1953–54 Northern Rugby Football League season
The 1953–54 Rugby Football League season was the 59th season of rugby league football played in England. The championship, which involved thirty teams, started in August, 1953 and culminated in a finals play-off series in April, 1954 which resulted in a championship final between Warrington and Halifax. The season was also punctuated by the 1954 Rugby League World Cup, the first ever, and is also notable for its Challenge Cup final, which was drawn and had to be re-played, attracting a world record crowd for a rugby football match of either code.
Season summary
The 1953–54 season saw Brian Bevan become the highest try scorer in rugby league history when he passed the 446 tries mark set by Alf Ellaby.- League Champions: Warrington
- Challenge Cup Winners: Warrington
One oddity of the season was that Double winners Warrington, who only lost 5 league games, were beaten by both the bottom Lancashire club, Liverpool City and the bottom Yorkshire club, Hull Kingston Rovers.
Championship
Play-offs
Semi-finals
- Halifax 18, Workington Town 7.
- Warrington 11, St Helens 0.
Final
The Championship Final was played between Warrington and Halifax on 8 May at Maine Road before a crowd of 36,519. The match was televised by the BBC and it was a tremendous defensive effort that helped Warrington to a narrow 8–7 win, with Bath kicking 4 goals.| Warrington | Number | Halifax |
| Teams | ||
| Eric Frodsham | 1 | Tuss Griffiths |
| Brian Bevan | 2 | Arthur Daniels |
| Jim Challinor | 3 | Tommy Lynch |
| Ron Ryder | 4 | Peter Todd |
| Stan McCormick | 5 | Dai Bevan |
| Ray Price | 6 | Ken Dean |
| Gerry Helme | 7 | Stan Kielty |
| Danny Naughton | 8 | John Thorley |
| Frank Wright | 9 | Alvin Ackerley |
| Gerry Lowe | 10 | Jack Wilkinson |
| Harry Bath | 11 | Albert Fearnley |
| Austin Heathwood | 12 | Gerry Schofield |
| Bob Ryan | 13 | Des Clarkson |
| Ces Mountford | Coach |