Season 1982/83

Beating 5-1 odds on favourites Hull at Wembley to win the Challenge Cup

When Alan Agar and assistant Keith Goulding took over the coaching reins in December results were poor, relegation looked a distinct probability, and club finances were in a mess with all the playing staff having to take pay cuts.  The pair galvanised the squad and league results improved just enough to avoid relegation by a single point.

No one could have predicted what would happen in the Challenge Cup.  The first round was a home win against Batley which had to be played at Belle Vue, second round was a grafting win away at Salford where Nigel Barker had an excellent game, scoring two tries.  It was in the third round away at St Helens that fans began to believe something special might be happening. Rovers raced to an early lead with tries by John Gilbert and John Marsden.  Despite an awesome defensive effort from the Rovers pack, St Helens got back in the lead but a brilliant move involving Hobbs, Quinn, Kellett and Gilbert saw Rovers home.  Bradford were disposed of in the semi-final but the final against Hull can only be summed up as sensational with two try Dave Hobbs a deserved winner of the Lance Todd Trophy.