Bull Masters - David Hobbs
David Hobbs was one of the best second row forwards to play the game of Rugby League. Born in Featherstone he joined his hometown club in the late 1970's and quickly established in the Rovers team of that period. Featherstone, at that time, had a reputation of producing quality home grown players and David followed the likes of Jimmy Thompson and Peter Smith into the team.
1984 will always be a special year in David Hobbs life for it was in this year that he made his Gt. Britain debut, toured Australia and played a leading part in one of the most famous games ever seen at Wembley.
Under Coach Alan Agar, Rovers won through to Wembley and in one of Wembley's greatest upsets defeated odds on favourites Hull to take the Challenge Cup in fine style.
David's performance won him the Lance Todd Trophy and his two tries and superb performance in the loose were without doubt the hallmarks of his side's success.
David made his Gt. Britain debut at against France in the same year as his Wembley success and played in the return fixture at Headingley, an appalling game that David remembers for the fact that Gt. Britain were booed off the field. He scored all the points, five goals, in a 10-0 victory.
At the end of the season he was an automatic choice for the Gt. Britain Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand. Gt. Britain were whitewashed and David is probably best remembered for being sent off in the final minute of the last Test in Sydney for a punch that sent Greg Conescu's tooth flying through the air!
David was becoming a major player in the game and it was no surprise when he left Featherstone but it was perhaps a major shock, given the big clubs in the game at that time, that he signed for Oldham. Two years at the Watersheddings saw him further cement his Gt. Britain place before Barry Seabourne brought him to Odsal to bolster the Northern pack.
At Odsal he became a firm favourite with the crowd for his 100% effort in all games. He enjoyed success whilst at the club and took over the Coaching of the side after Seabourne's departure at the beginning of the 1989-90 season until Ron Willey arrived just in time to see Hobbs team take the Yorkshire cup against his old club Featherstone Rovers.
Upon Willey's departure the club again turned to David Hobbs before Peter Fox returned to the club in October 1991 and David left the club towards the end of the 1993-94 season. He seriously intended retiring but a call from David Topliss saw him play the last six games for Wakefield Trinity including a memorable victory at Wigan in a game that probably got Henry Paul his contact at Central Park.
But it is as a member of Northern's answer to the 'Terrible Six' that he will be best remembered by the Odsal fans. Skerrett, Noble, Hamer, Hobbs, Fairbank and Pendlebury were a formidable pack and David was a vital member. He had great handling ability and a shrewd kicking game and, as befits a member of that pack, he was as hard as nails. He is still a regular at Odsal where he can usually be found in the commentary box as a summariser for Radio Leeds and his memory will live long in those who were fortunate top see him play.