That was because Billy Thompson's head was nearly always in the way when the ball should have gone in.

A technical point here: against the head or against the feed?

I suspect you mean against the feed but that would mean with the head.

These were the days of the defending team (as adjudged by whose half the scrum was formed in) getting the feed with the attacking team getting the loose head.

As you were.

Where can i find the clubs logo thats shown on the match? Ive googled but cant find it anywwhere

The City of Leeds crest you mean ?

No ive found that its the one thats displayed at start with lrlfc on it

That's right - head and feed were different weren't they? Sometimes you had the feed but not the head (i.e. your hooker was behind the opponents). I thought that if a side knocked on the opposition got both head and feed, or is that wrong? Its so long ago.

I think, without checking, that in those days territory decided who got the feed (defending team) and the opposition got the head in all instances regardless of the reason the scrum was formed.

It's true to say that at some point later those rules changed (after you'd find the scrum half on the final play kicking the ball into touch just inside his own half to gain the feed) with head and feed then going to the non offending side and following on from that to the non event we see today although Warrington took one against the feed at Knowsley Road on Friday to much amusement.

Speaking of scrums the worst example I ever saw was a game at Naughton Park in '82 where Gerry Kershaw had the Leeds front row of Roy Dickinson, David Ward and Steve Pitchford charging into the Widnes front row of Mike O'Neill, Keith Elwell and Steve O'Neill from fully five yards apart. How they all survived that intact was a minor miracle.

Only just watched it....amazing how the memories came flooding back. Was it always as fast as that ?? On that basis please bring back the same rules....so good not to see the ball hoofed into the air as a persistent tactic on the last tackle. Kicking skills and the lottery of a dropped bomb or missed grubber kick are a far more frequent feature of the modern game of course.... but i much prefer the running on the last tackle even from deep in own half. Brilliant

Just watched the other programmes that the BBC put on with the final,the one entitled "the game that got away" was interesting,£4000 backhander to any rugby union player who turned pro with wigan was fantastic money in the 60's and had to laugh when after the Featherstone game,the cameras went into the dressing room,the coach went around praising the lads on a winning performance,handing out cigars and got to the lad sitting at the end and said " great game son but remember what i've told you before..NO MORE KICKING!!"..Camera pannned to a close up of the player and he was as boss-eyed as Nookie bear!!!! PMSL....

I know what you mean, but that game (from my memory) was unsual in it's lack of scrums, and they seemed quite tidy. I saw many games with 20+ scrums which were a total mess. You could regularly see games where nearly every scrum was penalised for some reason. Not great to watch in January to be honest.

The coach was Laurie Gant and the boss eyed player was Vince Farrar (I think).

Hence when the Sin Bin was first introduced, it had a 5 minute option for persistent technical offences. Seem to remember David Ward and Max Krilich being binned for 5 minutes for persistently striking before the ball was in during an Ashes test (1982?)

That's what I remember. Initially not introduced for foul play.

You're right.....'rose tinted spectacles', fading memory and all that.

Does demonstrate how much of a classic the match was Noonan manage to drop that ball when it seemed easier to score ??