1948-1949

?Nothing but the very best? has always been the policy of the Leeds Club, and during this season a tremendous effort was made to build a team ?second to none? and also to bring the ground amenities to a similar high standard. Players were recruited on an unprecedented scale, and ambitious schemes were prepared for ground improvements.

During the close season the management announced the signing of four extremely talented players: Bob McMaster and Ken Kearney from Australia; Tommy Wright and Andrew Turnbull from Scotland. These four, however, were to have mixed fortunes at Headingley. McMaster, who was to stay with the Club for five seasons, was extremely consistent but he never became the power anticipated. Kearney returned to Australia on the termination of a three year contract by which time he had become a first-class hooker. Wright was never able to reveal his undoubted ability owing to a very persistent shoulder injury, but ?Drew? Turnbull, who was only seventeen when he signed his contract, was to develop into a Great Britain Test Winger and was to thrill the Headingley crowds for many seasons with his tremendous powers of acceleration. The arrival of these players led to the transfer of Carter, Cornelius and Flanagan to the newly-formed Whitehaven Club. and of Brereton to Keighley.

There was naturally great excitement and enthusiasm amongst the Headingley fans when Bramley were entertained in the opening League engagement, but any hopes of a Leeds walk-over were soon dispelled and the game ended in a draw at 7 points each. Yet another transfer deal was effected during the next few days: Les Thomas, second row or loose forward, was signed from Oldham to whom Batten, Tynan and Tate were transferred in part exchange. Thomas, who made his debut at Leigh in the second match of the season, was never happy at Headingley and his stay was relatively short.

Leeds went into the Yorkshire Cup Competition with only one League victory out of five matches played, and consequently the victory over Halifax at Thrum Hall in the 2nd Leg, following a draw in the 1st Leg, was totally unexpected. Three League matches followed, with very heavy defeats at Warrington and Wigan, and a home victory over Dewsbury, in which game a young ?local?, Alan Kendrick, made his debut in the pack. Hunslet came to Headingley for the 2nd Round of the Yorkshire Cup and qualified to meet Bradford Northern in the Semi-Final with a win by 10 points to 7. Ten days later Ike Owens was transferred to Castleford. Although the management were most reluctant to part with his services the player was adamant in his desire to leave Headingley.

Five consecutive League victories gave hope of better times, but an equally bad sequence, with only one victory out of six, led to another recruiting campaign before the Cup register closed. For the visit of Wigan on January 8th, three new signings were introduced: Des Clarkson, from Leigh, Gwyn Gronow, from Hunslet, and Ike Procter, from Halifax. Wigan, however gained the two points they vitally needed in their bid for Championship honours, and this strengthened Leeds team only just managed to gain narrow victories over Whitehaven and Featherstone Rovers in subsequent matches. In a final endeavour to bring the team up to the requisite standard, Bob Bartlett, centre, and Dennis Murphy, forward, were signed from Bramley, to whom Dennis Warrior and Joe Hulme were transferred in part exchange. This might well have turned out to be a masterpiece of enterprise on the part of the Leeds management, but unfortunately Bartlett was very prone to injury and Leeds were never able to capitalise fully on his great potential. Murphy, however, although never a ?star?, proved himself a very reliable and whole-hearted team player.

Great hopes were entertained when Batley were comfortably beaten in the 1st Round of the R.L. Cup Competition, and enthusiasm reached fever pitch when Hunslet were defeated at Headingley, before 37,000 spectators in the next round. Huddersfield, were the 3rd Round visitors and almost a capacity crowd assembled to see the expected ?classic?. The Fartown team included three Australian stars in Cooper, Devery and Hunter, in addition to Ike Owens who had been transferred from Castleford. The game, which had promised so well in the early stages, was marred by the dismissal of Gronow in the first half, and Huddersfield ran out comfortable winners by 20 points to 9.

This exit from the Cup Competition was the final blow in a disappointing season, in which only eighteen League matches were won and the final placing in the Table was 14th.

Such hopes! So much hard work! Such disappointments! Such is football.

Amid all the hustle and bustle of the season?s activity one decision, which at the time was apparently of small moment, was to have a vital bearing on the future of the Leeds Club: in mid-October very definite action was taken to develop local talent with the formation of a Leeds ?B? team.