Cyril Blacklaws

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
22-02-1909
N/A
16-02-1935
Auckland- NZ
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
16-02-1935 v Halifax
Rochdale Hornets
1936- Rochdale Hornets
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1934-1935
37 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
2
2
0
10

Biography of Cyril Blacklaws



HERITAGE NO : 430
Cyril Blacklaws by Alex Service

The Saints enjoyed much success by recruiting three New Zealand players, Hutt, Hall and Hardgrave, in 1929 to boost playing strength. In the mid-1930s, on the recommendation of second row forward Trevor Hall, who was still a Saints player, it was decided to sign two more. Cyril Blacklaws, essentially a forward, was joined by left-winger Mortimer Stephens. Unfortunately the two players did not quite make the same impact as before, basically because the St.Helens team was in relative decline. Yet their signing was considered significant by the local press at the time.

The St.Helens Newspaper reported that: "The two men were brought up to Liverpool by members of the Committee and driven by car from Liverpool to the Fleece Hotel, where they were accorded a civic and sporting reception. Present at the reception were members of the Committee, members of the Town Council, players, visitors and pressmen."

At the age of 22, Blacklaws was described mainly as a forward with great utility value. He was over 14 stones and six feet in height and still growing. He could kick goals and was a speedy runner with a hefty tackle.

His pal Stephens later went to Rochdale Hornets with his former Saints team-mate Trevor Hall. The two Kiwi chums are next found on a ship from New Zealand heading back Down Under in April 1938. Blacklaws and Stephens were Papakura Sea Eagles juniors, a South Auckland club. They moved to Newton Rangers for the 1933 and 1934 season because Newton were in the senior grade and Papakura were a second grade side doubtless wanting to play first grade footie. Newton is an inner city suburb in Auckland and one of the foundation clubs, they later merged with City Rovers after WW2 to form City Newton Dragons but then around 20 years ago the club folded due to demographics as not many young people were living in the inner city and the suburban teams took over. Both players were signed by St Helens while at Newton.

When they returned to New Zealand the chums went back to play for Newton Rangers. It was reported that Cyril broke his ribs playing for Newton. In 1940 he fell off a lorry whilst working and the injury put pay to any further adventures on the rugby field. Cyril settled in Pukekohe, Auckland and worked variously as a Mechanic, a Market Gardener Deliverer and as a Gardener. He died in 1984 at the age of 75.

Thanks to Jamie Murdoch, the Auckland Rugby League Historian, for information about his career in Auckland RL and for the splendid photograph of Cyril tending fo his lettuce crop in 1943.


SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1934~35 1 1 0 12
1935~361 1 0 25
TOTALS:2 2 0 37
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
TOTALS:

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
16th Feb 1935 1
L
 12 Halifax L H 3 4 VIEW
23rd Feb 1935 2
W
 12 Leigh L H 25 5 1 VIEW
2nd Mar 1935 3
L
 12 Castleford L A 4 14 VIEW
9th Mar 1935 4
L
 12 Warrington L H 2 14 VIEW
16th Mar 1935 5
L
 12 Salford L H 8 26 VIEW
23rd Mar 1935 6
L
 12 Salford L A 5 9 VIEW
30th Mar 1935 7
W
 12 Leigh L A 8 7 VIEW
6th Apr 1935 8
W
 12 Wakefield Trinity L H 6 4 VIEW
13th Apr 1935 9
D
 12 Bradford Northern L A 5 5 VIEW
19th Apr 1935 10
L
 12 Wigan L A 6 26 VIEW
23rd Apr 1935 11
W
 12 Oldham L H 15 5 1 VIEW
1st May 1935 12
L
 12 Broughton Rangers L H 2 8 VIEW
31st Aug 1935 13
L
 11 Widnes L H 2 9 VIEW
7th Sep 1935 14
L
 11 Widnes L A 6 8 VIEW
21st Sep 1935 15
L
 12 Acton and Willesden L H 2 5 VIEW
12th Oct 1935 16
W
 12 Rochdale Hornets L A 11 0 VIEW
26th Oct 1935 17
L
 12 Warrington L A 3 9 VIEW
9th Nov 1935 18
L
 11 Leigh L A 5 9 VIEW
16th Nov 1935 19
W
 11 Bramley L H 31 3 VIEW
23rd Nov 1935 20
W
 11 Halifax L H 22 15 VIEW
30th Nov 1935 21
W
 11 Bradford Northern L A 13 10 VIEW
7th Dec 1935 22
W
 11 Oldham L H 12 4 VIEW
25th Dec 1935 23
W
 11 St. Helens Recs L A 3 0 VIEW
26th Dec 1935 24
L
 11 Wigan L H 0 14 VIEW
28th Dec 1935 25
D
 11 Streatham and Mitcham L A 3 3 VIEW
1st Jan 1936 26
W
 11 St. Helens Recs L H 5 3 VIEW
4th Jan 1936 27
L
 11 Oldham L A 2 10 VIEW
11th Jan 1936 28
L
 11 Liverpool Stanley L A 5 14 VIEW
1st Feb 1936 29
W
 12 Leigh L H 9 4 VIEW
15th Feb 1936 30
L
 12 Halifax L A 6 9 VIEW
20th Feb 1936 31
L
 12 Broughton Rangers L H 6 14 1 VIEW
22nd Feb 1936 32
L
 12 Bramley L A 4 22 VIEW
29th Feb 1936 33
L
 11 Liverpool Stanley L H 7 10 VIEW
7th Mar 1936 34
L
 11 Broughton Rangers L A 0 23 VIEW
14th Mar 1936 35
L
 11 Batley L H 8 10 1 VIEW
21st Mar 1936 36
L
 11 Batley L A 6 18 VIEW
13th Apr 1936 37
L
 11 Rochdale Hornets L H 0 2 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 12 | LOSSES : 23 | DRAWS : 2

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