HUNSLET chairman Kenny Sykes hopes lessons from the past will help his club as they try to establish themselves back in the Championship.
The Leeds side are preparing for their first match in the second tier since 2015, away to Barrow on Sunday.
That’s followed by a plum home derby against Bradford seven days later, February 23, with a bumper crowd hoped for.
Hunslet earned an against-the-odds promotion under Dean Muir in his first season in charge.
After finishing fourth in League One, they won four play-off ties, including the final at Keighley, where Muir had been on the coaching staff.
His side then pulled off a 22-20 victory at Swinton to seal their step up to the second tier and condemn the Lions to relegation from the Championship.
That triggered a busy signings spree as Hunslet tried to quickly build a suitable squad.
Incomings include experienced back Greg Eden from Featherstone, versatile Liam Welham from Midlands Hurricanes and forward Kevin Larroyer from Halifax.
Also on board are halfback Lachlan Hanneghan from Whitehaven and his fellow Australian, hooker Kobe Rugless from New South Wales Cup side Blacktown Workers.
Sykes had 13 seasons as a Hunslet player, and was part of the side who won promotion from the Second Division to the top flight in 1978-79.
Bill Ramsey’s team finished second to Hull, with York and Blackpool Borough also going up.
“We finished behind the Hull ‘Invincibles’ (the Black and Whites won all 26 league matches),” he recalled.
“It was a good team but the step up proved too much and we came straight back down the following season (when Wigan also fell through the trapdoor, as well as York and Blackpool).
“We are under no illusions this year is also a step up, but Dean has recruited well, adding to the lads who did such a fantastic job last season.
“It will be a challenge but one we are all looking forward to.”
