In 1949 at the home game with Leeds, the Hunslet supporters bought their programmes to see favourite Frank “Shanks” Watson was selected in the centre. However, as the players entered the field Jack Evans and Maurice Thornton were in the centres. Then Frank came on in a blue and amber jersey and was playing scrum half for Leeds. Not all supporters will have seen in the previous day’s press that he had transferred across the city for £1,650. To rub salt in the wound, the programme described how well Frank had played as a last minute inclusion in the mid-week county match. I’ll leave it you to guess who gave the pass that led to Leeds first try. Leeds won the match 21-13.
Frank Watson
In 1938 at home to Featherstone Rovers J W Fleetwood made his debut on the wing and scored a hat-trick, the only occasion this has happened.
Among debutants today are Paul Briers and Chris Ross. Paul first played at Mount Pleasant against Batley but had previously turned out in the pre-season Lazenby Cup match against Leeds at Headingley in the August. He would play in the Parkside era and with New Hunslet. The Retained Player list show Paul being struck off in 1975 and re-signed on 12th September 1976. He played for 10 seasons and made 191 appearances scoring 12 tries. Chris signed from Hunslet Boys Club and debuted against Ellenborough in the Regal Trophy. Like Paul, he would play for 10 seasons and make 130 appearances scoring 42 tries, 198 goals and a drop goal. He played in the 1999 Grand Final, kicking a goal.
Paul Briers
Chris Ross
Plenty of representative football today. In 1913 it was a County Trial at Batley and Fred Smith and John Smales were in The Probables side trying out for selection to the Yorkshire side. Although The Probables lost winger Rhodes with a bad ankle injury and a forward having to move out of the pack, Harold Wagstaff of Huddersfield organised his fellow backs behind a beaten pack and led them to a 28-15 win. Smith was mentioned as outplaying his opposite number, Milner of Dewsbury.
At St Helens in 1930 Les White was selected for Other Nationalities and Jack Walkington for England. White was useful in the loose, scored a try and took a majority of the scrums while Walkington was said to attack as well as he defends at full-back. England won easily 31-18.
Two years later Jack was again at full-back, this time for Yorkshire against Cumberland at Whitehaven together with Hunslet mates half-backs Billy Thornton and George Todd. Hunslet winger John Coulson was opposing them. Cumberland were 10-5 ahead at half-time but cut loose in a six minute spell to score 13 points and go on to win 39-10. Coulson scored four tries and the Hunslet half-backs, behind a beaten pack, did well to stop their opposites doing more damage than they did.
In the same fixture in 1938 Jack Walkington was still at full-back and had winger Eric Batten in the side at Workington. Cumberland were 7-6 up at half-time in a hard, keen game. Batten got the Yorkshire try. In the end Cumberland’s better balanced pack overcame Yorkshire’s fast and clever backs, winning 16-6.
Brian Shaw was in the Great Britain squad for the World Cup in 1960 and played in the second- row against France at Swinton today. With hooker John Shaw giving GB a Lion’s share of the ball, the back three had plenty of opportunity to do their work and release the backs to cause damage in an easy 33-7 win.
Although Hunslet were having hard times at the end of the 60s, Tommy Thompson was a consistent try scorer and got his reward with a call-up for Yorkshire today against Cumberland at Hull Kingston Rovers. He scored a try in a one-sided game that Yorkshire won 42-3.
Home wins over Wakefield Trinity and Hull had got Hunslet through to the semi-final of the Yorkshire Cup but it was away this time at Halifax. 4-0 down very late in the first half, Fred Ward threw “a glorious dummy” to score under the posts, Billy Langton adding the extras for a 5-4 lead. A penalty goal put Halifax back in front and with four minutes to go Geoff Gunney threw a pass to Jeff Stevenson on Halifax’s 25 and “cool as a cucumber, as he always is, dropped a magnificent goal” taking Hunslet into the final.
In the Regal Trophy tie that Chris Ross had made his debut in above, Hunslet did not have things all their own way against the Ellenborough amateurs but came through 34-24. This was the last “home” game at Mclaren Field before moving in to South Leeds Stadium.
