Columnist

Duncan Jackson must have been regarded as some prospect as a teenage winger.

He was playing for Headingley RU when he signed for Halifax in 1957 and his signing-on fee of £1,500 (a remarkable amount for a 16-year-old) reflects just how hot a property he was.

Headingley were a top club in those days; their ground down at Kirkstall is now the Leeds Rhinos’ training facility and Fax deserve credit for spiriting him from under the nose of his local league club.

These thoughts come to mind following the news last month that Jackson had passed away at the age of 78.

He was in the Halifax first team as a 17-year-old as well and he scored a couple of tries as Doncaster were beaten 32-16.

It wasn’t easy to get into the first team in those days with class wingers like Johnny Freeman, Keith Williams and Alan Snowden around the place and it was only when the latter retired in 1962 that he could be sure of playing every week.

That apprenticeship was worth it though even though he had to retire at 27 due to a chronic, recurring knee injury sustained against the New Zealand tourists in August 1965.

In the intervening three years he notched 62 tries in 104 games which is a more than respectable strike rate and gained winners medals in the Yorkshire Cup, Eastern Division Championship and, most memorably the championship final in

1965 when St Helens were defeated at Swinton.

It was Jackson who scored the final try in that triumph, scooting over late-on amidst scenes of jubilation on the terraces after great approach play from Terry Fogerty, Barry Robinson and Paul Daley.

He also played three times for Yorkshire.