Rugby league season
The 1956–57 Rugby Football League season was the 62nd season of rugby league football .
Season summary
Oldham finished the regular season as the league leaders and then won their fourth Rugby Football League Championship when they beat Hull F.C. 15-14 in the play-off final.
The Challenge Cup winners were Leeds who beat Barrow 9-7 in the final.[ 1]
Oldham won the Lancashire League , and Leeds won the Yorkshire League . Oldham beat St. Helens 10–3 to win the Lancashire County Cup , and Wakefield Trinity beat Hunslet 23–5 to win the Yorkshire County Cup .
Championship
Play-offs
Challenge Cup
Leeds beat Barrow 9-7 in the Challenge Cup Final played at Wembley Stadium before a crowd of 76,318.
This was Leeds ’ eighth Challenge Cup Final win in ten Final appearances.[ 2] [ 3] Jeff Stevenson , their scrum half back, was awarded the Lance Todd Trophy for his man-of-the-match performance.
Kangaroo Tour
October until December also saw the appearance of the Australian team in England on their 1956–57 Kangaroo Tour . Other than the three test Ashes series against Great Britain (won 2–1 by Australia), The Kangaroos played 16 matches against club and county representative sides.[ 4]
The Kangaroos were captain-coached by St George Dragons hooker Ken Kearney .
game
Date
Result
Venue
Attendance
1
10 October
Australia def. Liverpool City 40–12
Knotty Ash Stadium , Liverpool
4,712
2
13 October
Leeds def. Australia 18–13
Headingley , Leeds
24,459
3
15 October
Australia def. Hull F.C. / Hull KR XIII 37–14
The Boulevard , Hull
17,172
4
18 October
Australia def. Barrow 25–11
Craven Park , Barrow-in-Furness
9,988
5
20 October
Whitehaven def. Australia 14–11
Recreation Ground , Whitehaven
10,840
6
24 October
Australia def. Bradford Northern 23–11
Odsal Stadium , Bradford
2,743
7
27 October
Warrington def. Australia 21–17
Wilderspool Stadium , Warrington
15,613
8
29 October
Australia def. English League XIII 19–15
Hilton Park , Leigh
7,811
9
3 November
Australia def. York 20–18
Clarence Street , York
6,842
10
7 November
Oldham def. Australia 15–2
The Watersheddings , Oldham
8,458
11
10 November
Australia def. Huddersfield 20–10
Fartown Ground , Huddersfield
12,127
12
17 November
Great Britain def. Australia 21–10
Central Park , Wigan
22,473
13
21 November
Australia def. Hunslet 27–11
Parkside , Hunslet
4,451
14
24 November
St Helens def. Australia 44–2
Knowsley Road , St Helens
15,579
15
1 December
Australia def. Great Britain 22–9
Odsal Stadium , Bradford
23,634
16
5 December
Halifax def. Australia 6–3
Thrum Hall , Halifax
2,254
17
8 December
Australia def. Wigan 32–4
Central Park , Wigan
15,854
18
10 December
Wakefield Trinity def. Australia 17–12
Belle Vue , Wakefield
3,381
19
15 December
Great Britain def. Australia 19–0
Station Road , Swinton
17,542
References
Sources