Wembley treasure is getting ‘home’ show
remained with his family for the past 65 years.
Family friend and associate director at the Giants, Neil Shuttleworth, has negotiated with the remaining family members that the ball is to be returned to the club on a permanent loan basis.
It will be put on display in the foyer at the John Smith’s Stadium on Level 1.
This coming Friday, the ball will be presented to the club by family members prior to the match with, appropriately, St Helens.
The club say they are extremely grateful to the family, six of whom are travelling up from their homes in the south of England especially for the event.
They are hoping the presentation acts as a spur to the Giants team to bring about a similar result to that of 1953.
In April 1953, the final produced record receipts for the competiton at the time.
For the Claret and Gold, there was a try for Welsh scrum-half Billy Banks and two for stand-off Peter Ramsden, who was awarded the Lance Todd Trophy on what was his 19th birthday.
Goals were scored by two famous Australians, one for centre Pat Devery and two for winger Lionel Cooper. Results: Betfred Championship: Toulouse 50 Sheffield Eagles 6, Barrow Raiders 24 Leigh Centurions 20, Halifax 6 Toronto Wolfpack 20, London Broncos 44 Featherstone Rovers 24, Rochdale Hornets P Dewsbury Rams P, Swinton Lions 28 Batley Bulldogs 48.
Betfred League One: Hemel Stags 14 Hunslet 28, North Wales 24 London Skolars 24, Doncaster 70 Coventry Bears 10, Keighley Cougars 44 Workington Town 34, West Wales Raiders P Newcastle Thunder P, Whitehaven 0 Oldham Roughyeds 14, York City Knights 20 Bradford Bulls 22. WIGAN captain Sean O’Loughlin hailed his club’s tour of New South Wales a resounding success.
The Warriors made history by beating Hull FC in Wollongong a week ago in the first Super League match to be staged outside Europe, but were unable to follow it up against NRL opposition on Saturday as they went down 18-8 to South Sydney at ANZ Stadium.
“It’s been a great trip,” O’Loughlin told Australia’s Channel 9. “The main one was last week when we got the two points against Hull – and we’ve enjoyed this game.
“We’ve not got the win which we wanted but all the boys some like me coming to the end of their careers and some experiencing it for the first time - will take a lot from it.
“The young boys weren’t involved in the first game so for them to come here and conduct themselves like they have and grabbed some different experiences in life, that’s what it’s been all about.
“There’s been 26 or 27 boys come here and they all enjoyed it.”
The two-match tour, initiated by Wigan through owner Ian Lenagan and rugby director Kris Radlinski and supported by Hull, helped raise the profile of Super League as well as generating income and opening up new revenue streams.
Wigan full-back Sam Tomkins, who played in the NRL for New Zealand Warriors, believes other Super League clubs will now look to follow his club’s lead.
“It’s been great for us to do,” Tomkins said.
“Some people will complain we’re in rugby league and one thing I’ve learnt is that you can’t keep all of the fans happy.
“Whether it’s the structure of the league, away fixtures, dates of games, days of games, times of games, whatever it is you’re not going to please everyone but the bigger picture is we want Super League to grow and to put us on an international stage like this can only help us.
“This has set out a blueprint for others. It’s not a big challenge, we’ll come here and play two games then head back and play another. It doesn’t bother us and I’m sure Hull, even though they didn’t get the result last week, will agree.”