Becoming a force 1921-1930
By the 1920s Leeds were starting to emerge as a force in the game.
1921 saw a return to Thrum Hall for the Yorkshire Cup Final and Leeds were not going to be denied this time. They beat Dewsbury 11-3 with the inspirational Jim Bacon scoring two tries. The Leeds team was Roberts, Walmsey, WA Davies, Bacon, WH Davies, Brittain, Brown, Gould, Hardaker, Godwad, Boagey, Pearson, Ward.
The good form was continued in 1923, when Leeds won the Challenge Cup for the second occasion. The famous Busy B's of Buck, Bacon, Binks and Brittain were the toast of the team and Leeds routed Hull in the final at Wakefield by 28-3. The Leeds team was: Walmsley, Buck, Bowen, Bacon, Lyons, Binks, Brittain, Trusler, Jackson, Dixon, Davis, Thompson and Ashton.
However, the early optimism of the decade could not be maintained and it was not until 1928 that Leeds returned to a Final, reaching the Championship Final which went to a replay against Huddersfield after a 2-2 draw in the first match. Huddersfield eventually won the replay 10-0. There was some revenge six months later as Leeds finished the decade with the Yorkshire Cup in the trophy cabinet with none of the opposition scoring a try in the six games leading to victory. A young Australian winger called Eric Harris scored that day and his arrival at the club made sure that the next decade was to become one of the most memorable in the club's history.
