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An Introduction to Leeds Rugby League Shirt
Manufactured by Ellis Rugby, the Leeds Rugby League Shirt 1957 Heritage Polo shirt. The Leeds Rugby League team of 1957 saw the extraordinary Lewis Jones. He scored a phenomenal, record-breaking 496 points. This included 36 tries and 194 goals for the charismatic former Wales Rugby Union. And British & Irish Lions player (Rugby Union).
1957 was the Golden year for the Leeds Rugby League Club. They made it through to the Challenge Cup Final. It wasn’t all plain sailing for the Loiners. They had to fight past Wigan in Round 1, eventually coming through by 13 points to 11. In Round 2 Leeds drew Warrington at home. And despite a strong challenge early on by the ‘Wire’ comfortably won at the end by 28 points to 6 points.
In the quarter final it was Halifax at Thrum Hall. But Leeds once again came through on top by 16 points to 10 points. The semi-final challenge was Whitehaven who they met at Odsal in front of 49,094 spectators. Leeds seemed to be coasting with Broughton scoring two well-worked tries and the impressive Lewis Jones adding a conversion. Leeds were leading by 4 points. But then suddenly things swung in favour of Whitehaven. As McKeown went over for a try and McMenemy converted from wideout.
Whitehaven looked to kill the final minutes of the game by keeping it tight in the forwards. It was Leeds Prop Joe Anderson who was the hero as he stole the ball and slipped a pass out to Jeff Stevenson and the diminutive half-back neatly dropped a long-range field goal to win the game by 10 points to 9 points.
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11th May 1957 at Wembley Stadium Leeds Rugby League v Barrow Rugby League in the Final of the Challenge Cup in front of 76,318 supporters.
In the 25th minute, the Leeds Full Back Pat Quinn collected a short pass from Hooker Bernard Prior and the former British & Irish Lions player who toured South Africa only a year earlier found himself barging his way over for the first try. Leeds went in at half-time ahead.
From the first scrum of the second half Leeds put on one of their renowned three-quarter moves. Lewis Jones crossed from right to left and collected Stevensons clever pass, he then freed Del Hodgkinson on the right wing and his perfectly timed side-step left Barrow’s Full Back Joe Ball for dead.
Second rower Don Robinson capitalised on a loose pass from Barrow’s Jack Grundy to score Leeds third try. Barrow soon hit back with a try by Centre Phil Jackson and with two Willie Horne goals the game was on a knife edge. Leeds managed to hold-ou despite the Cumbrians late surge by the narrowest of margins – Leeds 9 points, Barrow 7 points.
Jeff Stevenson, the Leeds born Scrum Half won the Lance Todd Trophy Man of the Match Award. He always looked a danger when Leeds attacked and managed to cover well in defence.
Both Stevenson and Lewis Jones were selected to represent Great Britain in the 1957 World Cup series in Australia.
