The world of rugby league is mourning the loss of one of its most fiery and successful figures – Syd Hynes, the former Leeds and Great Britain star who passed away at age 80 after a short illness. Hynes leaves behind a complex legacy, remembered as much for his immense on-field achievements as he is for the controversies that punctuated his career.
A Leeds Legend
Syd Hynes was the ultimate one-club man, playing his entire professional career with Leeds from 1965 to 1976. In that time, he established himself as one of the club’s all-time greats:
- 366 appearances, scoring 158 tries
- Won every domestic honor available, including 11 out of 13 finals played
- Captained the club to the 1968 “watersplash” Challenge Cup victory
- Became Leeds’ only player-coach in 1975
Hynes was a classic centre – robust in defense, direct in attack. He became renowned for his “dummy scissors” move that bamboozled opponents and created countless tries for his outside men. His skill, allied with an uncompromising approach, made him the heartbeat of a great Leeds side.
Leading Leeds to Greatness
After transitioning to player-coach and then full-time coach, Hynes oversaw Leeds’ most successful period. Between 1975 and his retirement in 1981, he led the team to a staggering seven finals victories in as many attempts, including back-to-back Challenge Cup wins at Wembley in 1977 and 1978.
Over seven seasons he took his team to seven finals – all of which were won.
Hynes had an innate understanding of the club and exactly how to get the best out of his players. The same fire and will to win that typified his playing days was evident in how he led the team as a coach. Leeds were simply unstoppable.
International Success and Notoriety
Syd Hynes’ impact extended well beyond the confines of Headingley. He was an integral part of the last Great Britain team to win an Ashes series in Australia, scoring the winning try in the decisive third test of the 1970 tour.
However, it was also on the international stage where Hynes’ firebrand reputation was cemented. He was despairingly sent off in that Ashes series, as well as in Great Britain’s World Cup final loss to Australia later that same year.
But all that paled in comparison to the notoriety Hynes gained for being the first man sent off in a Challenge Cup final. His dismissal for allegedly headbutting Leigh’s Alex Murphy in the 1971 decider has become a part of rugby league folklore:
The incident has passed into rugby league folklore, not least through the (possibly apocryphal) interpretation that Murphy, one of the sport’s great schemers, took a dive, was stretchered off, and after waiting until Hynes had left the pitch, hopped off the stretcher, combed his hair, winked at the BBC television cameras and ran back on to the field, inspiring Leigh to an unexpected victory.
Hynes always maintained his innocence and felt he was conned by Murphy. Regardless of what really transpired, there’s no doubt it added to his complex legend – a champion player, but one never far from controversy.
An Enduring Legacy
So how should Syd Hynes be remembered? Undoubtedly, his playing and coaching record speaks for itself and casts him as one of the greatest figures in Leeds and British rugby league history. The sheer weight of trophies and accolades accumulated across his career is staggering.
But equally, his legacy will always be colored by those moments of on-field madness. The red cards, the skirmishes, the questions over his temperament. Yet in a way, those imperfections may just make him more compelling.
It would be unfortunate if Hynes were to be remembered solely for his vexatious indiscretions than for his otherwise successful playing and coaching career.
Because stripped of context, the mere statistics don’t tell the full story of Syd Hynes. He was more than just a rugby league great – he was a bona fide character, a fierce competitor, a man who rode the very extremes of triumph and controversy.
His passing marks the end of an era, but his name will echo through rugby league history for generations to come. A one-of-a-kind figure who reached the very peaks of his sport, on his own uncompromising terms. That is the enduring legacy of the late, great Syd Hynes.
