Inter-war Years
From the tabulated records of Trinity year by year given on another page we find that in the period between the two wars the highest Northern Rugby League position reached was 8th, the lowest being 22nd. Unless there is some great success to record, brevity can go to extremes in expressing itself in figures only. This can hardly be helpful to those who, after a lapse of years, might try to assess the merit of the Trinity sides of those days.
Diaries and scrap-books can bring some illumination and indeed give us interesting sidelights on personalities and events. It was a period during which, despite generally moderate placings, the club fielded some fine teams, and it seems paradoxical that, though many excellent players graced the Trinity colours and many notable achievements were accomplished, the tangible honours gained were fewer than in any similar period of Trinity’s history.
To find the reason for this, after so many years, could, of course, bring its satisfactions. We have to bear in mind, however, that our purpose is concerned with the recording of facts rather than with attempts to interpret them, and, if we venture a little in this latter direction we shall not go far.
Trinity reached the Rugby League Cup semi-final three times, but were halted there. They appeared in five Finals for the Yorkshire Cup and were successful once. Add to that the war-time Cup Final in 1940 when our team lost to Featherstone Rovers. That is the tally so far as honours are concerned.
Now let us quote from a contribution we were privelidged to make a few months ago in the Yorkshire Imperial Magazine (Yorkshire Imperial Metals Limited).
“Although the inter-war years brought little distinction to the club in the way of tangible honours, yet many Trinity players became widely known through their individual prowness, chief of these being that all-time great Jonathan Parkin.
Trinity had other fine players in those years who rendered grand service to the club without managing to gain high recognition….
If not hitting the headlines, the club was solidly entrenched, with a policy of encouraging local talent, so that it was mainly from Wakefield and its neighbourhood that Trinity’s players were drawn, and the challenge made to teams of so-called “imported” players was successful.
Scarcity of funds might have been a hindrance to any other policy. The departure of some really good players to other clubs may be an indication of something of that sort.”
To which we can here now add as an example that in the course of a few years four prominent players moved to one club alone - Leeds. They were Stanley Smith (already an International though not yet twenty years old), Len Higson, Charlie Glossop and Earnest Pollard. Although the reason for a transfer may be one of the many, yet we are inclined to think that financial considerations often enter.
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