I seem to remember he played a season with Paramatta maybe with Fred Pickup

yes he went to Parramatta ,dont know who went first though .I think Fred I think maybe Derek went back to Keighley from Leeds .I wonder if 3 x leeds men played for Parra at the same time Fred ,Derek and of course Ken Thornett

I've been doing a bit of research and it looks like Ken Thornett (Paramatta 1962-1968 + 1971) played with both Derek Hallas (1963-65) and Fred Pickup (1966-68) for Paramatta but not at the same time. Fred Pickup played for Manly (1964-65) and where he scored 16 tries

Talking of Kenny Thornett brings back some memories. For me still the best fullback I have seen. He was known to fans as "bucket" because he never seemed to drop the high ball. But he was known to Ozzie players as "the Mayor" because when on tour over here with the Green and Golds (after his time with Leeds) he was mobbed by admiring fans where ever he went.

I remember when Ken Thornett first arrived,at that time as kids we used to go watch them train,we used to walk with him back to the dressing room's,Arthur Clues at that time used to help out with the coaching,we had never heard Aussie accents before.We thought it was great.
Yes thanks for that about Fred Pickup I remember him going. I thought he spent all his spell at Parramatta.If he had stayed he would have figured in the Roy Francis era and probably got GB honour's but he did come back towards the end of his career and got a couple of medals

Ken Thornett was a terrific attacking FB with a lethal handoff. He used to figure a lot in the famous Lewis Jones "hanging pass" move with the object of putting a man into space.

From the base of a scrum Evans (SH) would pass to Jones (SO) who made to pass to his centres. But in the final execution of the pass would flip the ball up with wrists and soft hands to make the ball "hang" in the air as if by magic. This gave options for either Evans to run around Jones and collect the ball or for Thornett to take it at great speed and slice through with an angled run in the other direction.

This move produced many tries or yardage (as it was in those days). As opposition grew accustomed to the move Jones would vary it by following through with the pass to the centre with Evans and Thornett on dummy runs at different angles.

Talking of Derek Hallas I can still remember the try he scored in the 5-5 1st round cup game with Wigan ,in 1961 Evans passed to Jones from the scrum Jones kicked from about centre field halfway for Hallas and Rosenberg to chase
the ball just bounced nice for Hallas who ran about 15 yards to score 5-10yards in from the south stand old score board end.
Wigan equalised when geoff bootle stepped into touch on his way to score.
We got thrashed in the replay 32-7 ,but we got the holy grail the championship at the end of the season

I seem to remember getting soaked that day in a big 30k+ crowd. Big Jack Fairbank shoulder charged Billy Boston into the paddock and you could hear the contact all around the ground. Should have won on the day. I went to the replay at Central Park and we were outplayed by Ashton and their pack in front a huge crowd (mid week I think?)

yes youve got the game I was still at school so missed my first of many trips to Central park for the replay.I remember we were having games at school and the score came through.
Big Jack got sent off with Eric Ashton,but I still maintain,If Geoff Bootle had stepped into touch on his way to scoring ,but maybe it was a blessing in disguise it left us to concentrate on winning the holy grail

The Headingley game was (naturally enough) on the Saturday, the replay at Central Park the following Wednesday.



Before my time but presumably the Headingley game represented Leeds' best chance particularly after Sayer (Wigan's hooker) had received his marching orders for tripping in the second half. The equalising penalty for Wigan off the sideline must have been a sickener.

What all this has to do with aeroplanes is beyond me though.

Actually aeroplanes were a tangent. It was all to do with right & left wingers!

What are your thoughts now that the MRA4 has actually been scrapped?

Typhoon/Eurofighter pilots still not happy to be only getting 6 hours flying per month because of technical faults.