1992-1993

Just like the season before; there was frustration, elation and cup humiliation for the Loiners in the second year of the Doug Laughton regime. Sky re-christened the top flight the ?Big League? for their televised games but a desperately poor start to the campaign, and defeat in two knock out semi finals after Leeds had found their feet, meant that the Headingley men remained supporting rather than lead actors ? despite attracting more box office names to the ranks. Part of the reason for the shocking run up to Christmas was that the newcomers arrived late because of the Lions being on tour and a stagnant market, which meant that there was little time for combinations to gel. Laughton?s recruitment followed a familiar path to his trailblazing days at Widnes, comprising of speculative raids on rugby union, going after experienced practitioners who were proven winners and snapping up some of the best juniors in waiting.

There was a huge blow before anyone put pen to paper when David Creasser announced his retirement because of persistent shoulder injuries at the age of 27 after eight seasons in the blue and amber. Eyebrows were raised when Bath and England B winger Jim Fallon signed a five year deal reputed to be worth ?200,000, not because he was an unknown quantity but due to him coming to the sport at the relatively late age of 27. However, his powerful finishing from close in brought style comparisons with Alan Smith. Even more surprisingly, an incident at a pre-season training camp saw reigning ?Player of the Year? Bobbie Goulding initially suspended and then having his contract annulled. He subsequently figured in a ?230,000 rated swap deal with Laughton?s old club when, along with some cash, the Chemics were persuaded to part with international full back Alan Tait. Kiwi Test star Gary Mercer was signed from Warrington, which saw Dave Heron end his long and distinguished association with a move to Bradford and former coach Peter Fox; Northern now being able to field an entire ex-Leeds back row.

A proposed deal for Karl Fairbank to make the opposite move failed as did a ?100,000 bid for Featherstone?s international scrum half Deryck Fox. That, though, was the amount Halifax paid for Gary Divorty and John Bentley, Seamus McCallion coming in part exchange although he never made a first team appearance. In need of a midfield orchestrator, when Andy Gregory rejected terms with Wigan, Laughton swooped for the man he had signed as a junior paying an initial ?30,000 with half as much again set aside for the following season. Cavill Heugh moved to Rochdale, Neil James south to Sheffield and Phil Ford was swapped for fellow tourist Mick Worrall as Leeds looked to beef up their pack. That saw Andy Goodway also captured for ?25,000 from Central Park but there was frustration in Australia when Mark Geyer was injured in a car crash as he was about to come over and negotiations were increasingly protracted for Kangaroo Bob Lindner. As it turned out, that suited Leeds because experienced centre Kevin Iro became available at Manly and he was captured instead but again there was frustration as his recovery from ankle ligament damage, that was far more serious than initially advised, delayed his debut by six weeks. Injuries were to play another key factor in the early season inconsistency.

Mercer, one of six debutants for the opening day defeat at home to St Helens, sustaining a broken jaw. At Thrum Hall the following week, Gregory suffered knee damage, Leeds had four tries disallowed and again spurned a hatful of chances before a Divorty-inspired Halifax came strong in the closing stages. In the Yorkshire Cup, in the competition?s final season, Fallon scored his first try for the club and Ellery Hanley two but there were worrying moments before Hunslet were finally dispatched, their scrum half James Lowes playing so well that he was snapped up and earmarked as back-up hooker. That saw Featherstone, coached by former Loiner Steve Martin, swoop for cultured Richard Gunn and he returned not long after to sign another youngster who never quite lived up to the initial expectations, Francis Maloney, whose final appearance had been in the pre-season Wigan 7?s.

A first league win of the campaign came at home to Hull Kingston Rovers with Paul Dixon, operating at prop, crossing for a brace of tries. The county cup challenge ended in the second round at the Boulevard with Hull victorious as they had been the year before. Without Hanley and Tait; Morvin Edwards was recalled, Garry Schofield leading a tremendous fight back from 18-4 down at the start of the second half to bring Leeds to within two points before a Paul Eastwood penalty and late Dean Busby try saw the Airlie Birds home. Humiliating defeat at Odsal in what Laughton called a ?non-performance? set the alarm bells ringing; victory over Warrington ? in which Schofield scored his 100th try in blue and amber ? proving to be only temporary respite. Lowes made his debut off the bench in defeat at Wigan where Hanley was sin binned at his old stamping ground after a scuffle with Shaun Edwards.

While that loss was hardly unexpected, capitulation from a winning position at Wakefield was a disaster. Although they had just beaten Sheffield in the last Yorkshire Cup final; Trinity had not yet registered a league win. Leeds were reluctant to play, with the game scheduled three days before the World Cup Final at Wembley and missing national skipper Schofield, Hanley and Tait as a consequence. Nevertheless, with Andy Gregory back, the Loiners raced into a 16 point lead, which included Goodway?s first try in the colours, only for Morvin Edwards to be sent off and teenage sensation Nigel Wright to grab victory for the jubilant hosts with a late drop goal that mirrored what had happened at Belle Vue the previous season. Real relegation fears surfaced as a result but Iro?s long and eagerly awaited debut seemed to herald a change in fortune as he scored two tries in an emphatic Headingley win over Widnes. Leeds? 30 point haul in the opening forty minutes was arguably their best half of the season.

French sides were admitted into the Regal Trophy for the first time but Leeds got the toughest draw in the opening round, away at league leaders St Helens. A hamstring injury late in the final training session crucially ruled out Schofield and despite a valiant effort, a late long range drop goal from Tea Ropati again condemned Leeds to a one point heartbreaker. Unforced errors and defensive lapses characterised the next three matches, all of which were away. Ellery Hanley was magnificent at Hull with two tries but his men should have been more than seven points ahead, and lost as the better side. Atrocious conditions at Leigh with Leeds-born Aussie Carl Grigg on debut contributed to a stalemate but there was more consternation after a hammering at Sheffield ? in what was their first ever win over the Loiners ? which saw Andy Goodway hospitalised with another broken arm. Having denied Schofield permission for a summer stint with Manly, Wakefield then broke the story that he had been offered in part exchange for Michael Jackson and Nigel Wright. Just when it seemed the gloom was never-ending, Leeds hit form when coming back to Headingley after six weeks on the road, going on to win nine consecutive matches ? many by high scores. Hanley was the key, scoring 12 tries in seven matches.

He began with a hat trick against Halifax but hope returned with a Boxing Day thrashing of in-form Castleford in front of over 20,000 fans. Simon Irving returned and in a superb second half of expansive rugby, Alan Tait?s kick return to set up Lowes for his first try in the colours was mesmerising. The only down side was a broken leg and ankle dislocation suffered by Carl Gibson. Salford were beaten home and away, young second rower Graham Middleton making his bow at the Willows, where John Gallagher posted two tries and Leeds moved up to fourth, although at 16, Marcus Vassilakopoulos was denied his debut by the RFL in the Headingley fixture because he was still at school. By the time the Challenge Cup came around, confidence was gaining, aided by a favourable draw. Third Division Barrow were easily accounted for despite Chris Honey opening the scoring for the visitors with an interception. Andy Gregory scored his only tries for the club with a double and Craig Innes got his fifth in six games. Gareth Stephens? touchdown in the corner rescued league points at Hull K.R. after Vince Fawcett had given the Robins a gift score to take the lead late on before Rochdale were dispatched in the Cup. Hanley claimed four touchdowns and Garry Schofield three as Paul Cook became the game?s first apprentice to play for a first team, marking his auspicious debut with two touchdowns. A third consecutive home draw brought Castleford, the previous year?s beaten finalists, to Headingley where two Jim Fallon tries from close in and a Simon Irving touchline conversion just edged out the Tawera Nikau driven visitors.

The winning sequence came to an end at home to Wigan with 20,000 again in attendance despite it being midweek. The match was even for 50 minutes but the cherry and whites kept their line intact throughout the second half. Two more youngsters were unveiled at home to Sheffield, where victory was achieved without Schofield ? who scored a hat trick ? the re-called Hanley and Steve Molloy, who were on GB duty in France. Siddal junior Graham Holroyd marked his entrance with two tries, Lee Harland also coming off the bench while Graham Middleton posted his first try for the club.

There was confidence going into the Challenge Cup semi final with crisis club Widnes who were half a million pounds in debt and desperate to make Wembley. In the event, Phil Larder?s side ? with Bobby Goulding man of the match ? cantered to an embarrassingly easy win in a second half that had the Leeds fans shaking their heads in despair and disbelief as their team, crucially minus the injured Kevin Iro, was routed with ease. Alan Tait?s miss-fielding of a bomb at the start of the second half opened the floodgates, John Devereux scoring a long distance effort and Jonathan Davies ending with two tries and five goals as the Chemics inflicted Leeds? worst ever Challenge Cup loss.

It was Andy Gregory?s first defeat in the competition since 1986, the last year the Loiners had been in a semi final. The sides met again in the midweek following which saw the latest episode in the long running saga of Steve Pilgrim. The Wasps full back had been banned for a year by the RFU for trialling with Leeds and had his case taken up by both Houses of Parliament. He made his debut at Naughton Park in a side that showed numerous positional changes which included Hanley at stand off for Schofield who had an ear infection and was then banned for two weeks for missing training, Lowes started at loose forward and Harland began at prop. John Devereux?s late try sealed a home win and Pilgrim was subsequently released and joined Halifax. A Simon Irving try in the corner salvaged a draw at home to Wakefield, although he missed the conversion and Hanley was superb as Hull were just edged out. Top four hopes seemed to have been extinguished, though, following a big defeat at St Helens.

A re-arranged game with Leigh after Headingley had been unusually waterlogged saw Hanley post two tries and superb defensive performances at Castleford and home to Bradford, where Fallon was again strong, saw three teams finish the season on 30 points. With an inferior point?s difference, Leeds took fifth spot and a trip to Widnes in the first round of the Premiership. An experienced side, with Iro back, dominated the second half a week before the Chemics went to Wembley; Irving claiming two touchdowns. In the semi final, St Helens proved to be the masters for the fourth time although it took a scoreless hour for the deadlock to be broken by a Gus O?Donnell drop goal and a disallowed Fallon score for the Saints to progress. Before that season ender, Mick Worrall had moved on to Rochdale and young winger Jonathan Scales come in from Gosforth RU. In Alliance rugby, Leeds lost in the final of the Challenge Cup to Wigan on front of a crowd of 3,770 at Headingley while a three man committee looked at the viability of moving the sport to summer.