At the start of the 1962/63 season Hunslet signed Fred Ward from York as player / coach and he had an immediate impact, guiding Hunslet to the Yorkshire Cup Final against Hull Kingston Rovers. Played at Headingley, Geoff Gunney had to stand down with a heavy cold his place being taken by Cliff Lambert playing his fourth game for the club since signing from Featherstone Rovers at the start of the season. Arthur Render was preferred on the wing to John Griffiths. Former Parksider Harry Poole led the Rovers and he lost the toss and Ward elected to play with the strong wind from the ginnel end. Bernard Prior heeled the first scrum, a 40 yard touch finder by Lambert setting up Hunslet. As Prior again got the ball Rovers were caught offside. Billy Langton’s penalty hit the upright and bounced back into play where Hull’s Kellett misread the flight of the ball and Billy Baldwinson tore up and a flying catch took him over the line, Langton landing the conversion. Hull stormed back and only desperate work by Render and Ward kept Hunslet’s line intact. Kellett missed two penalty goals. After twenty five minutes Rovers had a piece of bad fortune when Poole went down injured and had to be stretchered off not to return. No substitutes so they were down to 12 men. As the second half began with Hunslet 5-0 up, Hull’s Blackmore left the field with a shoulder injury to take his team down to 11 men. However they hit back with a penalty goal. They were described as playing with “fantastic spirit” and held Hunslet. A last ditch tackle in the corner denied Barry Lee and he soon got over the line only to be pulled back by the touch-judge. Eventually Hunslet got the try when Geoff Shelton went over and Langton converted. Dennis Hartley sealed the win with the only drop-goal of his career, the paper commenting on the look of wonderment on his face when he realised it had actually gone over!
In 1923 Hunslet had reached the second round of the Yorkshire Cup, but KR’s Humberside neighbours Hull FC knocked them out 16-7 in Hull.
In 1934 Hunslet embarked on a two match tour in France. Today was the first game against Bordeaux. They had travelled from Leeds to Paris on Friday and Paris to Bordeaux on Saturday so were somewhat weary for this Sunday game. Rugby League was in it’s early days in France but 9,000 turned out to watch the Challenge Cup holders. In the first half Ernest Winter sustained an injury which left him a limping passenger on the wing which didn’t help their cause. They eventually lost an open game 23-38. Referee Albert Dobson was of the opinion that Bordeaux on that form would have beaten most English rugby league teams.
Hunslet hooker in 2024 Ross Whitmore crowned a fine season with a call-up to the Scotland team against Ireland at Gateshead but his team were beaten 6-36.
