Best Leeds Team Ever

Quote: AdmiralHanson "Rather than decend this debate in to this team was better than that team and this season was better than that, you have to take a more holistic view by looking at what was acheived over a sustained period.

Perhaps the first Leeds team for consideration is the one of the late 20s ... I guess a side that most of you haven't heard about and even fewer of you have seen. Like the team of today, it contested three consecutive championship finals, sadly it didn't win any of them. The squad contained the likes of Jim Brough (Leeds first cup winning captain at Wembley in '36) Joe Thompson and Jeff Moores.

Jumping forward a few years, there could be the side of the early 60s to consider. This was the one lead by Lewis Jones and won the first Championship Final and on the back of winning the league. It also contained elements of the side left over from the '57 cup win at Wembley.

Perhaps the one side that most closely contests the honour is the Leeds team from the late 60s and early 70s under Roy Francis and Derek Turner. Cup winners at Wembley in 68 and beaten finalists in '71 and '72. Championship Final winners in '69 and '72 and losers in '70 and '73. European Champions in '68, Floodlit and John Player Trophy winners during that period too. Not to mention the occasional Yorkshire Cup win. There were great players all over the field in that team ... Holmes or Risman at full back, Syd Hynes and Les Dyl amongst the centres, Alan Smith and John Atkinson on each wing. Mick Shoebottom, who's career ended tragically early during this period and we'll never know what else he could have acheived in the game. Props like world cup winner Terry Clawson and Mick Clarke, who captained the side. Tony Fisher and the emergance of a young David Ward at 9. Second rows like Cookson, Eccles and world record holder Bob Haigh. With Ray Batten at loose forward, that was some team.

The next side that could be worthy of inclusion would be the double Wembley winners of '77 and '78. Whilst the cup performances of this team is admirable (especially in an era when yes, different teams got to Wembley most years !) to win and retain it was some achievement. However, whilst there was great cup form under Syd Hynes, Leeds paid the price with somewhat patchy league form.

Nothing much happend in the 80s and the Leeds side of the mid 90s was unable to topple the Wigan dynasty.

The Graham Murray side of the late 90s is worth of recognition, contesting the first Grand Final of the new era and the record Challenge Cup Final win against London. Sadly, after the departure of Murray at the end of '99 the team failed to kick on and fulfill its potential.

The Tony Smith era and the first domestic championship for 32 years was also noteable, as well as a couple of cup final appearances around that time. However, this team failed to convert those cup final appearances in to wins ....

Which brings us to the team of present, the class of 07 / 08 / 09 .... An unprecedented three back to back to back titles, as well as a world championship. Certainly it is true that no other Leeds side have been world champions, but until recently, that was not contestable by teams of old. It would have been interesting to see how the Leeds team of the late 60s would have gone against an Australian domestic side. Perhaps the one area where the team has fallen short is in the Challenge Cup, the other major domestic trophy it could win. During this team, whilst is has supposed to be a focus for the side, the closest they have come is a semi-final defeat to St Helens.

The problem with these sort of questions is the comparison in eras ... Who's to say that that players of the 1920s wouldn't still been stars today with modern coaching and nutritional methods ? Also, the judgement is clouded by the euphoria of the win last night.

Who is to say ?

Certainly the Leeds team of the late 60s / early 70s was something special, winning something just about every season in a tough competition (no 'big four' in those days) for five years might just edge the current side, but the current team is progressing and we might just be half way through a rugby dynasty that runs for the next 10 years ?'"