The
introduction of Two Division for the 1973/74 saw the end of the Championship
Final as the last match of the season.The Champions now being decided by who topped the league tables, in this
season it was Salford.In order to maintain an end of season
competition the Rugby League introduced the Club Merit Trophy for the 1973/74
season.
To select the
sixteen teams to take part in this new competition a system of merit points was
introduced.At least three places in the
top 16 were guaranteed for second division clubs by the playing of two
preliminary rounds on a two-legged basis between the top 12 teams in the
division.The remaining thirteen places
were filled by the clubs which had gained the most merit points.Three merit points were awarded for winning a
tie in a knock-out competition and points were awarded on league position.
Warrington finished top
of the Merit Table with 68 points, followed by Leeds
on 64.The Merit Table system was
dropped after this one season.
Warrington defeated
second division Hull
34-12 at Wilderspool in the first round of the competition.John Bevan (2), Brian
Brady, Mike Philbin, Alan Whittle and John Lowe scored tries and Derek
Whitehead kicked 8 goals.In the second
round Bradford Northern, first round victors over Champions Salford, were
beaten 15-9.Derek Noonan, Bevan and
Whittle were the try scorers and Whitehead added 3 goals.Wakefield Trinity were defeated 12-7 at
Wilderspool in the semi-final.Wingers
Mike Philbin and Bevan crossed for tries, Whitehead kicked 2 goals and Kevin
Ashcroft dropped a goal.
St Helens
reached the final with home wins over WorkingtonTown and Castleford and a semi-final
victory over Leeds at Headingley.
After
a week of celebrating their Wembley cup-final win Warrington lined up for their fourth final of
the season.Wire were forced to make
three changes to the Wembley team, Parry Gordon and Mike Nicholas were out
through injury and Australian second row Dave Wright had returned home.
Saints
skipper Kel Coslett opened the scoring with a 3rd minute penalty.Mike Philbin scored a try from a bullet like
pass from Alex Murphy to give Warrington
the lead.A Mick Murphy break was
finished off by Frank Wilson, who scored a converted try to put St Helens back in front.Warrington showed great reserves of
strength to hammer away at the St Helens
line.Alex Murphy missed with the first
of his six drop goal attempts before Dave Chisnall passed on to fellow prop
Brady who blasted over for a try which Whitehead converted.Warrington maintained their 8-7 lead for half
an hour, before extending to six points when John Bevan beat three men in a
powerful run before handing on to Noonan to score a try improved by Whitehead.
St
Helens were not finished and Wilson
scored his second try converted by Coslett to bring his side back to within a
point of Warrington.The match finished
with a spate of failed drop goal attempts by Murphy and Ashcroft.They took this option rather than press home Warrington’s superiority
in the forwards.It was nearly their
undoing as with the last kick of the match Coslett sent a towering 40 yard drop
goal attempt inches wide of the upright and Warrington were home 13-12.
Ashcroft
dominated the scrums and his pack were tireless in their efforts which were
finally too much for the St Helens
forwards.Heavyweight props Chisnall and
Brady were outstanding and Harry Sunderland trophy winner Barry Philbin
continually made probing breaks.However
St Helens hard worked defence repelled attack after attack by Warrington and forced them to nine drop goal
attempts.
Warrington ended
probably their most successful season by winning four of the major
trophies.Credit for such an achievement
has to go to Chairman Ossie Davies and Player Coach Alex Murphy, who so dramatically
turned Warrington’s
fortunes around in three years.
Teams:
Warrington: Derek Whitehead, Mike Philbin, Derek Noonan, Billy Pickup, John
Bevan, Alan Whittle, Alex Murphy, Dave Chisnall, Kevin Ashcroft, Brian Brady,
Bobby Wanbon, Ian Mather, Barry Philbin, Subs John Lowe and Wayne Gaskell.St Helens: Geoff Pimblett, David Brown, John
Wills, Frank Wilson, Roy Mathias, David Eckersley, Jeff Heaton, John Mantle,
Graham Liptrot, Mick Murphy, Eric Chisnall, George Nicholls, Kel Coslett, Subs
Alan Gwilliam and John Warlow.
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