Leeds Rhinos Bygones: World record capture Young helps Leeds set new benchmark result

The Loiners paid a world record £150,000 to sign Young, a prop, from Cardiff, but he spent just two seasons at the club before moving to Salford and then returning to rugby union.

He is now director of rugby at Wasps.

Fellow Welshman Ackerman played for Newport in the 15-a-side game before switching codes with Whitehaven.

A centre, he also had a couple of seasons at Leeds, later played for Carlisle and Salford and finished his career in union.

He is a school teacher and rugby coach in New Zealand.

Both will be remembered best for making their debut on February 11, 1990, when Barrow were annihilated 90-0 at Headingley.

That was the biggest score in a First Division game.

At the time it was Leeds’ second-highest total in any match, though it dropped to third after the 106-10 win Challenge Cup win at Swinton in 2001.

Leeds have only recorded one bigger tally in a home fixture, their 102-0 defeat of Coventry in 1913.

Defensively, it was the first time Leeds had kept a clean sheet in 58 matches.

Ackerman was among seven Leeds players to bag a brace, the others being John Bentley, Carl Gibson, Garry Schofield, Paul Delaney, Cavill Heugh and Mike Kuiti.

Colin Maskill scored a try and 11 goals – his second 26-point haul inside a month – and David Cruickshank and Gary Divorty also crossed.

Ackerman was on from the start and Young came off the bench early in the second period when Leeds, as Yorkshire Evening Post reporter Trevor Watson put it, were clinging to a 48-0 lead.

Of Young, Watson wrote: “Not surprisingly, he was thumped the second time he touched the ball, but looks very strong and showed his mobility with one fine 30-yard surge, pushing off two defenders with great ease.

“As [coach David] Ward said, in a few months’ time opponents may not be so ready to hit out at the Welsh newcomer.”

****

STATS

Leeds 90

(Tries: Bentley 2, Ackerman 2, Gibson 2, Schofield 2, Delaney 2, Kuiti 2, Heugh 2, Cruickshank, Maskill, Divorty. Goals: Maskill 11)

Barrow 0

February 11, 1990 
Division one

Wilson: Bentley, Creasser, Ackerman, Gibson, Schofield, Cruickshank, Waddell, Maskill, Dixon, Kuiti, Hough, Divorty. Subs Delaney, Young.

Barrow: K O’Neill, Stott, Burns, Beckwith, Trainor, L O’Neill, Marwood, Tuavao, Crarey, Mossop, Pemberton, Kendall, Maguire. Subs Shaw, Rowan.

Referee: David Asquith.

Attendance: 8,514.