My favourite match - Leeds Rhinos legend Keith Senior's surprise choice

One of the most durable players of the modern era, Senior featured in 560 first team games - only 13 of those as a substitute - from his Sheffield Eagles debut in 1994 until a knee injury ended his career 17 years later.

Not many players are good or fit enough to break the 500 barrier and the match in which Senior reached that milestone, a 43-30 win for Rhinos at Hull on July 4, 2009, is his personal favourite.

“It was one of the only times I’ve ever been really nervous,” Senior - who is now assistant-coach at Sheffield Eagles - recalled.

“I was normally quite relaxed before games, but that was quite a big achievement for me.”

The game was a thriller as Leeds raced into a big early lead, but then had to withstand a spirited Hull fightback.

When captain Kevin Sinfield scored and converted with eight minutes left in the first half, Leeds were 30-6 up and in total command.

But the hosts grabbed a converted try before the interval and put Leeds under huge pressure in the final 40, cutting the gap to just seven points at one stage before full-back Lee Smith touched down to complete Rhinos’ highest score in a game at Hull.

“I remember putting Ryan [Hall] over for a try quite early and I scored after that, in a similar situation,” Senior said.

“It was just one of those games that went quite well for me.

“I always enjoyed playing against Hull and I always did quite well against them.

“I remember I played my 300th Leeds game against them a couple of months before and I got man of the match in that and scored two tries.

“I also set one up for Ryan, quite illegally - I escorted Mark Calderwood off the ball!”

Senior was a Challenge Cup winner for Sheffield in 1998, when they shocked hot favourites Wigan Warriors at Wembley.

He also won 33 Test caps for Great Britain, as well as playing 10 times in an England shirt.

Those achievements remain fond memories, but Senior is more proud of his longevity at the top level of a game he never planned to make a career out of.

He admitted: “You always remember your first final and your first international game.

“Those type of things have sentimental value and they are great achievements, but because I never had dreams of being a professional rugby player - I didn’t plan it, I got an opportunity and took it - playing 500 games was a big thing for me.

“I wasn’t like Kevin Sinfield, at age six throwing a rugby ball about.

“I actually stopped playing for a little bit when the rugby union team I played for disbanded.

“I was working at the time and it wasn’t something I dreamed of doing.

“In rugby union I never really seemed to get anywhere, I’d go for Yorkshire trials and it seemed like my face didn’t fit.

“I was just going to carry on working, so to get to 560 games is a great achievement.”

Another highlight was playing for Great Britain in their 2006 Test victory over Australia in Sydney.

England/Great Britain haven’t beaten the Kangaroos since, but that game is best remembered for Aussie forward Willie Mason’s punch on Stuart Fielden, sparking a fight with Jamie Peacock which Senior joined in.

He remembered: “I just dived on everybody. The stuff that went on in that game wouldn’t happen now.

“Willie Mason should probably have been sent-off about 15 times. That’s something you don’t see anymore, it was just a proper, tough, horrible rugby league game between two rivals - and we won!”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. These are challenging times but the team at the Yorkshire Evening Post need your support more than ever in the weeks ahead.

While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you - wherever possible and providing it is safe for you to do so - to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Inevitably falling advertising revenues will start to have an impact on local newspapers and the way we continue to work during this period of uncertainty. So the support of our readers has never been more important as we try to make sure that we keep you connected with the city you live in during this time. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. We need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Our team of trusted reporters are working incredibly hard behind the scenes- from kitchen tables and spare bedrooms - to look at how we can do this and your continued support to the YEP will help to protect its viability in the days and weeks ahead.

For more details on our subscription offers please visit www.localsubsplus.co.uk/YEP, email [email protected] or call us on 0330 4033004

Thank you

Laura Collins

Editor

READ MORE:

https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/opinion/were-therewithyou-now-your-yep-needs-your-support-too-laura-collins-yep-editor-2521777