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{{Short description|none}}
{{Infobox rugby football league season
{{Infobox rugby football league season
| title = 1942–43 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season
| title = 1942–43 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season
| league = Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season
| league = Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season
| season = 1942–43 Season
| season = 1942–43 Season
| season_champs = '''[[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]]'''
| season_champs = Void
| season_champ_name = [[Rugby Football League Championship|Champions]]
| season_champ_name = [[Rugby Football League Championship|Champions]]
| league_leaders = [[Dewsbury Rams|Dewsbury]]
| league_leaders = [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]]
| league_leaders_name = Runner-up
| league_leaders_name = League leaders
| second_place =
| second_place =
| prevseason_link = 1941–42 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season
| prevseason_link = 1941–42 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season
Line 13: Line 14:
| nextseason_year = 1943–44
| nextseason_year = 1943–44
}}
}}
The '''1942–43 [[Rugby Football League|Northern Rugby Football Union]] season''' was the fourth season of the [[Rugby league|rugby league’s]] '''Wartime Emergency Leagues''' necessitated by the Second World War.<br />
The '''1942–43 Northern Rugby Football Union season''' was the fourth season of the [[Rugby league|rugby league’s]] '''Wartime Emergency Leagues''' necessitated by the Second World War.

As in the previous (third) Wartime season, the clubs each played a different number of games and several clubs dropped out. In fact for this season only 14 of the original clubs remained (and still only Oldham, St Helens and Wigan from west of the Pennines). <br />
As in the previous wartime season, clubs did not all play the same number of games. Three clubs dropped out before the season started. Only 14 of the pre-war clubs participated with only three; Oldham, St Helens and Wigan from west of the Pennines.
The League remained as one single amalgamated Championship.


==Season summary==
==Season summary==
The 1942–43 season began on Saturday 5 September 1942. As in the previous season, there are still only the three Lancashire clubs who have not had to close down and withdraw from the League, the [[Rugby Football League|Northern Rugby League]] continued with a single (now) 14 club single Competition. As the clubs are still playing different number of marches, the league positions and the title would be decided on a percentage basis.
The 1942–43 season began on Saturday 5 September 1942. As in the previous season, there were still only three Lancashire clubs, the [[Rugby Football League|Northern Rugby League]] continued with a single 14 club competition. As the clubs were playing different number of marches, the league positions were decided on a win percentage basis.


At the completion of the regular season [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]] were on top of the league with a percentage success of 81.25% and [[Dewsbury Rams|Dewsbury]] were a close second (78.12%). Although [[Bradford Bulls|Bradford Northern]] won more games than anyone else their percentage success was only 73.80%, and consequently they finished third. St Helens finished 14th out of the 14 clubs with only 2 wins from 15 . Dewsbury went on to defeat [[Halifax R.L.F.C.|Halifax]] 33–16 on aggregate in the play-off final and win the Championship (for the second consecutive season), however the Championship was declared null and void as the Dewsbury had fielded an ineligible player in the semi-final.
At the completion of the regular season [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]] were on top of the league with a percentage success of 81.25% and [[Dewsbury Rams|Dewsbury]] were second (78.12%). Although [[Bradford Bulls|Bradford Northern]] won more games than anyone else their percentage success was only 73.80%, and consequently they finished third. St Helens finished last with only two wins from 15.


Dewsbury went on to defeat [[Halifax R.L.F.C.|Halifax]] 33–16 on aggregate in the play-off final, however the Championship was declared null and void as the Dewsbury had fielded an ineligible player in the semi-final.
The Wartime Emergency Leagues did not count as an official league championship.{{cn|date=January 2018}}


In the [[Challenge Cup|Rugby league Challenge Cup Final]], [[Dewsbury Rams|Dewsbury]] beat [[Leeds Rhinos|Leeds]] 16–15 on aggregate over two legs in front of an aggregate crowd of 26,470.
In the [[Challenge Cup|Rugby league Challenge Cup Final]], [[Dewsbury Rams|Dewsbury]] beat [[Leeds Rhinos|Leeds]] 16–15 on aggregate over two legs in front of an aggregate crowd of 26,470.

With the [[RFL Lancashire Cup|Lancashire Cup]] suspended the duration of the war, Wigan competed in the [[RFL Yorkshire Cup|Yorkshire Cup]]. The cup was won by Dewsbury who beat [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] 7–2 on aggregate before an aggregate crowd of 17,252 in the two low scoring legs of the final


==Change in participation==
==Change in participation==
The RFL announced the fixture list at the end of July 1942 with 15 clubs entered.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19420730/137/0004 |title=Rugby League Plans |work=[[Yorkshire Post]] |date=30 July 1942 |page=4 |issue=29631 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref> This was a reduction of two from the previous year as [[Bramley R.L.F.C.|Bramley]] and [[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]] had already notified the RFL of their intentions not to take part in the season.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19420728/031/0002 |title=R.L. Cup Dates |work=[[Hull Daily Mail]] |page=2 |issue=17699 |date=28 July 1942 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref> However before the season started, [[Hunslet F.C. (1883)|Hunslet's]] football committee announced their withdrawal due to the amount of travel required.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003295/19420819/157/0001 |title=Rugby League Surprise |work=[[Halifax Courier]] |date=19 August 1942 |page=1 |issue=19183 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref> The Hunslet committee's decision was contested by the members of the club who forced a special meeting of the club at which a resolution was passed instructing the committee to withdraw the notice given to the RFL, subject to additional financial guarantors being found.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000273/19420922/085/0005 |title=Progress of Effort to Resume Playing |work=[[Yorkshire Evening Post]] |date=22 September 1942 |page=5 |issue=16202 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref> Meeting between prospective guarantors and the committee failed to reach agreement and Hunslet's withdrawal from the league stood, leaving the league with 14 clubs.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19420929/133/0005 |title=No Football at Parkside |work=[[Yorkshire Post]] |date=29 September 1942 |page=5 |issue=29683 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref>
===Previous withdrawals===
The following clubs had withdrawn from the League, before this 1942–43 seasons completion began :
*[[St Helens Recreation RLFC|St Helens Recs]] – who folded before the war started.
*[[Barrow Raiders|Barrow]] – withdrew after the end of the first [[1939–40 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season|(1939–40)]] season finished and did not rejoin until the [[1943–44 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season|1943–44]] season.
*[[Hull Kingston Rovers]] – who withdrew after the end of the first (1939–40) season finished and did not rejoin until the [[1945–46 Northern Rugby Football League season|1945–46]] season.
*[[Rochdale Hornets]] – As Hull Kingston Rovers.
*[[Widnes Vikings|Widnes]] – As Hull Kingston Rovers.
*[[Broughton Rangers]] – withdrew after the end of the second [[1940–41 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season|1940–41]] season finished and did not rejoin until the 1945–46 season.
*[[Liverpool Stanley]] – As Broughton Rangers. <
*[[Salford Red Devils|Salford]] – As Broughton Rangers. In November 1942, manager [[Lance Todd]] was killed in a car crash. <br />
*[[Swinton Lions|Swinton]] – As Broughton Rangers.
*[[Warrington Wolves|Warrington]] – As Broughton Rangers.
*[[Leigh Centurions|Leigh]] - During the Second World War, the club was forced to leave its ground as the adjacent cable factory extended onto the land.
The townsfolk of Leigh, acting on chairman [[James Hilton (rugby league)#Memorials|James Hilton]]'s inspiration, cleared some fields on the edge of the town, and built a new stadium, including moving and rebuilding the old grandstand from the original ground. In 1941–42, Leigh quit the wartime Lancashire league and would not return to the league until 1946–47 when they played as a temporary measure at the Athletic Ground, Holden Road before moving to Kirkhall Lane (which was later officially renamed [[Hilton Park (stadium)|Hilton Park]] after James Hilton).

===Withdrawals since the 1941–42 season===
*[[Bramley RLFC|Bramley]] – did not rejoin until the 1945–46 season.
*[[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]] – re-joined for the [[1944–45 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season|1944–45]] season.
*[[Hunslet F.C. (1883)|Hunslet]] – re-joined for the [[1943–44 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season|1943–44]] season.


==Championship==
==Championship==
{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|res_col_header=Q
|-
|winpoints=2
!width=20 |
|ranking_style=percentage
!width=175|Team
|pct_style=notratio
!width=20 |P
|for_against_style=p
!width=20 |W
|update=complete
!width=20 |D
|source=<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Saxton |editor-first=Irvin |title=History of Rugby League: No. 48 1942–43 |publisher=Rugby Leaguer |page=3}}</ref>
!width=20 |L
|win_WIG=13 |draw_WIG=0 |loss_WIG=3 |pf_WIG=301 |pa_WIG=141 |team1=WIG|name_WIG=[[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]]
!width=20 |F
|win_DEW=12 |draw_DEW=1 |loss_DEW=3 |pf_DEW=270 |pa_DEW=117 |team2=DEW|name_DEW=[[Dewsbury Rams|Dewsbury]]
!width=20 |A
|win_BRA=13 |draw_BRA=1 |loss_BRA=5 |pf_BRA=312 |pa_BRA=183 |team3=BRA|name_BRA=[[Bradford Bulls|Bradford Northern]]
!width=40 |diff
|win_HFX=13 |draw_HFX=0 |loss_HFX=6 |pf_HFX=297 |pa_HFX=149 |team4=HFX|name_HFX=[[Halifax R.L.F.C.|Halifax]]
!width=20 |%
|win_LEE=11 |draw_LEE=1 |loss_LEE=5 |pf_LEE=337 |pa_LEE=145 |team5=LEE|name_LEE=[[Leeds Rhinos|Leeds]]
|-
|win_HUD=12 |draw_HUD=0 |loss_HUD=6 |pf_HUD=215 |pa_HUD=189 |team6=HUD|name_HUD=[[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]]
|- align=center style="background:#FFD700;"
|win_WFD=11 |draw_WFD=1 |loss_WFD=7 |pf_WFD=267 |pa_WFD=192 |team7=WFD|name_WFD=[[Wakefield Trinity]]
|1||[[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]]||16||13||0||3||301||134||167||81.25
|win_FEV=10 |draw_FEV=1 |loss_FEV=8 |pf_FEV=179 |pa_FEV=138 |team8=FEV|name_FEV=[[Featherstone Rovers]]
|- align=center style="background:"
|win_KEI=5 |draw_KEI=2 |loss_KEI=11|pf_KEI=145 |pa_KEI=235 |team9=KEI|name_KEI=[[Keighley Cougars|Keighley]]
|2||[[Dewsbury Rams|Dewsbury]]||16||12||1||3||270||113||157||78.12
|win_BAT=4 |draw_BAT=0 |loss_BAT=11|pf_BAT=158 |pa_BAT=294 |team10=BAT|name_BAT=[[Batley Bulldogs|Batley]]
|-
|win_HUL=4 |draw_HUL=0 |loss_HUL=11|pf_HUL=125 |pa_HUL=295 |team11=HUL|name_HUL=[[Hull F.C.|Hull]]
|3||[[Bradford Bulls|Bradford Northern]]||21||15||1||5||312||183||129||73.80
|win_OLD=4 |draw_OLD=0 |loss_OLD=15|pf_OLD=142 |pa_OLD=306 |team12=OLD|name_OLD=[[Oldham R.L.F.C.|Oldham]]
|-
|win_YOU=3 |draw_YOU=1 |loss_YOU=13|pf_YOU=112 |pa_YOU=311 |team13=YOU|name_YOU=[[York F.C.|York]]
|4||[[Leeds Rhinos|Leeds]]||17||11||1||5||376||145||231||67.64
|win_STH=2 |draw_STH=0 |loss_STH=13|pf_STH=108 |pa_STH=273 |team14=STH|name_STH=[[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]]
|-
}}
|5||[[Halifax R.L.F.C.|Halifax]]||20||13||0||7||311||154||157||65.00

|-
|6||[[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]]||19||12||0||6||223||206||17||63.15
|-
|7||[[Wakefield Trinity]]||19||11||1||7||267 ||192||75||60.52
|-
|8||[[Featherstone Rovers]]||19||10||1||8||179||168||11||55.26
|-
|9||[[Keighley Cougars|Keighley]]||17||5||1||11||151||306||-155||32.35
|-
|10||[[Batley Bulldogs|Batley]]||14||4||0||10||146||279||-135||28.57
|-
|11||[[Hull F.C.|Hull]]||15||4||0||11||125||295||-170||26.66
|-
|12||[[Oldham Roughyeds|Oldham]]||19||4||0||15||143||303||-160||21.05
|-
|13||[[York Wasps|York]]||17||3||1||13||92||311||-219||20.58
|-
|14||[[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]]||15||2||0||13||108||273||-165||13.33
|-
|colspan="10"|Source:<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19430503/047/0004 |title=Rugby League |newspaper=[[Hull Daily Mail]] |page=4 |date=3 May 1943 |issue=17,395 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref>
|}


==Championship play-offs==
==Championship play-offs==
Qualifying game:
===Qualifying game===
*1 May 1943: [[Bradford Bulls|Bradford Northern]] 16 beat [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] 13 at [[Odsal Stadium]], Bradford.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000650/19430503/095/0004 |title=Results at a Glance |newspaper=[[Liverpool Daily Post]] |page=4 |date=3 May 1943 |issue=27,387 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref>
On 1 May 1943 [[Bradford Bulls|Bradford Northern]] beat [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] 16–13 at [[Odsal Stadium]], Bradford in the qualifying game.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000650/19430503/095/0004 |title=Results at a Glance |newspaper=[[Liverpool Daily Post]] |page=4 |date=3 May 1943 |issue=((27,387)) |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref>
Semi-finals:
*8 My 1943: Bradford Northern 8 beat Dewsbury 3 at Odsal.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000650/19430511/097/0004 |title=Rugby League Protest |newspaper=[[Liverpool Daily Post]] |page=4 |date=11 May 1943 |issue=27,394 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref>
**After the game Dewsbury submitted a protest to the Rugby Football League and Bradford Northern were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19430512/056/0004 |title=Dewsbury for R.L. Final |newspaper=[[Hull Daily Mail]] |page=4 |date=12 May 1943 |issue=17,943 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref>
*[[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]] 3 lost to [[Halifax R.L.F.C.|Halifax]] 13 at [[Central Park (Wigan)|Central Park]], Wigan.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000650/19430510/092/0004 |title=Rugby League |newspaper=[[Liverpool Daily Post]] |page=4 |date=10 May 1943 |issue=27,393 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref>
Final (two legs):
*15 May 1943: Dewsbury 11 beat Halifax 3 at [[Crown Flatt#History|Crown Flatt]], Dewsbury.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000687/19430517/181/0005 |title=Dewsbury's Lead in Championship |newspaper=[[Yorkshire Post]] |page=5 |date=17 May 1943 |issue=29,877 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref>
*22 May 1943: Halifax 13 lost to Dewsbury 22 at [[Thrum Hall]], Halifax in front of a crowd of 9,700.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19430524/144/0005 |title=Championship for Dewsbury |newspaper=[[Yorkshire Post]] |page=5 |date=24 May 1943 |issue=29,883 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref>
**[[Dewsbury Rams|Dewsbury]] won 33–16 on aggregate but at a meeting of the RFL committee in July the championship was declared null and void. The committee heard a complaint submitted by Bradford Northern that in the semi-final between them and Dewsbury, Dewsbury had also fielded an ineligible player. The complaint was upheld, the championship was voided, Dewsbury's title win was removed from the list of Championship wins and the club were fined £100.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19430708/011/0001 |title=Rugby League Title: Championship Declared Void |newspaper=[[Hull Daily Mail]] |page=1 |date=8 July 1943 |issue=17,992 |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref>


==Challenge Cup==
===Semi-finals===
The semi-finals were played on 8 May 1943. [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]] lost 3–13 to [[Halifax R.L.F.C.|Halifax]] at [[Central Park (Wigan)|Central Park]], Wigan.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000650/19430510/092/0004 |title=Rugby League |newspaper=[[Liverpool Daily Post]] |page=4 |date=10 May 1943 |issue=((27,393)) |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref> In the other game Bradford Northern beat Dewsbury 8–3 at Odsal.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000650/19430511/097/0004 |title=Rugby League Protest |newspaper=[[Liverpool Daily Post]] |page=4 |date=11 May 1943 |issue=((27,394)) |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref> After the game Dewsbury submitted a protest to the Rugby Football League and Bradford Northern were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19430512/056/0004 |title=Dewsbury for R.L. Final |newspaper=[[Hull Daily Mail]] |page=4 |date=12 May 1943 |issue=((17,943)) |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref>
{{main article|1942–43 Challenge Cup}}

===Final===
The first leg was played on 15 May 1943 Dewsbury beat Halifax 11–3 at [[Crown Flatt#History|Crown Flatt]], Dewsbury.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000687/19430517/181/0005 |title=Dewsbury's Lead in Championship |newspaper=[[Yorkshire Post]] |page=5 |date=17 May 1943 |issue=((29,877)) |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref>

The second leg was played the following Saturday, 22 May 1943 and Dewbury won again this time 22–13 at [[Thrum Hall]], Halifax in front of a crowd of 9,700.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19430524/144/0005 |title=Championship for Dewsbury |newspaper=[[Yorkshire Post]] |page=5 |date=24 May 1943 |issue=((29,883)) |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref>

Dewsbury won 33–16 on aggregate but at a meeting of the RFL committee in July the championship was declared null and void. The committee heard a complaint submitted by Bradford Northern that in the semi-final between them and Dewsbury, Dewsbury had also fielded an ineligible player. The complaint was upheld, the championship was voided, Dewsbury's title win was removed from the list of Championship wins and the club were fined £100.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19430708/011/0001 |title=Rugby League Title: Championship Declared Void |newspaper=[[Hull Daily Mail]] |page=1 |date=8 July 1943 |issue=((17,992)) |url-access=subscription |via=[[British Newspaper Archive]]}}</ref>

==Cup competitions==
===Challenge Cup===
{{main|1942–43 Challenge Cup}}


Barrow who had not entered the League programme, took part in this competition. In the final Dewsbury beat [[Leeds Rhinos|Leeds]] 16–15 on aggregate over two legs in front of an aggregate crowd of 26,470.
Barrow who had not entered the League programme, took part in this competition. In the final Dewsbury beat [[Leeds Rhinos|Leeds]] 16–15 on aggregate over two legs in front of an aggregate crowd of 26,470.

===Yorkshire Cup===
{{main|1942–43 Yorkshire Cup}}

With the [[RFL Lancashire Cup|Lancashire Cup]] suspended for the duration of the war, Wigan competed in the [[RFL Yorkshire Cup|Yorkshire Cup]]. The cup was won by Dewsbury who beat [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] 7–2 on aggregate before an aggregate crowd of 17,252 in the two low scoring legs of the final


== References ==
== References ==

Latest revision as of 10:31, 25 May 2024

1942–43 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season
LeagueNorthern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season
1942–43 Season
ChampionsVoid
League leadersWigan

The 1942–43 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the fourth season of the rugby league’s Wartime Emergency Leagues necessitated by the Second World War.

As in the previous wartime season, clubs did not all play the same number of games. Three clubs dropped out before the season started. Only 14 of the pre-war clubs participated with only three; Oldham, St Helens and Wigan from west of the Pennines.

Season summary

[edit]

The 1942–43 season began on Saturday 5 September 1942. As in the previous season, there were still only three Lancashire clubs, the Northern Rugby League continued with a single 14 club competition. As the clubs were playing different number of marches, the league positions were decided on a win percentage basis.

At the completion of the regular season Wigan were on top of the league with a percentage success of 81.25% and Dewsbury were second (78.12%). Although Bradford Northern won more games than anyone else their percentage success was only 73.80%, and consequently they finished third. St Helens finished last with only two wins from 15.

Dewsbury went on to defeat Halifax 33–16 on aggregate in the play-off final, however the Championship was declared null and void as the Dewsbury had fielded an ineligible player in the semi-final.

In the Rugby league Challenge Cup Final, Dewsbury beat Leeds 16–15 on aggregate over two legs in front of an aggregate crowd of 26,470.

Change in participation

[edit]

The RFL announced the fixture list at the end of July 1942 with 15 clubs entered.[1] This was a reduction of two from the previous year as Bramley and Castleford had already notified the RFL of their intentions not to take part in the season.[2] However before the season started, Hunslet's football committee announced their withdrawal due to the amount of travel required.[3] The Hunslet committee's decision was contested by the members of the club who forced a special meeting of the club at which a resolution was passed instructing the committee to withdraw the notice given to the RFL, subject to additional financial guarantors being found.[4] Meeting between prospective guarantors and the committee failed to reach agreement and Hunslet's withdrawal from the league stood, leaving the league with 14 clubs.[5]

Championship

[edit]
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD PCT
1 Wigan 16 13 0 3 301 141 +160 81.25
2 Dewsbury 16 12 1 3 270 117 +153 78.13
3 Bradford Northern 19 13 1 5 312 183 +129 71.05
4 Halifax 19 13 0 6 297 149 +148 68.42
5 Leeds 17 11 1 5 337 145 +192 67.65
6 Huddersfield 18 12 0 6 215 189 +26 66.67
7 Wakefield Trinity 19 11 1 7 267 192 +75 60.53
8 Featherstone Rovers 19 10 1 8 179 138 +41 55.26
9 Keighley 18 5 2 11 145 235 −90 33.33
10 Batley 15 4 0 11 158 294 −136 26.67
11 Hull 15 4 0 11 125 295 −170 26.67
12 Oldham 19 4 0 15 142 306 −164 21.05
13 York 17 3 1 13 112 311 −199 20.59
14 St. Helens 15 2 0 13 108 273 −165 13.33
Source: [6]


Championship play-offs

[edit]

Qualifying game

[edit]

On 1 May 1943 Bradford Northern beat Huddersfield 16–13 at Odsal Stadium, Bradford in the qualifying game.[7]

Semi-finals

[edit]

The semi-finals were played on 8 May 1943. Wigan lost 3–13 to Halifax at Central Park, Wigan.[8] In the other game Bradford Northern beat Dewsbury 8–3 at Odsal.[9] After the game Dewsbury submitted a protest to the Rugby Football League and Bradford Northern were disqualified for fielding an ineligible player.[10]

Final

[edit]

The first leg was played on 15 May 1943 Dewsbury beat Halifax 11–3 at Crown Flatt, Dewsbury.[11]

The second leg was played the following Saturday, 22 May 1943 and Dewbury won again this time 22–13 at Thrum Hall, Halifax in front of a crowd of 9,700.[12]

Dewsbury won 33–16 on aggregate but at a meeting of the RFL committee in July the championship was declared null and void. The committee heard a complaint submitted by Bradford Northern that in the semi-final between them and Dewsbury, Dewsbury had also fielded an ineligible player. The complaint was upheld, the championship was voided, Dewsbury's title win was removed from the list of Championship wins and the club were fined £100.[13]

Cup competitions

[edit]

Challenge Cup

[edit]

Barrow who had not entered the League programme, took part in this competition. In the final Dewsbury beat Leeds 16–15 on aggregate over two legs in front of an aggregate crowd of 26,470.

Yorkshire Cup

[edit]

With the Lancashire Cup suspended for the duration of the war, Wigan competed in the Yorkshire Cup. The cup was won by Dewsbury who beat Huddersfield 7–2 on aggregate before an aggregate crowd of 17,252 in the two low scoring legs of the final

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Rugby League Plans". Yorkshire Post. No. 29631. 30 July 1942. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ^ "R.L. Cup Dates". Hull Daily Mail. No. 17699. 28 July 1942. p. 2 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. ^ "Rugby League Surprise". Halifax Courier. No. 19183. 19 August 1942. p. 1 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ^ "Progress of Effort to Resume Playing". Yorkshire Evening Post. No. 16202. 22 September 1942. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "No Football at Parkside". Yorkshire Post. No. 29683. 29 September 1942. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ Saxton, Irvin (ed.). History of Rugby League: No. 48 1942–43. Rugby Leaguer. p. 3.
  7. ^ "Results at a Glance". Liverpool Daily Post. No. 27,387. 3 May 1943. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "Rugby League". Liverpool Daily Post. No. 27,393. 10 May 1943. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Rugby League Protest". Liverpool Daily Post. No. 27,394. 11 May 1943. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "Dewsbury for R.L. Final". Hull Daily Mail. No. 17,943. 12 May 1943. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "Dewsbury's Lead in Championship". Yorkshire Post. No. 29,877. 17 May 1943. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "Championship for Dewsbury". Yorkshire Post. No. 29,883. 24 May 1943. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ^ "Rugby League Title: Championship Declared Void". Hull Daily Mail. No. 17,992. 8 July 1943. p. 1 – via British Newspaper Archive.