1964–65 Northern Rugby Football League season
Introduction The '''1964–65 Rugby Football League season''' was the 70th season of rugby league football.
Rule change * Substitutes were introduced. They were initially only for players injured in the time up to and including half time.
Season summary 1964-65 saw the two divisions of rugby league merge back into one single league. The championship play-offs returned to decide the champions. A new top 16 play-off format was introduced rather than top four system used between 1905–06 and 1962–63.A Bottom 14 Championship was also introduced for the remaining clubs who finished below the top 16, although some clubs declined to take part.St. Helens had finished the regular season as league leaders. Halifax won their third Championship when they beat St. Helens 15-7 in the play-off final. Terry Fogerty was awarded the Harry Sunderland Trophy as man-of-the-match.Challenge Cup winners were Wigan who beat Hunslet 20-16 in the final.Bradford Northern were resurrected and accepted back into the League.St. Helens won the Lancashire League, and Castleford won the Yorkshire League. St. Helens beat Swinton 12–4 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Wakefield Trinity beat Leeds 18–2 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.
Championship TeamPldWDLPts1St. Helens342806562Wigan342608523Castleford342518514Wakefield Trinity342428505Warrington342419496Workington Town3423110477Halifax3422110478Hull Kingston Rovers3422012449Oldham34201134110Leeds34200144011Swinton34191143912Leigh34191143913Hull F.C.34190153814Hunslet34190153815Featherstone Rovers34180163616Barrow34180163617Bradford Northern34151183118Huddersfield34150193019Widnes34142183020Whitehaven34141192921Dewsbury34132182822Salford34112212423Liverpool City34102222224Bramley34101232125York34100242026Batley3491241927Keighley3490251828Doncaster3490251829Rochdale Hornets3471261530Blackpool Borough34622614===Play-offs===
Challenge Cup WiganPosit.HunsletRay Ashby1.FBBill LangtonBilly Boston2.WGJohn GriffithsEric Ashton (c)3.CEGeoff SheltonKeith Holden4.CEAlan PreeceTrevor Lake5.WGBarry LeeCliff Hill6.SOBrian GabbitasFrank Parr7.SHAlan MarchantDanny Gardiner8.PRDennis HartleyColin Clarke9.HKBernard PriorBrian McTigue10.PRKen EyreTony Stephens11.SRBill RamseyRoy Evans12.SRGeoff GunneyLaurie Gilfedder13.LFFred Ward (c)Kevin O'LoughlinSub.Arthur RenderGeoff LyonSub.Colin Taylor (original substitute Billy Baldwinson injured)Captain-coached by Eric Ashton, Wigan beat Hunslet 20-16 in the final played at Wembley in front of a crowd of 89,016.This was Wigan’s seventh Cup Final win in thirteen Final appearances.To date, this was Hunslet’s last Challenge Cup Final appearance.
References
Sources * 1964-65 Rugby Football League season at wigan.rlfans.com* The Challenge Cup at The Rugby Football League website