” Dawson made his debut at Warrington. Originally a football player for St Hildas, he signed for Hunslet from East Leeds. He went on to play in two Yorkshire Cup Finals and the 1934 Wembley victory. 502 appearances and 82 triues in his career, he was club captain from 1930 to 1933. In 1932 he was selected as captain of on the sides in the first Tour Trial at Fartown but wa injured and stood down. He played in the second at Headingley but was not selected to tour. He gained two Yorkshire caps and coached Halifax and Leeds before returning to Hunslet in 1960/61 as first team coach.
Hunslet’s 1911 Challenge Cup run came to an abrupt end today with a 5-11 1st round defeat at Rochdale Hornets.
1896 was the first time we welcomed Wigan to Parkside. It was a league game won 11-4 by Hunslet and avenging an earlier 3-11 defeat at Central Park.
