Anyone remember Leeds v Cas circa 1993/4, Headingley, Boxing day.

Steve Molloy and St John Ellis both gettin their marching orders for a dust up.

Ellis chases Molloy down the tunnel and the South Stand erupts as we all get a clear view of them both knocking lumps out of each other half way down the tunnel.

Bring back the Biff!

They scared me too - and I was stood at least 100 yards away with a couple of thousand other people stood between me and them.

I suffered through the 80s and 90s and it is for that reason I am more than happy to give the current set up (inc McDermott) the benefit of the doubt because, unlike the days gone by, they have delivered unparalelled succes.

Anyway, jumpers for goalpoasts etc; I remember the excitement an off season would bring. Big new shiny signings all promising (and failing) to finally deliver us to the promised land. I remember being genuinely excited that the likes of Rob Ackerman, Mark Brooke Cowden and Simon Irving would finally push us past Wigan. What a young fool.

I remember smoking in the Southstfnand as a cheeky youth. Cigars and Xmas jumpers (and a hip flask) for the meaningful boxing days games. Anyone recall Steve Molloy and the late St John Ellis fighting all the way up the tunnel, goodwill to all men eh?

Anyone remember the Yorkshire cup quarter final against Northern when Paul Medley came off the bench to turn the game? It's been discussed before but the brutal tour match against Auckland when Garry Schofield made his debut.

I was discussing this with Bullseye last night, when I started watching rugby it was big, brutal men, older than me and all to be respected, fareaed a little and revered. Now it's young boys. The social media age has a lot to answer for. How can I revere and admire Zak Hardaker and Ryan Bailey in the same way as ET and Roy Powell? I'm sure they too went to "smash nando's with their Bra's" but I never read about it. They were just tough, skillfull men.

Nostalgia, it aint what it used to be.

Ah the moderately glorious late 70s - David Ward and John Holmes leading the way, Alan Smith and John Atkinson alternately rampaging and gliding down their respective wings.

The 80s - the decline under Dewhirst, culminating in some fearful beatings against the likes of Leigh. The revival of the Bamford era, the JPT win at windswept Central Park, the silken skills of Bell and Currie, the brute force of Grothe. Finishing a narrow second to Wigan in the league under David Ward, denied the title thanks in no small part to Robin Whitfield.

The 90s - the shiny new era of Doug Laughton, cheque book coaching and a smattering of young talents from the newly formed Academy setup. The poor management that led to it all falling apart, and a team of valiant but limited young men under Dean Bell almost losing our top division status. The acquisition by Hetherington and Caddick that turned the supertanker around, ending the decade on a high at Wembley.

The 2000s - near misses at Murrayfield then Cardiff, finally glory at Old Trafford, repeated more times than we dare dream. The constantly elusive Challenge Cup. Watching a group of young men grow up together into one of the most successful sides of any era.

It's been a fun old journey, through Saltergate, Swinton and all sorts of long forgotten and now demolished stops in between. Wouldn't have swapped it for the world, even with that bloody Bridgend game.

I feel the same way but that's not the social media age, that's just age. I'm sure ET with his shoulder-length hair and suspiciously good looks looked like an absolute ponce to a 50-year-old who'd been a boy watching Arthur Clues.

In my memory, it was Molloy who chased Ellis up the steps and re-commenced the dust up in the tunnel. Like you, I had a fantastic view up the tunnel.

Yeah, I think you could be right come to think of it! Classic moment nonetheless!

Certainly was. We were so disappointed when we saw the club video, and it cuts off just as Molloy is tearing up the stairs.

I heard a rumour about ET at the time the Australia team were touring in the 1980s from a bloke in the North East who hadn't a clue about RL but noticed my Leeds scarf and started asking me lots of questions about him and his whereabouts and where the Australian team would be staying.



Even after all these years I'd better not say anymore...

We bumped into ET's Aussie mates in what was the Cherry Tree pub at Lincoln Green. My girlfriends sister was swooning over Mark McGaw. Also there was possibly the worst ever Aussie signing by Leeds, Peter Smith,signed from Illawarra and spectacularly useless ! friendly enough bloke totalk to though .

Wow – good thread and some great memories.

I started watching Leeds in 1976. First match v Fev Rovers in Yorkshire cup final. For some reason my dad stood me in the Rovers end! The only words that I recognised were the swear words (and there was a lot of them). I really became hooked though in 1980. The start of bleak period in terms of winning trophies, but there were some standout players and matches.

ET – best attacking fullback I have ever seen.
Paul Medley – will never forget his rampaging runs in front of the south stand. What a hand off. Petty Mal Reilly didn’t rate him.
Gary Schofield – love him or hate him he was a legend and carried the team single handed for many years.
Terry Webb / Steve Martin – first Aussies I saw play for Leeds.
Craig Izzard – Best import I’ve seen.
Ellery Hanley – the best rugby player I have ever seen – even at Leeds he was a class above.

Lowest Point – Semi Final v Widnes at Swinton. Cross bar incident! I have never felt so upset after a rugby match.

Best Atmosphere – again CC against Bradford (cant remember what year) – I believe Neil Hague dropped a last minute goal to secure a 17-17 draw. I think there was 21k there and I remember chants of ‘Northern’ echoing around the ground before these were engulfed a huge wall of ‘Loiners’. Up until that point I had only ever heard 10 people in the centre of the south stand sing!

High Points – they were few and far between. Yorkshire cup v Cas and did we win the John Player v Saints?

I seem to remember the attendances at Headingley were never that great for league matches especially in the early 80s. However Hull and Hull KR supporters nearly always filled the south stand!

11th March 1984 - great game and atmosphere but the crowd was 'only' 17,494. Those were the days when you could actually have a draw in the Challenge Cup and do it all again a few days later as we went over to Odsal and Kevin Squire briefly became a Headingley hero or at least a Rooley Lane hero for an unforgettable two minutes.



I'd guess the JP Final you're thinking of was V Widnes at Central Park after the previous nights storm had snapped one of the uprights in half leaving it barely legal. Oddly enough one of my highlights of that day was on the return journey home and sliding clean across the camber and stopping only when collecting the opposite curb - and all from a standing start ..... brilliant.

The St Helens JP memory was a huge disappointment after the incredible high of defeating the almighty Wigan on a never to be forgotten Saturday afternoon in Notlob. In the week that followed I must have watched the recording at least a dozen times ..... jeez and I think I'm sad today.

Thanks for the corrections - its funny how the memory blurs things. I think its time to dig out all the 1980s Programmes. Kevin Squire - he had a shaggy perm didnt he?

Kevin Squire did have a shaggy perm and was recruited from RU down Devon IIRC

Kevin Squire! Now there is a name! Could've easily doubled as an extra in an early episode of neighbours! Came from the South West iirc

Aussie full back Neil Hunt with his side step in the mid 80's
and the wall of players leeds used to form at the tap after a penalty kick to touch to try and confuse the defence , dont think it every work

and Trevor Patterson,he was a good Aussie forward. Unlike international and highly rated Wally Fullerton-Smith who never really did much for us

Rated Peter Tunks remember seeing him and stevie morris in the old TC Night club in leeds , Those were the days

The first time I saw RL at Headingley.

My memory of Tunks is him wearing a cravat at the side of Maurice Bamford. A strange contrast.

Scoring arguably the scruffiest try I think I've ever seen IIRC.

Wasn't that the game where Trevor Clark when to play the ball to himself right on their line (in the days when you still could) and it just popped up into Squire's hands at dummy half for him to barge over?

Correct and well described although perhaps it was more of a flop than a barge over. That try only equalised the scores and it took a calm as you like angled conversion by David Creasser to take Leeds through after an absorbing 160 minutes of toe to toe combat.

I still have them games on VHS.

Who scored Leeds other try in that replay against Northern?

No prizes for knowing the answer BTW.

Paul 'Taffy' Prendiville.