League Express reporter and Hull KR fan MARK CHESTNEY was among the population to desert the city in 1980, the last time the club won the Challenge Cup…
At the age of 21, I went to Wembley for the 1980 Rugby League Challenge Cup Final.
It was made even more special, and nervous, because it was against our arch-rivals Hull FC in the only ever Hull derby final.
Rovers went into the final on the back of a 20-7 semi-final win over Halifax at Headingley, ironically the same ground they beat Wigan Warriors to reach this years’ final. They had already seen off the likes of Wigan, Castleford and Warrington before Halifax.
The Robins had so much homegrown talent in Phil Lowe and Paul Rose, plus the likes of Roy Holdstock, John Millington, Steve Hubbard, David Hall, Steve Hartley, Len Casey and their now club president, Mike Smith. But the mastermind behind it all was the late, great Roger Millward MBE. Maybe he was not Hull-born, but he was a legend in the east of the city both as a player and coach for some 25 years.
There was a complement of ‘out-of-town lads’ in Allan Agar, Brian Lockwood (who went on to win the Lance Todd Trophy), David Watkinson, Phil Hogan, and unforgettable late Clive Sullivan.
But the Rovers fans didn’t care where they were from; they just wanted the big silver pot at Wembley and, despite sustaining a broken jaw, Millward would go on to receive the trophy from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. Rovers took the trophy around the stadium with Millward on the shoulders of Hogan, while try scorer Hubbard was on crutches, having been carried off, but the Sullivan smile lifting the trophy said it all.
It was something special and coaches came from miles around to take the whole city down to London for the showpiece event.
Rovers were up against a strong Hull side, with the likes of Geoff ‘Sammy’ Lloyd, Steve ‘Knocker’ Norton, Vince Farrar, local lad Keith Tindall plus John Newlove and Paul Prendiville and coached by the mercurial Arthur Bunting. There was just so much at stake, the trophy, bragging rights, Monday morning banter at work, in a game refereed by the legendary Fred Lindop.
So, 43 years later, we are here again, not against our arch rivals but this season’s surprise team in Leigh Leopards. But Rovers will again be up for the challenge, this time with Shaun Kenny-Dowall, in his final season with the club, leading the side as local lad Mikey Lewis and new recruit – and semi-final field-goal hero Brad Schneider – orchestrating things.
The engine room of George King, Rhys Kennedy, Elliot Minchella and the big red machine Kane Linnett gives the Robins so many options going forward. Plus, if you need a finisher, there is no better than Ryan Hall, although the Robins also have options in Ethan Ryan and Tom Opacic. But sadly, there will be no Jordan Abdul, Lachlan Coote or Sauaso Sue, but they are still confident enough to win this game.
It might not be a case this year of – ‘Last one out, switch the lights out!’.
But red and white ribbons on the famous trophy once again would be a wonderful achievement.
