Hull FC Hall of Fame member Lee Crooks has reflected on the club’s 1983 Championship title success, with the Black & Whites lifting the trophy against Barrow 37 years ago today.
After winning the Challenge Cup in 1982, Hull were a dominant forced throughout the following season, sitting at the top of the table throughout the campaign, beating teams from across the league with ease.
With star players including Steve Evans, Dane O’Hara, James Leuluai, Paul Prendiville, David Topliss, Steve Norton, Gary Kemble and Crooks himself all being prominent, the title win marked the peak of FC’s success throughout the late 1970s and 1980s.
Hull had lost out narrowly on winning the Championship the season before in 1981/82, missing out on the final day, but Crooks believe the near-miss that year spurred the side on to success in 1982/83.
“We went into that season in high spirits. Obviously we had some real success the season before in 1982 winning the Challenge Cup and the Yorkshire Cup, and got to the John Player Trophy Final too. We ended up just being a point short of actually winning the Championship title that year – we ended up having to rely on Hull KR beating Leigh away from home on the final day of the season.
“I remember on the final day of the season, our game had finished but it had kicked off earlier than the Rovers game, so they put the second-half commentary of the game from Leigh on the tannoy at the Boulevard. We all sat out on the field and listened to the game, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be so we marched on into the 1982-83.
“But we started really well that season. We looked confident and had a really solid base to the side. The whole side really started to come together and all the hard work that was put into the 1982 year culminated in an even stronger season for us in the Championship.
Crooks, who was still effectively a junior at the time, was already a key member of the Black & White squad, adding: “I had just turned 20 that season, so it was an unbelievable experience. To be reaching major finals and having made my Great Britain debut the year before was remarkable. I was fortunate though – if I hadn’t had the players around me that I did, I wouldn’t have been as good as player as I was.”
Crooks paid tribute to the work ethic of the side which led them to their 1983 success, as well as lauding both head coach Arthur Bunting for his tactics and philosophy.
“Back in those days, the social aspect of the game was really prevalent. The only difference for us though was that we trained harder than everybody else as well. If we was going to go out for a beer on a Tuesday and a Thursday after training, we knew we’d have to compensate for that in training. We was the fittest team in the league and that’s why we were so successful during that period.
“Arthur Bunting like to chop and change his squad. He liked to keep the nucleus of the team, but he was always keen to keep players fresh. We had the depth to do that with a really big squad of quality players. Arthur’s philosophy was about having players across the park that could support the ball carrier and draw a man.
“When I look back at some of the games, some of the rugby we played was outstanding – that brand of rugby was what made us so good. What he did with the team and the personnel he brought it, I feel so fortunate to have been in and around that squad. He wanted us to play expansive rugby – he even made the club remove the speedway track so the pitch was bigger and better for us to play on!”
Hull would only lose two of their opening seventeen games, and were only defeated six times in the league all season. The Hall of Fame member believes cutting out poor results against weaker teams was key to success.
“We knew at the beginning what we needed to do that season, because of what happened to us in the league the year before. We knew we shouldn’t be losing against smaller teams – maybe we went into some of those games the year before a bit overconfident in 1982, but we managed to cut that out of our game and I think that’s what helped us on the run we went on.
“It was a great title race. There was some real quality in our opposition too in the likes of Hull KR and Wigan, but to win the Championship that year, you had to win enough nearly every game. And that shows by the fact that we didn’t officially win the title until the final day. In that regards, its probably the finest season we’ve had as a club as a team point of view.
“We may have been winning constantly, but we still had to hold our nerve a little bit towards the end of the season as the title race was so close. Our penultimate game was against Leeds at Headingley, and we took them to pieces that night. Steve Norton was sensational and you could see the confidence running though us – he was key for us. When you watch that game back, and see the quality and the skill he had was unbelievable. The victory that night all but secured the title – it would have taken some sort of freak result for us to lose it against Barrow four days later.”
Hull’s title was all but confirmed with victory against Leeds, with only a near-impossible freak result stopping Hull lift the trophy against Barrow four days later at the Boulevard – a day which Crooks has fond memories of – in particular, taking part in the Haka!
“Our mentality was that there was only going to be one winner that day at the Boulevard, whether the title was already won or not – with 17,000 people packed into the Boulevard, it was such a memorable day.
“When I look back at the video, the place was rammed that day against Barrow. That wasn’t just the odd occasion though – we had crowds like that every week, making it a horrible place to come and play. When they got behind us, the Boulevard was our fortress.
“We played with smiles on our faces that day and scored some sensational tries – we probably dismantled Barrow a little bit to be honest. But my one overriding memory from that day is doing the Haka at the end of the game, which was a strange experience. It was definitely a spur-of-the-moment thing rather being pre-planned. We used to mess about doing it in the pub after training. We received the trophy and Gary Kemble assembled all the boys in front of the Threepenny Stand, and I think its fair to say some boys got stuck in more than others!”
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