1974-1975

No Yorkshire Cup! No John Player Trophy! No Floodlit Trophy! No Wembley! The inexorable wheel of fate had, it seemed, turned full circle; yet no sooner had we resigned ourselves to living off a rich storehouse of memories, than all our blighted hopes miraculously blossomed as the May into a glorious climax, with victory in the first-ever Premiership Final.

Filling the vacancy created by the retirement of David Jeanes had been relatively simple, if costly, the management signing Mick Harrison, the Hull prop, during the close season, but they were less fortunate as regards stand-off, a Welsh trialist failing to measure up to requirements at Bramley in the opening match of the season. Even so, we won in convincing fashion, and then put paid to Keighley in the 1st Round of the Esso Yorkshire Cup, with Chris Sanderson filling the No. 6 berth with verve and enterprise.

The alarm bells were soon ringing away from home in September. Lacklustre defeats at Wigan and St. Helens, with Leeds showing symptoms of debilitating ?trans-Penninitis?, were unwelcome if not unexpected, but a 2nd Round reverse at The Boulevard, our first in a Yorkshire Cup tie since 1969, was extremely frustrating, with Hull?s eleven men holding out for forty-five minutes after an explosive incident had resulted in the dismissal of Hancock and Casey. At home, however, we triumphantly took up the gauntlet thrown down by Warrington in a magnificent end-to-end spectacular, and rounded off the month by routing New Hunslet in the 1st Round of the John Player Competition.

October followed the same pattern. At Headingley we reigned supreme, imposing our sovereign will on Halifax and Featherstone Rovers; away from home, we became uninspired, leaden-footed automatons merely going through the motions, to lose at St. Helens by a crushing 28-point margin in the Floodlit Competition, and at Rochdale in the League.

Although November brought four consecutive wins, including two at Keighley, with substitute Brendan White, a young forward from Illingworth, making his debut in the league match, and Hynes initiating a second-half avalanche of points in the 2nd Round of the John Player Competition, Leeds lacked the elusive blend of flair, cohesion and resolution that breeds consistent success. Confirmation came in December! After beating Bradford Northern at Odsal in the League, with Hepworth deserving double pay, we returned a week later, only to slump to defeat in the John Player Competition, to the intense delight of Seabourne, Ramsey and Lamb. Wakefield Trinity rubbed it in, too, winning at Belle Vue, where centre Neil Hague was introduced as substitute, and then gleefully snatching a draw through a last-minute drop goal on Boxing Day.

During January, Leeds alternated between home wins and away defeats on a yo-yo of utter frustration. Whereas victories at Headingley over York and an abysmally weak Dewsbury, yielded four valuable points but little real satisfaction, that over St. Helens, with Mel Mason, signed from Featherstone Rovers, making his debut at stand-off, and Holmes kicking a fourth crucial goal ten minutes from the end, was a triumph for all-round teamwork. Meanwhile, we had released Geoff Clarkson to York, John Langley to Dewsbury, and John Hay to Bramley, and journeyed in vain to Warrington and York; and bravely as we struggled at Castleford, a further defeat was no sort of preparation for the R.L. Cup. Win at Whitehaven, in the 1st Round? You must be joking!

It was no joke! Within eight days, Leeds were taking command at the Recreation Ground like men possessed, incisive in attack, solid in defence, to confound the Jeremiahs with a comprehensive victory by 16 points to 7. A flash in the pan? A 2nd Round visit to Salford would provide the answer. It did, too! Eight points up after a flying start, we reeled momentarily in face of a breathtaking 12-point rally by Salford, but Hynes promptly rolled back the years with a vintage try, and Marshall?s touchline conversion together with a penalty goal, gave us an invaluable half-time lead of 3 points. We needed no more; the only score in a bruising second half being a Marshall penalty goal. Bradford Northern at home, in the 3rd Round, and Wembley getting ever nearer! Whetting our appetites with a league win over Wigan, and ravenously hungry for success, we made a meal of Bradford, Marshall contributing five goals and a try, and went to Wigan to face Warrington in the Semi-Final with high hopes. Not this year! Beaten in the forwards, and 8-0 down at half-time, the glimmer of hope provided by two Marshall penalty goals, flickered out in injury-time as Bevan crossed for his third try.

The dream was over, reality ominous! Slipping back into a well-worn groove, Leeds ran amok at Headingley to dispose of Bramley, Castleford and Rochdale Hornets, and thrashed Halifax at Thrum Hall, but, true to form, lost at Featherstone, Salford and Widnes to finish in 3rd place, with apparently little hope in the Premiership. Who could tell, with gloriously unpredictable Leeds? We ran in seven tries, to beat renowned cup-fighters Featherstone Rovers at Post Office Road; continued in the same irrepressible vein at home against Castleford, with Pitchford and Dickinson in blockbusting form; and then, prompted by the ever-industrious Hepworth, won an enthralling Semi-Final against Hull K.R.

After so many disappointments during the season, defeat by St. Helens in the Final at Wigan would have been unbearable. There was never any danger of that, the Leeds forwards establishing their authority from the start, with a frontal assault that sent the battleworn St. Helens pack reeling in dismay. Thereafter, Leeds dictated play, drawing inspiration from the attacking flair and defensive determination of Mason, to establish a 16-point Interval lead, and valiantly as St. Helens sought to salvage pride in the second half, we never relaxed our grip, to end the season with a display of matchless splendour.

Leeds: Holmes (Marshall); A. Smith, Hynes (Eccles), Dyl, Atkinson; Mason, Hepworth;

Dickinson, D. Ward, Pitchford, Cookson, Batten, Haigh.

Three other players were introduced during the season: Ian Payne, hooker, from York (to whom Stephen Cooper went in part exchange); Derek Howard, winger, from Shipley; and Gordon McHugh, forward, from the Intermediates. Gordon Pritchard, a centre from Newport R.U., had yet to make his first team debut.

Five Leeds players were selected for the World Championship: John Atkinson, Cookson, John Holmes and Les Dyl for England; and Tony Fisher, for Wales.