By Kevin Davey
The 2009/10 season represented a watershed moment for the club following the loss of many senior players and club administrators. The large playing group of 2006 that had facilitated the clubs growth to two playing sides was represented only by Jack Webb, Kevin Davey and the ‘Smelly General’ Rishi Sumra.
Amongst the key losses on field were ever present dummy half Edward Ainscoe and Prop Mikey Bryan who had had been a leader in a vintage final season after some ill judged positional decisions shaped his early NURL career. 29 year old Med student Richard Massey also departed after a highly influential debut year with the Cumbrian responsible for bringing some much needed mongrel to the Newcastle pack.
The team would also have to do without beloved NURL names Dave Furniss, Liam Gasior and the widely mocked administrator Murray James.
Fortunately – in every sense of the word – the club was able to welcome back a true NURL favourite in ‘Stunnin’ Ste Moorcroft. After an electric debut year in 07/08 Moorcroft’s hereditary hamstring troubles left the big loose forward so disenchanted that many thought he was lost to the game following retirement the previous year. But what surgical science couldn’t do the allure of a NURL swan song could as the Rylands big dog defied medical advice to march on to the pre-season training paddock to the delirious hoorays of the senior players.
Moorcroft re-joined a far more dynamic and cohesive team than he had in 07/08 with the squad retaining some fantastic attacking flair. Gun Full-back Sam Boyd completed a back-line with the increasing experience of Mcgee and Kingswood, whilst the back row was incredibly strong with new skipper Ward accompanying Knox and Phillips.
With the decimation of playing stocks for the successful seconds team and vacancies alongside Joe Robinson up front and Seagaves in the halves, a healthy recruitment intake was of seminal importance.
A fine crop of freshmen and the usual drongos were duly assembled and as a rare exception the club got just what it needed with 3 mammoth plodders reporting eagerly for front row duty. Ian McPherson, Will Winter and Daniel Capaross Midwood all made impressive debuts in the annual trouncing of Bradford and all had the honour of starting for the firsts in the season opener at Leeds. They were joined by promising centre Myles Hudson in a solid victory that showcased some fine attacking play and set the tone for the season.
The next 4 matches included a long overdue win on John Moores’ notorious shoe box pitch, a record victory over Bangor and a draw that represented the first league point taken from Leeds Met in many years. The seconds, meanwhile, were struggling with successive defeats as a side containing mostly freshmen adapted to the game.
Some of the club’s best work was taking place Off-field with Secretaries Michael ‘Trigger’ Brady and Jimmy Phillips co-ordinating affairs under the watchful eyes of Presidents Ward and Mcgee. In addition to the widely popular assimilation of the Owl moniker in 08/09 the team came to be known as The Death Machine as crushing victories seemed to become more and more systematic. The club also had (what seemed like) a fantastic sponsorship deal with German themed bar Stein Bier Keller and was living the high life on Wednesday nights with trips to long term favourite Sinners and the ritzy Tiger Tiger.
Such lavish socials took their toll as the 1st team suffered their first defeat of the season at home to UcLan. The frustrating 14 – 30 defeat came at a before a long and snow and Christmas inspired lay off and would prove crucial come the end of the season.
Following the severe weather inspired 7 week lay-off the Owls had a magnificent return to action with a momentous 6 points in 6 days. A home win over Leeds was followed by a gruelling journey to Bangor and the result of the season in the shape of a superb victory in a nail-biting fixture at Leeds Met. The Owls needed just one more win to take the league crown but a tough trip to UcLan proved too much as the Preston outfit took the spoils.
NURL had yet again taken 2nd place in the league and the reward was a spot in the BUCS Championship Quarterfinal, disastrously scheduled the day before the seminal Stan Calvert varsity clashes. With the 2nd’s Plate fixture at Bradford falling on the Friday of the all-important weekend NURL had the un-enviable and seemingly impossible task of taking 4 vital wins from 4 games in 53 hours.
Lady luck smiled on the club as a waterlogged pitch forced the Bradford game to be decided by a pitch side coin toss. True to the culture of the team an overcomplicated system was implemented to select the man who would make the call. It soon became abundantly clear to all involved that Captain Tom Burnham, or simply ‘The Oracle’ would be the only prudent choice. Burnham, insisting on wearing full match kit, cockily strode up to the official and his risky choice of heads was immediately vindicated as the 2nds reach the Quarterfinals in scenes reminiscent of when Michael Greaves famously won rock, paper, scissors in similar circumstances many years before.
The following day saw the 1sts provide stout opposition to Leeds Met but a side missing 5 first team regulars was unable to follow on from the feats of the 2s as they lost 46-18 to the eventual national champions. Vitally only 1 injury was sustained over that match and the coin toss so the squad was able to wake up on Sunday morning slightly weary but close to full strength for Stan Calvert.
Sadly the 2nds match was cancelled due to the reliable propensity of the Cochrane park groundsman to call off any rugby at the sight of a puddle. The 1sts match was moved to the Druids Park 4G pitch but neither logistical adjustment or tiredness influenced the outcome as the 1sts pounded their closest rivals 40-6. The near record victory was a fitting end to the 1’s competitive season and enabled the club to focus solely on the 2nds push to cup glory.
The seconds duly blasted a woeful Lancaster side before quasi-defeating Edinburgh in a tricky Semi-final in the Scottish capital. The final against a Birmingham 2nds side padded with Super 8 players proved to be no more trouble than the preceding rounds as a subtle nod from ‘Oracle’ Burnham in the sheds was all the assurance and motivation his men needed to gloriously claim the gilded SRL Plate trophy.
The Plate and the Stan Calvert trophy are thus proudly displayed in that years team photo, alongside the Directors Cup Vase that was retained in the annual Old Boys Fixture.