Leeds Rhinos celebrate anniversary of first title win

Fifty nine years ago, Leeds were crowned champions for the first time after demolishing Warrington 25-10 in the play-off final at Bradford’s Odsal Stadium.

That victory ended a 65-year wait for the top prize in the English game and the 13 players on duty on May 20, 1961, will always hold a special place in the Leeds club’s history.

There are now only six survivors from that team, among them stand-off Lewis Jones, who kicked five goals and two-try centre Derek Hallas, who turns 87 this month and still remembers that afternoon fondly.

Having played rugby union for Roundhay and Yorkshire, Hallas turned professional with Keighley and was signed by Leeds in 1958. He went on to score 60 tries and 18 goals in 135 appearances and is still a Leeds fan and active member of their players’ association.

Under Warrington-born manager Joe Warham, Leeds finished top of the table in 1961 and beat St Helens in a Championship semi-final.

Hallas said: “Joe kept everything quite normal for us, we went to Harrogate and had our usual Turkish baths and we trained - he tried to keep things calm.

“We were all working so we had other distractions. What I remember of it is a very calm lead up to the final.”

The Wire had a star-studded side, including rugby league’s greatest-ever try scorer Brian Bevan, but Leeds never gave them a chance.

Hooker Barry Simms, who Hallas felt was man of the match, dominated the scrums and the Loiners were 18-0 ahead before the opposition broke their duck.

“They had a good side, but they never got the ball,” Hallas recalled. “Our forwards overwhelmed theirs.

“We had Don Robinson a World Cup prop, Barry Simms who was a very good footballer and very tough, Trevor Whitehead a former centre, the other prop; Dennis Goodwin, a former Great Britain centre, in the second-row, then Jack Fairbank - the enforcer - and Brian Shaw.

“Eddie Ratcliffe was the sort of winger who if he played against Batley would be no good, but put him against Brian Bevan and he’d tackle him out of the game. We had Wilf [Rosenberg] on the other wing and Kenny Thornett at full-back. I think it was meant to be, when you look at the side, it is a damned good team.”

Leeds lost only six of 36 games in all competitions that year. Hallas recalled: “It was a side Joe put together. He wanted to win it [the Championship], we did that and not long after the team started to break up.”

Hallas returned to Keighley in 1962 and later played in Australia for Parramatta Eels.Of his time with Leeds, he said: “It was tremendous, at Keighley we had a good side, but we didn’t win anything.

“To go to Leeds and be part of the side that won the Championship for the first time was a bit special.”

Leeds’ team had earlier booked to travel to Paris the following day, so missed celebrations in the city.

Hallas has one regret; though there are photographs, he has never seen film of that famous 1961 win - and no picture was taken on the day of the team with the trophy.

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