Roger is easily the best player to pull on the
famous red and white Hull Kingston Rovers Shirt
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East of Hull is Red, Hull
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28/10/2004
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Roger Millward
Position: Half Back.
Time at HKR: Player: 1966-81 Coach: 1977-91.
Previous Clubs: Castleford, Cronulla.
What can be said about Roger that hasn't already been said?
There is no question that Roger is easily the best player to pull on the
famous red and white Hull Kingston Rovers shirt and possibly the best
player to ever wear the Great Britain shirt.
Not only has he been the
most successful Rovers player but also the most successful coach
in the history of
the club.
Roger first came to prominence when his brilliant, unorthodox
playing style (which, would in years to come, earn him the nickname
of "Roger the Dodger" by the late TV commentator Eddie Waring)
was a feature of a series of televised under 17 international matches where Roger
made a number of appearances in both half-back positions and on the
wing.
Roger signed professional for Castleford in September 1964,
and made his first team debut at Dewsbury on October 3rd the same year.
Unable to command a regular first team place because of Castleford's
experienced test half backs, Alan Hardisty and Keith Hepworth, he still
came to the attention of the International Selectors before being transferred
to
Hull Kingston Rovers on August 8th, 1966 when he was only
18 years old for the sum of £6,000.
He made his debut for the Robins at Hunslet on August 15th,
the first of over 400 appearances for the club.
Roger had already established himself on the International
stage becoming one of the youngest ever players to make his full
Great Britain debut in March 1966 against France and then in the early stages
of his career with Rovers, he became one of Rovers youngest international
players when he was named in the 1968 GB World Cup Squad after finishing
the season as top try scorer with 38 tries, he also picked up
the Supporters "Player of the Year" award for his achievements
during the season.
Roger had already earned his first major domestic honour when
he picked up a Floodlit Trophy winners medal with Castleford in 1965/66.
In his first year at Rovers he picked up a Yorkshire Cup winners
medal and the following year helped Rovers retain the cup, the first of
many honours both as player and coach with Rovers.
In 1969 Roger was appointed club captain at the age of only
21 and in the same year he was named as the Hull KR supporters "Player
of the Year" and more importantly the overall Rugby League Players
No 6 "Player of
the Year".
Whilst at Craven Park, Rogers international career flourished,
he was already a recognised Great Britain player by the age of 22
and went on to make 47 appearances including 29 Tests for Great Britain.
Roger
toured with Great Britain five times and once with England
and captained both sides in World Cup Competitions.
During the mid-1970's, Roger helped to turn Hull KR into a
force to be reckoned with in the world of Rugby League but still the major
honours eluded him, as Rovers only managed to pick up a further two
Yorkshire
Cup winners medals in 1971/72 and 1974/75 and a runners-up
medal in 1975/76.
During this time Roger picked up a further two Supporters
"Player of the Year" awards in 1974/75 and 1975/76, his testimonial
year with the club in which he broke the clubs all time try scoring
record with 160 tries.
During the close season of 1976 he had a spell down under
with Australian club Cronulla.
Millward brought his wealth of experience to the Sharks, which
was the fourth of six visits he made to Australia during the 1970's.
Cronulla under the coaching of John Raper in 1976 were struggling for
class players and they secured Millward. He played in 14 games for
the Cronulla Sharks, scoring one try and kicking 17 goals for 37 points.
In 1977 a new revolution started for both Roger and Rovers.
After the unfortunate death of Rovers coach Harry Poole, Roger was named
Hull Kingston Rovers' player-coach and in his first season guided
the club to their first ever BBC2 Floodlit Trophy victory and, yet again
was named as the Supporters "Player of the Year". The Floodlit
trophy proved to be the turning point for Rovers as they went from being the best
to proving they where the best by winning every major honour in the game
of Rugby League.
In 1978/79 Roger guided Rovers to their first Division One
Championship since 1925 and the following year he achieved his ambition
by playing in the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley becoming the first Rovers
player to coach and captain a Rovers side to a Challenge Cup victory
as Rovers beat Hull 10-5.
Roger broke his jaw midway through the first
half but played on for the full 80 minutes and still managed a smile
when he took the trophy from Her Majesty thee Queen Mother.
Roger Millwards long and illustrious playing career ended
with an off-the-ball incident whilst playing for Rovers' A team against
Batley A on October 4th, 1980. The incident left Roger with a broken jaw
at the hands of someone who wasn't even fit to tie his boot laces.
This was Rogers fourth broken jaw in the space of ten months. The game
was his come-back after having his jaw broken by Hull hooker Ron Wileman,
who crashed into him with a late, high tackle, in th Challenge Cup Final
earlier in the same year.
Ironically, after years of striving to achieve his ambition
of playing in a Challenge Cup Final at Wembley, it was to be his last
senior game.
By the end his career Roger had gained 47 international appearances
together with 20 tries. 406 Hull KR appearances, 207 tries,
600+ goals and a total of 1825 points making him the third highest points
scorer in
Rovers history.
Rogers total of 207 tries for the Robins is
a club record, beating the previous best by Gilbert Austin, a winger
in the 1920's, by almost 50. Never scoring more than three tries in a match,
Roger performed the hat-trick with Rovers on eleven occasions, once
for Castleford and twice for Britain on the 1970 tour. Roger twice
kicked ten goals or more in a match, both in 1972/73. His best tally was eleven
goals in a 58-5 defeat of Hunslet in August, 1972. In the same match
he scored three tries for a personal best of 31 points.
After acieving nearly every major honour as a player, Roger
continued as coach of Hull Kingston Rovers throughout the 1980's and
early 1990's as they dominated the English game upto the mid 1980's.
In 1980/81 he took Rovers back to Wembley for the Challenge
Cup Final as they went all the way to try and regain the Trophy but
just failed at the final hurdle, Rovers also lost in the final of the Yorkshire
Cup that season but it wasn't all doom and gloom as Millward guided
Rovers to their Premiership Trophy.
In the next two years Roger couldn't inspire Rovers to a trophy
but yet again he took them all the way to the final of the John Player
Trophy and guided them to the runners-up spot in Division One, Millward
did
pick up an medal himself though when he was named in the Queens
new year honours list and Roger received the M.B.E. for his services
to Rugby League and sport in Great Britain.
After building up a strong squad throughout the early 80's
Roger's leadership shone through in 1983/84 as Rovers proved they
where the best in the business by becoming the first team to win the League
Championship - Premiership double as Rovers where crowned "Rugby
League Team of the Year".
Then the following season they nearly did again.
After winning the John Player Trophy for the first time and then becoming Division
One Champions for the fifth time only the Premiership remained
but it wasn't to be as Rovers lost in the final, earlier in the season Rovers
had also lost in the Yorkshire Cup Final.
The 1985/86 season saw Rogers last major final as a Rovers
manager.
Millward took Rovers to a victory in the Yorkshire Cup final
before they where defeated in the John Player Final and the Challenge
Cup Final at Wembley, that proved to be Rovers last major final as the
team that had dominated the English game faded away, Roger stood loyal with
Rovers as the club from Division to Division but after the club was
relegated to the 2nd Division Roger decided it was the right time to bring
to an end his 25 year association with the club.
Never before and probably
never again has their been a player or a coach that has had such
an immense talent as Roger and stayed loyal to a club for as long as
he did.
When asked about his most memorable match it was not surprising
that Roger had more than one. His first not surprisingly was the
1980 Challenge Cup Final victory against Hull FC.
The second was
the match against the Australian touring side of 1967 where Roger, at only 20
years of age
scored a great hat-trick as Rovers beat the tourists 27-15.
Roger Millward now lives in Kippax near Leeds, with his wife Carol
and is employed as a Premises Manager by Royds Comprehensive School, above
Rothwell Sports Centre. At present he has severed his involvement with
the game of rugby but he still attends matches, mainly Castleford Tigers.
Appears in the following pages ....P85_Roger MILLWARD
Date of posting ... 10-May-2004
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