Derek Hallas: Leeds Rhinos mourn iconic star of first Championship win who later joined Parramatta Eels

Derek Hallas, who was in his 90s, has died following an illness. He wrote his place in club history by scoring two tries when Leeds beat Warrington in the 1961 Championship final to be crowned rugby league champions for the first time.

A tough and skilful centre, he played for Roundhay Rugby Union club before switching codes and had two spells with Keighley either side of his five seasons at Leeds. He scored 60 tries and 18 goals in 135 games in blue and amber and later had a successful stint in Australia with Sydney giants Parramatta, as well as a season coaching Halifax.

After hanging up his boots, Hallas was long-time secretary of Leeds’ ex-players association and remained a keen supporter of the club. Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington visited Hallas last week and described the news as “very sad”.

Hallas was born south of the river Aire in Leeds and joined Roundhay Rugby Union Club because former Hunslet player George Todd was coach there. He represented Yorkshire in the 15-a-side code before taking up rugby league with Keighley and signed for Leeds in 1958, making a try-scoring debut against Leigh at Headingley in January of the following year.

The historic 1960-61 season, when Leeds finally secured the Championship trophy after 70 years of trying, was also Hallas’ finest for the club. He touched down 21 times in 41 games as part of a lethal combination with South African winger Wilf Rosenberg, who scored a post-war record 44 tries. Between them, Leeds’ right-side three-quarters totalled more than a third of the team’s tries that season and Hallas’ form earned him two Great Britain caps.

After rejoining Keighley in 1962, Hallas spent five seasons as a player with Parramatta, where former Leeds player Ken Kearney was coach. Back in England, he had a season as coach of Halifax and later returned to Leeds as a scout. Until being taken ill he regularly attended home games and took part in tributes to 1961 teammate Lewis Jones following his death in March last year.