14 Rugby Leaguer & League Express a71 www.totalrl.com 28th September 2009
OBITUARY - JOHN HOLMES 1952 - 2009
LEEDS LOSES A
FAVOURITE SON
By PHIL CAPLAN linking in 1972, he was equally terraces cheering as my heroes; the
effective at centre for county and likes of Bev Risman, Atky (John
country before becoming one of the Atkinson), Alan Smith, Syd Hynes,
W
HAT attracts us to
most gifted stand offs in the sport. Bernard Watson, Shoey (Mick
become passionate
His one-handed, lobbed pass over Shoebottom), Barry Seabourne, Mick
sporting fans?
30 metres to send John Atkinson Clark – I could name the lot of them.
Of course our early allegiance is to a
racing in for the decisive try in the "It was virtually the same team
side with geographical or familial
1973 John Player Final entered every week, and one of the best the
connections, but the glue that binds the
folklore. game’s ever seen, and within a few
young and impressionable to their
Often the victim of horrendously months after I’d signed on, I was
lifelong association are heroes.
timed late challenges, as opponents' turning out with them.
Players whose skills delight, whose
frustrations sought the only route left "My dad said that I was as white as
presence is eagerly awaited each week,
to them to try and undermine his a sheet when I first walked out.”
who thrill and conjure magical
ability, he was also one of the bravest Like the goalkicking duties, which
moments and have an enviable talent
around, as he showed when taking the he felt inhibited his natural flair,
that is seemingly effortless and
Loiners to Wembley in 1978; the key despite being so good at it, so it was
timeless – the genuine match definers.
to defeating Featherstone in the semi- with the captaincy, which he held for a
Every generation has its iconic
final with a glorious try, despite a while but felt affected his main role for
player, and for Leeds fans, attuned to
gaping leg wound. the side.
lmost continual success in the second
Internationally, he played in two Loved by his fellow players,
great era of the club in the late 60’s and
World Cup finals for Great Britain, a cherished by the home fans and
throughout the 70s, that was John
winner in 1972 and loser down under admired by opposing ones, he was
Holmes.
five years later. denied a rightful honour in arguably
He was the unassuming Kirkstall
His ten goals and 26 points against his finest hour, when Leeds staged the
boy, who walked to and from the
New Zealand in Pau in the first of then greatest comeback in Challenge
Career Stats -
ground where his heroes played to
them were both records. Cup final history as he masterminded
FULL BACK/CENTRE/STAND OFF
become a Loiners’ legend himself.
His final Test appearance, against their jailbreak 14-12 win over St
1968-1989
If Headingley has a tradition for the
the 1982 Kangaroo ‘Invincibles’ at Helens in 1978, after being ten points
manner in which the game should be
Central Park, came eleven years after down.
BORN: 21st March, 1952
played, and the virtues that would see
his debut, when he had played at centre A typical, beautifully judged pass to
SIGNED FROM: Kirkstall Boys Club
it won, then he was the epitome of
against the Kiwis at Headingley, set Mick Crane in motion started the
LEEDS CAREER: 625 appearances,
what that stood for; grace, style,
scoring two goals and two drop-goals. revival in the first half, and a similar
153 tries, 553 goals
don the boots again, making
sportsmanship, savoir faire, modesty;
Had he elected to continue kicking, one allowed Neil Hague to put David
HONOURS: Championship winner
occasional appearances in the first-
he combined them all in a glorious
there is every likelihood that he would Smith over at the start of the second
1972, runner-up 1970, 1973;
team, including masterminding an
career that spanned four decades.
have topped Lewis Jones’ records at half.
Premiership winner 1975; Challenge
astonishing, rare victory at Knowsley
However you define greatness, John
Leeds. With Saints hanging on, and the
Cup winner 1977, 1978, runner-up
Road in 1988, while player/coaching
Holmes - for whom the phrase
In his second full season he potted Lance Todd Trophy votes in - and for
1971, 1972; Yorkshire Cup winner
the Alliance side from back row, as he
'mercurial' in a rugby sense was coined
159 goals, only seven behind the George Nicholls - he produced another
1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976,
selflessly passed on his craftsman’s
- fulfilled every criterion.
Welsh wizard's highest total for a wondrous display of dexterity, his
1979, 1980; John Player Trophy
tools to the next generation.
For those who saw him (and there
season, but instead he chose to wow inside ball sending in Phil Cookson,
winner 1973, 1984, runner-up 1983;
Comparisons are always drawn
were masses, considering he played
his army of devoted followers with his before his coup de grace, a left footed
BBC2 Floodlit Trophy winner 1970;
between the greats of yesteryear and
for Leeds for an astonishing, double-
glorious timing, sidestep, outstanding drop goal as he was falling backwards
20 Great Britain appearances, 7
whether they would have coped with
testimonial 21 seasons), watching him
tactical kicking and passing ability. to put the Loiners ahead for the first
England caps, 8 Yorkshire
the demands of Super League.
cajole, toy and orchestrate his side was
By the time he retired – having been time to set up the most dramatic of
appearances
In John Holmes’ case, the modern
game would have been made for him,
an absolute joy.
tempted onto the bench for one last wins.
with the sport crying out for inventive,
A majestic ball handler, able to
appearance at the start of the 1989 As he later recalled in that same Lance Todd, although, to be fair, all the
genuinely creative players who can
unlock any defence, he was a superb
season - he had pulled on the Leeds privileged interview, “The drop-goal is press came in to the dressing room
unlock the tightest of defensive
cover tackler, as he showed in his early
shirt a record 625 times for the club, 82 one of my finest memories. after the match and apologised.
systems.
days as a young custodian, had pace
more than his nearest challenger. "I’ve watched it since and, to be "But that was by the by, it didn’t
He would have loved the '40/20',
and, perhaps most importantly, he
But that was all the local lad, born a honest, I still don’t know how it went matter; we’d won the match, no
and to have had the greater protection
possessed a supreme rugby
drop-kick away from his spiritual over; I just knew I had to have a go. problem.”
afforded by a full-time pack, as he had
intelligence.
home, ever wanted to do. "I used to practice with my wrong He played in his last final in 1984 in
to develop the art of passing and
Not that such influence was
As he said, “It was an almost foot on the training pitch for a laugh the John Player Trophy, making and
leaving an arm raised to look after
planned! His genius was instinctive, as
overwhelming feeling to walk into that just to see if I could do it, and that day scoring the tries that brought Leeds
himself in his later years.
he acknowledged in one of his rare
first-team dressing room in the late - bang, over it goes, unbelievable. victory over Widnes before taking a
A printer by trade, he was diagnosed
interviews, talking fondly about his
sixties as a schoolboy and play "Winning the Cup with your mates temporary sabbatical as he toured
with cancer, which returned recently in
career at a gathering of the Leeds
alongside guys who only a couple of was brilliant, far more important than Australia.
particularly virulent fashion. But again
Players’ Association, among the close
years before I’d been standing on the whether or not I should have won the On his return he was persuaded to
he fought that battle in his own
friends where he felt the most
inimitable way, out of the spotlight.
comfortable.
He hated fuss and adoration, and left
“For me it’s always just been put me
John Holmes is tackled by
life as he did the game, without
across the whitewash and basically let
York’s Geoff Smith in 1981
ceremony.
me get on with it, and whatever comes,
“I’ve been called a reluctant hero”
comes.”
he said.
Memories are made of silky skills,
“I never really did a lot of interviews
sublime performances, the setting up
in my time – although things were
of game changing tries. They cannot
different then, and players tended not
be purely about statistics, but the list of
to make the headlines or be asked as
his achievements gives him the right to
much about the game.
ranked among the all-time greats, not
"Most often after the match it was
only in blue and amber, but across the
get a wash, through the gates and go
code.
get some dinner at your mam’s.
A master in 19 finals, and architect
"If people still mention my name
of victory in the majority of them, he
after so long, then that’s a thrill.”
served notice of his talent with 23
The world of Rugby League has lost
points, from a try and ten goals, on his
a rare artist, a gentleman, a crowd
debut as a 16-year-old in a Lazenby
pleaser and one of its most humble,
Cup match against Hunslet in 1968,
loyal servants – a true hero.
just after signing on.
A regular at fullback when Bev
JOHN HOLMES,
Risman retired, scoring a hat-trick in a
died of cancer aged 57 on
Yorkshire Cup final with his imperious
26th September 2009.
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