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I'll see if I can get a pic of big Dennis - he also toured and played in the GB team that last beat you Aussies way back in 1970.

I'm reliably informed that in one incident, not sure which match, Artie Beetson was knocked out by him.

The story goes that in the bar after the match Artie came in with a bandage on his head and went up to Cliff Watson the other GB prop and said "What happened Cliff?" Cliff replied " You got in the way of Dennis's knee Artie"

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It was in 1970.Dennis was on International duty against France one Saturday.Prior to this the night before the international, Castleford,Dennis's team,played arch rivals Leeds in a match on the Friday evening.Dennis was ineligble to play due to his International appearance the next day,as were a number of other Cas stars so he watched the match from the stands.Cas put out a very young team that night due to international duties and injuries and he saw the Leeds forwards - Mick Clark a prop in particular - give the young lads a physical hidding.Dennis was incensed!

A few weeks later Cas drew Leeds in the Challenge Cup.Dennis was playing.First scrum Dennis smacked Clark in the face as they were packed down.Clarke said " Nay Dennis we are not having any of that are we?"

" Yes lad we are,all bloody eighty minutes of it" said Dennis.He was true to his word.Dennis terrorised the whole of the Leeds pack during that game.Indeed the press made a point of saying ho fearsome Dennis was.Cas won the game and went on to win the Cup for the second successive year.

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Dennis originally played for Doncaster, Hunslet and then Castleford. He was a late developer and only got on the 1970 tour when Wigan prop John Stephens broke his leg just prior to the 1970 Challenge cup final. Dennis and Jimmy Thompson were late replacements in the tour party which was the last to come home with the ashes. Shortly after the 1970 tour Dennis said that Australia would be ahead of the GB team because of the set up in Australia. He was not wrong.

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1969 Challenge Cup Final, Wembley, Castleford v Salford.

Salford kick off at the start of the match.

Within 2 seconds the Salford winger is layed out on the floor.

When the Castleford team asked what happened Dennis replied 'He ran in to my elbow' !!!

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the dominance of Dennis Hartley over opposing packs was unmatched.

He always had his teams best interests at heart in looking after and guiding the exceptional up and coming young forwards such as Malcolm Reilly.

The true 'Godfather'.

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I was at this match (1970 World Cup Final) as a 16 year old and it remains the hardest, roughest match I've seen.

I remember the night before the final, English Prop Dennis Hartley, from Castleford - The hardest player I've ever seen - being interviewed on TV.He was asked if he thought the match would be a dirty game,and he replied "no,we need to keep our composure and not get drawn into dirty play,there is too much at stake."

Very early on in the game something must have got to Dennis but rather than hit out he just took his aggression out on the ball.No doubt he remembered what he had said in the interview the previous night.

However, as the game went on it spilt into a blood - bath and Dennis decided to enjoy himself, sorting out the two Aussie props and anyone else that got in the way.

In one incident I remember an Aussie off - loading a ball as he fell down. Play went one way and Dennis came rushing in the other direction kicking the aussie guy right in the face.
(Quigs interrupting here-extract from article by 'History Of Australian Rugby League' :-The Australian props John O'Neill and Bob O'Rielly were bloodied and battered ......)

Malcolm Reilly was a Castleford team mate of Dennis's and my Dad knew Malcolm quite well. Malcolm once said to my Dad there was only one guy in the whole of Rugby that he was frightened to play against and that was Dennis Hartley, "thank God he is on my side" said Malcolm.

Dennis was, as I said, the hardest player I,ve ever seen yet one of the gentlest and nicest people you could wish to meet off the field.

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Players name for story: Dennis Hartley and John O'Neill

I always remember a story from John o'Neill about Dennis in the infamous 1970 World Cup final. They had belted the proverbial out of each other all game - no holds barred.

About 10 minutes before the end he felt Dennis tug his jersey in a scrum and say "Hey John want to swap jumpers at the end of the game?".

Dennis was one of the poms I loved to hate but I found a lot to respect in that story.

Obviously a strong exponent of what happened on the field stayed on the field.

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I'm trying to track down a video or DVD of the Great Britain 1970 Ashes tour of Australia, either the second or third test.

My Dad, Dennis Hartley, was the prop for Britain and I'm trying to get a copy for him.

I notice there's one or two stories about him on your site.

Any information would be much appreciated. All the best, Richard Hartley.

(Quigs here - if anyone can help Richard out here, his email address is: r1ch67@yahoo.co.uk)

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A wonderful website. Keith Pollard who had a story about Frank Foster has a wealth of stories about the game. He played in the Newcastle competition in the 70's (I think for Cessnock or Maitland).

Keith played in the same team as Frank, but the competition was stiff: Bill Holliday, Foster, Phil Lowe, 'Flash' Flanagan who died recently. We had, for an all too brief time Big Artie Beetson. He played only about 12 games, but left an indelible imprint on anyone who saw him; and in particular those who saw him a reserve grade game against Huddersfield. He flattened the huge forward Ian Van Bellen and another player who had been baiting him all the game and just walked off the paddock before the referee pointed to the tunnel. I remember Frank Foster telling me he was about the best forward he had ever seen or played with. And Frank wasn't one for praising much. Keith Pollard said Frank told him that Brian McTigue, although not an enforcer, wasn't someone to tangle with. I've got a lot of Frank stories myself as my dad was a good pal of Frank's.

Frank Foster was generally reckoned to be the hardest player of his generation. I never saw him hit anyone twice. He was about 6 feet, but he had forearms likely popeye and the biggest hands I've ever seen on anyone. And he could take the biff as well. If there was ever a blue going on he would be the first person to carry the ball afterwards. However, he was a very good footballer; he could kick for field position, drop field goals, kick goals. So, he wasn't just an enforcer. The only time I saw him have trouble getting up was when big Dennis Hartley belted him with a stiff arm in a cup game in the 60's.

Colin Hutton who was the coach at HULL KR also has a wealth of stories as he was part of the backroom staff on the 62 Tour to Australia, when the Poms played some great football. He said the players viewed the game against St George as the 4th test and took it as seriously as a test match. It showed, they beat the Dragons 33 - 5 and Colin said it was one of the best performances he had seen.

In 1963, the 1st test was a night game at Wembley and Gasnier was at his imperious best. He's still the greatest centre I've seen. He never looked as though he was moving, but nobody could get near him. He had class to burn. Then we had the 50 - 12 game at Swinton. The die was cast and I think it gave Australian players the self belief to upset history. Since then of course we've only won one test series (1970), but I believe it was won on the back of my favourite all time player Malcom Reilly; and Roger Millward. They were the difference on that Tour. Many of the series around that time were close and different players stood just above to make the difference. I believe that in 67 it was a John Raper / Ron Coote combination as the game breakers. The test when they won in the snow typified the Australian never-say-die spirit.

In 73 Artie was head and shoulders above the rest.

In 74 it was Ron Coote's famous tackle on Steve Nash that broke our resolve.

In 78 we would have won that series but for the half back combo of Tom R and Bobby Fulton. Fulton was the finest captain of a touring team that I've seen and he lead from the front. Most of the players were young and inexperienced and making their first Tours, but players like Rod Reddy and Craig Young came up trumps. It was also the best test debut I have seen in the decider at Headingley. Les Boyd tortured us for an hour and came off injured, but by then the game and the series were run.

Apart from 1990 when we was within a minute of squaring the series, but for Ricky Stuart's breakout and Big Mal Meninga; since then we've been an embarrassment since 1978. But then we don't have players of the calibre of Reilly, Huddart, McTigue, Millward, Ashton, Murphy, Mick Sullivan.

Personally, I deride the modern game. The scrums are a joke and the 10 metre rule has killed off the great ball playing backs like Murphy and Millward in the British game. Same in the forwards. In those days you had to have the skills to break defences, because they were stood on top of you. Artie was the best ball playing forward I've seen and McTigue wasn't far behind.

Going back to stories about the Biff era. A good one was told to me by Brian Lockwood. In the 60's they had the John Player competition and the man of the match got an award. Brian was about 20 and at Castleford; playing in the same pack as Malcom Reilly and Dennis Hartley. Rocky Turner was the coach. Brian said that in training one night, Turner was laying down the law and was lecturing Malcom and Brian. Brian could see what was going to happen next and started running just as Turner copped Malcolm with a shot. Not long after, at Bramley, Brian got a man of the match award. Feeling full of himself he went up the steps as it was in those to the dressing rooms at Bramley. Waiting for him at the top and glaring was Turner, who said to him "you think you're good, but I've shit better than you." With that he hit Brian with a haymaker that sent him all the way down the steps. All the players were scared shitless of him; and Malcom always says that his aggression was part of the way he was brought up as a young player under Turner. Mind you I don't think Malcom needed much encouragement when it came to the biff.

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