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MAGIC MOMENTS


Steve Slater

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Because The Phantom Horseman started the previous thread with the line because we're all bored, I would like to start a similar thread, but on different lines:-

Which, in everyone's opinion, was the most important score, be it a try, goal, or drop goal, in the history of this great club of ours?

Totally different from the above, which was the best try ever scored?

Which was the best ever kick? This could be a goal, drop goal, 40/20, or tactical kick that led to a try or turned the game?

Which was the best try-saving tackle or defensive moment?

 

I'll start it all of with my opinion of the most important score in our history:--

It was the try by Carl Dooler in the Challenge Cup semi-final against Leeds at Fartown in 1967. We were trailing 8-4 late in the second half when  Graham Harris heeled a scrum 10 yards out, Tommy Smales took the defence with him without the ball on a dummy open side run while Dooler broke down the blind left touchline side with his eyes focused on Gary Jordan. The opposite winger went for Jordan but Dooler had dummied and he took two defenders over the line with him. Smales converted from touch and Rovers were in front for the first time, a lead they extended with a Mick Smith drop goal and an Arnie Morgan try.

It seemed an impossible task against runaway league leaders Leeds after falling at the semi-final hurdle five times in the previous 12 years, and the cup final against Barrow held no fears after beating Bradford, Wakefield, Cas, and now Leeds on the way. The glory day was at Wembley but to all intents and purposes Rovers won the cup for the very first time on that glorious day at Fartown, and it was Dooler's try that swung the game!

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I remember Steve Evans running almost 80 yards when we played Leeds away. He beat the players in front of him and then outpaced the chasers. Sticks in hy memory as one of the best trys.

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Can I say that as a kicker of the ball I have never seen a better or more accurate kicker than Freddie Miller. His touch finding was great. If he had been around and playing nowadays he would be 40/20 it on a regular basis. 

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1 hour ago, Feverly Hills 90210 said:

Steve Quinn winning goal at Wembley 83 Final, also his chase back to keep Ellery Hanley out wide in the Semi Final.

In the same game, Pete Smith's last gasp tackle on David Smith in the closing minutes, very reminiscent of Danny Houghton's tackle in the CC Final many years later.

Quinny's winning kick is the obvious one along with Mark Knapper at Cas from the touchline. I'd add that to Jeff Townend's late winner from near the touchline against Hull KR in the John Player Trophy in 1977, still one of the most amazing games I've seen.

In terms of tactical kicks, the one that springs to memory is Liam Finn in the dying moments of the game against Sheffield in 2013 where we basically needed to deny them a bonus point and thus finish top of the league for the 4th season running. Though that owed at least as much to Will Sharp's superb leap and catch.

Am struggling to decide for some of the other questions.

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28 minutes ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

In the same game, Pete Smith's last gasp tackle on David Smith in the closing minutes, very reminiscent of Danny Houghton's tackle in the CC Final many years later.

Quinny's winning kick is the obvious one along with Mark Knapper at Cas from the touchline. I'd add that to Jeff Townend's late winner from near the touchline against Hull KR in the John Player Trophy in 1977, still one of the most amazing games I've seen.

In terms of tactical kicks, the one that springs to memory is Liam Finn in the dying moments of the game against Sheffield in 2013 where we basically needed to deny them a bonus point and thus finish top of the league for the 4th season running. Though that owed at least as much to Will Sharp's superb leap and catch.

Am struggling to decide for some of the other questions.

Never have I had a lump in my throat at a rugby match like the one you mention. When Townend kicked that touchline goal against Hull KR. I believe Farrar got sent off in first half and Fev trailed about 19-6. HullKR had two very late dismissals and after a great backs to the wall rally Fev won by a point. Extraordinary game.

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6 minutes ago, J Phil Loxton said:

Never have I had a lump in my throat at a rugby match like the one you mention. When Townend kicked that touchline goal against Hull KR. I believe Farrar got sent off in first half and Fev trailed about 19-6. HullKR had two very late dismissals and after a great backs to the wall rally Fev won by a point. Extraordinary game.

Indeed. The two Hull KR  guys sent off were Steve Hartley and Clive Sullivan, neither of whom had ever been sent off before in their long careers. The ref lost control of the game from a long way out and after he had sent off Vince the crowd were baying for justice every time a Hull KR player came close to infringing.

Sullivan's dismissal was the only time I have ever been sorry to see an opposing player sent off, he was one of the greats and a gentleman too, and he caught one of our lads with a reflex action - no malice and no injury, in any other game it would have been a penalty and nothing more, but such was the frenzied state of the game by that time that the ref sent him marching.

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2 hours ago, J Phil Loxton said:

Never have I had a lump in my throat at a rugby match like the one you mention. When Townend kicked that touchline goal against Hull KR. I believe Farrar got sent off in first half and Fev trailed about 19-6. HullKR had two very late dismissals and after a great backs to the wall rally Fev won by a point. Extraordinary game.

Just refresh my memory wasn't it Will Sharp who scored a winning try after the hooter had gone and the opposition player threw the ball towards touch as a final gesture. it didn't reach and Sharp picked it up and scored the winner. That final effort stays in my mind but can't remember the opposing team .

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18 minutes ago, jamescolin said:

Just refresh my memory wasn't it Will Sharp who scored a winning try after the hooter had gone and the opposition player threw the ball towards touch as a final gesture. it didn't reach and Sharp picked it up and scored the winner. That final effort stays in my mind but can't remember the opposing team .

Against Batley at home

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St. Helens at Home in the Seventies (forget the exact year) Cyril Kellet dummied on the line and scored and kicked the goal. Think score was 18-12 and another totally unexpected win. 

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I wasn't there, it was a Friday night game at Salford in 1977, but by all accounts the levelling score (or the try that brought us one point behind?), by Steve Quinn, I believe, and the touchline conversion by Neil Tuffs set us on the way for winning the championship. So that must have been one of the most important scores in our history? Can anyone who was there expand?

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Three outstanding tries tries I can remember spanning the decades, two of them very similar - Gary Cooper returning the ball from full back and going through the whole of the opposing side over about 80 metres in the mid 60's and Chris Bibb doing exactly the same in the early 90's. The opposition escapes me though on both occasions, but I can remember the other one, by Gary Waterworth at Wakefield in a 27-27 draw in 1961 or 1962? The way he turned their full back Gerry Round inside out was pure magic. 

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There are 2 tackles that stand out for me from the 1967 cup run. The first tackle involved Mal Dixon turning round and catching Alan Hardisty running down the Bullock stand side. What an effort. Then in the cup final itself. Brian Wrigglesworth again turning round and catching undoubtably the fastest winger in the game at that time Bill Burgess, definitely a defining moment in that game.

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3 hours ago, MADREDNIGE said:

St. Helens at Home in the Seventies (forget the exact year) Cyril Kellet dummied on the line and scored and kicked the goal. Think score was 18-12 and another totally unexpected win. 

Was that the one where he came up to apparently kick a penalty goal but tapped and ran whilst the defence were sleeping ? He definitely did that at least once.

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2 hours ago, Steve Slater said:

I wasn't there, it was a Friday night game at Salford in 1977, but by all accounts the levelling score (or the try that brought us one point behind?), by Steve Quinn, I believe, and the touchline conversion by Neil Tuffs set us on the way for winning the championship. So that must have been one of the most important scores in our history? Can anyone who was there expand?

Steve Quinn got injured scoring so was unable to take the kick, so cool as you like Neil Tuffs took it, kicked it and sent the Rovers fans wild!

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On 06/04/2020 at 17:25, jamescolin said:

Just refresh my memory wasn't it Will Sharp who scored a winning try after the hooter had gone and the opposition player threw the ball towards touch as a final gesture. it didn't reach and Sharp picked it up and scored the winner. That final effort stays in my mind but can't remember the opposing team .

Here you go Colin. It was a kick not a pass/throw. 

 

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Wow!! Thanks for that I remembered the try but leading up to it I had forgotten how we got the ball. Thank you so much Les Tonks Sidestep. That was a Magic Moment. After the whistle had gone!!!

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2 hours ago, The Phantom Horseman said:

There were many memorable things about that footage, but my favourite part is on about 25 seconds, at the very top of the screen you can just see a man and woman rush back to the top of the steps in the far corner and the woman is clearly not happy that her fella suggested they leave early ?

For added novelty value, I should add that the two likely lads stood to the left of that returning couple, are me and my mate.

We rarely if ever leave early, and why you'd ever do so when there's less than a converted score in it I've absolutely no idea, although in mitigation I do seem to recall we'd never really got going all game?

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My memorable moments came a few years ago when after a poor season, not winning away all season and losing the last home to  Batley ( coach Andy Kelly ) the following season be beat Hull KR away.

The players celebrations on the final whistle was incredible.

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