Just three cup ties to look at today, but the first one was the biggest game since 1908. It was 1934 and a trip to Belle Vue, Wakefield to meet Huddersfield in the Challenge Cup semi-final and a chance to appear at Wembley for the first time. Leigh, Castleford and York had been beaten in the first three rounds but now they faced the cup holders. It was 24 minutes before there was a score, George Todd breaking the Huddersfield line, feeding Cyril Morrell who passed on for George Dennis to score. Mark Tolson conveerted. In the second half the teams traded penalties and the Fartowners closed the gap with a try by Mills. Towards the end, Jack Walkington made a break on half way paving the way for Harry Goulthorp to score a converted try. A further penalty to Huddersfield closed the scoring and Hunslet left the field to a rousing rendition of “We’ve Swept The Seas Before” as they looked forward to Wembley.
27,450 were in attendance.
The final would be a local affair as Widnes qualified from the other semi-final with a team of thirteen Widnesians and Hunslet’s only outsider was Welshman Les White. Goulthorp was to miss out on the final but was awarded a winners medal for his efforts in the previous rounds. He’d won a winners medal 1932, playing for Leeds in their Challenge Cup final win against Swinton. This was the start of the Wembley era but Harry got his two medals without playing under the Twin Towers as Leeds’ final was switched to Wigan as Wembley was unavailable.
The other ties today were a Yorkshire Cup 2nd round trip to Hull to play the Rovers, but Hunslet returned home after exiting the cup 3-9. In 1945, the second leg of the first round Challege Cup tie was played at Parkside. Keighley who had won the first leg 11-8 scored a drop goal in the first half. Dockar hit the upright with another attempt so Hunslet were 5 points behind at the break. Des Clarkson kicked two second half goals but the report says Keighley were more than capable of holding off Hunslet for the win.
