MEN 1873-1895
MEN 1895-2024
WOMEN 2018-2024

Coach: Billy Benyon

Won: 94; Lost: 48; Drawn: 8

Honours: Lancashire Cup final winners, Premiership final winners 1984-85

Saints maintained their selection of a coach who was a former player for the club when Billy succeeded his former team-mate Kel Coslett for the start of the 1982-83 campaign. A stalwart at club level, with over 500 games in the red vee, a delighted Benyon joined after a successful spell at Warrington, where he took up the coaching reins when Alex Murphy moved to Salford and looked to carry on the team building task at Knowsley Road. He inherited a young squad and immediately appointed loose forward Harry Pinner as captain.

Despite reaching the Lancashire Cup final in his first season, the team were beaten by 0-16 Warrington and the gamble of putting out a virtual reserve team the week before against Australia backfired with a 0-32 defeat and much criticism from the wider rugby league community. An initially encouraging Challenge Cup run also stalled at home to Featherstone Rovers. Yet gradually, the team started to grow in confidence under Billy's hands-on guidance and a 6th place in the table, plus a narrow Premiership semi-final loss against eventual winners Hull KR at Craven Park at the end of 1983-84 were clear signs of better times ahead.

The club's undoubted masterstroke was to bring over Australian star centre Mal Meninga and Phil Veivers to bolster the squad for an eagerly anticipated 1984-85 campaign. Superbly led by Pinner, the team beat Wigan in the Lancashire Cup final at Central Park and finished the campaign with an entertaining 36-16 Premiership final victory over Hull KR – their title rivals in the Slalom Lager Championship – at Elland Road, with Meninga scoring twice and Pinner lifting the trophy in his 300th game for the club.

An end-of-season tour to New Zealand followed, the first undertaken by a British club. Yet trying to replicate the success of 1984-85 proved to be difficult without Meninga and two defeats proved to be crucial in the Board's desire for change. Wigan won 2-30 in the Lancashire Cup semi-final at Central Park and the visiting New Zealand team delighted their live TV audience with a crushing 8-46 victory.

The popular Benyon was replaced by Alex Murphy, who had been in charge at Leigh. Ironically Billy later became Coach of the Leythers, from 1986-1990 when he achieved 61 wins in 109 matches. A spell with amateurs Pilks Recs in the Conference League followed. Billy's achievements in the 1984-85 season will always be remembered by the fans, when the team came out of the shadows of the redoubtable 'Dad's Army' outfit of the 1970s of which he was an integral part.

Coach from : Aug 01st 1982 to Oct 31st 1985
DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
1982-08-06 --
W
 Pilkington Recs* Fr Testimonial H 51 7 VIEW
1982-08-15 --
D
 Oldham* Fr Ward Cup H 15 15 VIEW
1982-08-22 1
D
 Leigh L A 19 19 VIEW
1982-08-25 2
W
 Bradford Northern L H 12 11 VIEW
1982-08-29 3
L
 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 10 31 VIEW
1982-09-05 4
W
 Widnes LC1 A 14 12 VIEW
1982-09-12 5
W
 Oldham L H 20 15 VIEW
1982-09-15 6
W
 Barrow LC2 A 9 6 VIEW
1982-09-19 7
L
 Barrow L A 12 19 VIEW
1982-09-26 8
W
 Workington Town L H 27 7 VIEW
1982-09-29 9
D
 Carlisle LCSF H 7 7 VIEW
1982-10-03 10
W
 Featherstone Rovers L A 29 12 VIEW
1982-10-06 11
W
 Carlisle LCSF (rep) A 9 5 VIEW
1982-10-10 12
L
 Leigh L H 10 19 VIEW
1982-10-17 13
L
 Australia Tour H 0 32 VIEW
1982-10-23 14
L
 Warrington LCF N 0 16 VIEW
1982-10-31 15
W
 Warrington L H 16 11 VIEW
1982-11-06 16
L
 Leeds L A 10 13 VIEW
1982-11-14 17
W
 Workington Town L A 20 15 VIEW
1982-11-21 18
L
 Castleford L H 23 24 VIEW
1982-11-27 19
W
 Fulham JP1 H 17 5 VIEW
1982-12-12 20
L
 Wigan JP2 A 5 9 VIEW
1982-12-19 21
W
 Featherstone Rovers L H 13 10 VIEW
1982-12-26 22
W
 Wigan L H 11 8 VIEW
1983-01-02 23
W
 Widnes L A 18 11 VIEW
1983-01-09 24
W
 Hull L H 19 18 VIEW
1983-01-16 25
L
 Castleford L A 10 31 VIEW
1983-01-23 26
W
 Barrow L H 20 5 VIEW
1983-01-30 27
W
 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 13 7 VIEW
1983-02-06 28
W
 Oldham L A 10 0 VIEW
1983-02-15 29
W
 Carlisle CC1 H 52 0 VIEW
1983-02-27 30
W
 Leeds CC2 A 23 13 VIEW
1983-03-06 31
W
 Leeds L H 19 7 VIEW
1983-03-12 32
L
 Featherstone Rovers CC3 H 10 11 VIEW
1983-03-16 33
W
 Warrington L A 17 13 VIEW
1983-03-20 34
L
 Hull L A 13 24 VIEW
1983-03-27 35
W
 Carlisle L A 40 16 VIEW
1983-03-29 36
W
 Halifax L H 22 0 VIEW
1983-04-01 37
L
 Wigan L A 6 13 VIEW
1983-04-04 38
L
 Widnes L H 9 11 VIEW
1983-04-10 39
W
 Halifax L A 23 5 VIEW
1983-04-12 40
L
 Bradford Northern L A 6 13 VIEW
1983-04-17 41
W
 Carlisle L H 39 7 VIEW
1983-04-24 42
L
 Widnes PT1 H 7 11 VIEW
1983-05-22 --
D
 Warrington* Fr Testimonial A 16 16 VIEW
1983-08-07 --
W
 Huyton* Fr Charity H 48 14 VIEW
1983-08-10 --
W
 Widnes * Fr Testimonial H 44 20 VIEW
1983-08-14 --
W
 Oldham* Fr Ward Cup A 32 10 VIEW
1983-08-21 43
W
 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 30 11 VIEW
1983-08-28 44
W
 Warrington L A 12 8 VIEW
1983-09-03 45
W
 Rochdale Hornets LC1 A 28 4 VIEW
1983-09-11 46
L
 Castleford L H 10 22 VIEW
1983-09-14 47
L
 Warrington LC2 H 26 30 VIEW
1983-09-18 48
L
 Bradford Northern L A 10 14 VIEW
1983-09-25 49
W
 Wakefield Trinity L H 50 12 VIEW
1983-10-02 50
L
 Oldham L A 6 32 VIEW
1983-10-09 51
W
 Fulham L H 18 14 VIEW
1983-10-23 52
W
 Bradford Northern L H 29 14 VIEW
1983-10-30 53
W
 Featherstone Rovers L H 19 13 VIEW
1983-11-06 54
W
 Kent Invicta JP1 A 40 7 VIEW
1983-11-13 55
L
 Leigh L A 12 20 VIEW
1983-11-19 56
W
 Warrington JP2 A 18 10 VIEW
1983-11-27 57
W
 Featherstone Rovers JP3 H 16 12 VIEW
1983-12-04 58
L
 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 7 32 VIEW
1983-12-17 59
L
 Widnes JPSF N 4 18 VIEW
1983-12-20 60
W
 Salford L A 18 16 VIEW
1983-12-26 61
L
 Wigan L A 8 12 VIEW
1984-01-01 62
L
 Widnes L H 12 20 VIEW
1984-01-08 63
L
 Wakefield Trinity L A 22 31 VIEW
1984-01-11 64
L
 Hull L A 24 30 VIEW
1984-01-15 65
W
 Whitehaven L H 40 10 VIEW
1984-01-22 66
W
 Fulham L A 30 0 VIEW
1984-02-05 67
W
 Salford L H 20 0 VIEW
1984-02-12 68
W
 Leigh CC1 H 16 10 VIEW
1984-02-19 69
L
 Leeds L A 7 18 VIEW
1984-02-25 70
W
 Hull CC2 H 24 14 VIEW
1984-03-04 71
W
 Featherstone Rovers L A 21 13 VIEW
1984-03-11 72
L
 Wigan CC3 H 7 16 VIEW
1984-03-16 73
W
 Hull L H 22 10 VIEW
1984-03-20 74
W
 Warrington L H 37 25 VIEW
1984-03-25 75
L
 Castleford L A 22 26 VIEW
1984-04-01 76
W
 Oldham L H 31 20 VIEW
1984-04-06 77
W
 Leigh L H 37 12 VIEW
1984-04-10 78
W
 Leeds L H 20 10 VIEW
1984-04-15 79
W
 Whitehaven L A 27 21 VIEW
1984-04-20 80
W
 Wigan L H 20 13 VIEW
1984-04-23 81
D
 Widnes L A 28 28 VIEW
1984-04-29 82
W
 Warrington PT1 A 19 13 VIEW
1984-05-07 83
L
 Hull Kingston Rovers PTSF A 16 21 VIEW
1984-07-29 --
L
 Barrow * Fr Benefit A 10 19 VIEW
1984-08-19 --
W
 Mansfield Marksmen * Fr Testimonial H 84 12 VIEW
1984-08-26 --
W
 Oldham* Fr Ward Cup H 38 4 VIEW
1984-09-02 84
W
 Featherstone Rovers L H 25 10 VIEW
1984-09-09 85
W
 Leeds L A 21 2 VIEW
1984-09-14 86
W
 Runcorn Highfield LC1 H 58 14 VIEW
1984-09-23 87
L
 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 6 32 VIEW
1984-09-26 88
W
 Barrow LC2 A 26 10 VIEW
1984-09-30 89
L
 Bradford Northern L A 10 30 VIEW
1984-10-07 90
W
 Castleford L H 30 16 VIEW
1984-10-10 91
W
 Leigh LCSF H 31 10 VIEW
1984-10-14 92
W
 Hunslet L A 32 14 VIEW
1984-10-17 93
W
 Halifax L H 42 14 VIEW
1984-10-21 94
W
 Oldham L H 32 5 VIEW
1984-10-28 95
W
 Wigan LCF A 26 18 VIEW
1984-11-04 96
W
 Warrington L A 20 14 VIEW
1984-11-11 97
W
 Barrow L H 59 2 VIEW
1984-11-18 98
W
 Keighley JP1 H 60 8 VIEW
1984-11-25 99
W
 Bradford Northern L H 28 6 VIEW
1984-12-02 100
D
 Bradford Northern JP2 A 12 12 VIEW
1984-12-05 101
W
 Bradford Northern JP2 (rep) H 24 10 VIEW
1984-12-09 102
W
 Leeds L H 48 16 VIEW
1984-12-22 103
L
 Halifax JP3 H 8 14 VIEW
1984-12-26 104
L
 Wigan L H 22 30 VIEW
1985-01-01 105
W
 Widnes L A 8 6 VIEW
1985-01-30 106
L
 Castleford L A 12 30 VIEW
1985-02-03 107
W
 Leigh L H 56 16 VIEW
1985-02-21 108
L
 Hull Kingston Rovers CC1 H 3 8 VIEW
1985-02-24 109
W
 Barrow L A 31 16 VIEW
1985-02-27 110
L
 Hull L A 24 46 VIEW
1985-03-03 111
W
 Featherstone Rovers L A 14 13 VIEW
1985-03-08 112
L
 Oldham L A 18 20 VIEW
1985-03-10 113
W
 Workington Town L H 62 0 VIEW
1985-03-17 114
D
 Halifax L A 19 19 VIEW
1985-03-22 115
W
 Hull L H 47 18 VIEW
1985-03-31 116
W
 Warrington L H 30 28 VIEW
1985-04-05 117
W
 Wigan L A 30 19 VIEW
1985-04-08 118
W
 Widnes L H 28 22 VIEW
1985-04-14 119
W
 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 30 14 VIEW
1985-04-17 120
W
 Hunslet L H 68 7 VIEW
1985-04-19 121
W
 Workington Town L A 42 13 VIEW
1985-04-21 122
L
 Leigh L A 26 30 VIEW
1985-04-27 123
W
 Widnes PT1 H 26 2 VIEW
1985-05-07 124
W
 Wigan PTSF H 37 14 VIEW
1985-05-11 125
W
 Hull Kingston Rovers PTF N 36 16 VIEW
1985-05-26 --
L
 Canterbury* Fr Tour C 24 30 VIEW
1985-05-29 --
L
 Waikato* Fr Tour H 24 34 VIEW
1985-06-02 --
L
 Manukau * Fr Tour A 10 26 VIEW
1985-06-03 --
W
 Northland * Fr Tour W 42 12 VIEW
1985-08-25 --
D
 Oldham * Fr Ward Cup A 18 18 VIEW
1985-08-30 126
W
 Swinton L A 32 14 VIEW
1985-09-04 127
W
 Warrington L H 12 6 VIEW
1985-09-08 128
W
 York L H 30 8 VIEW
1985-09-15 129
W
 Carlisle LC1 H 72 8 VIEW
1985-09-22 130
L
 Leeds L A 8 21 VIEW
1985-09-25 131
W
 Whitehaven LC2 H 26 8 VIEW
1985-09-29 132
L
 Hull L H 22 35 VIEW
1985-10-02 133
L
 Wigan LCSF A 2 30 VIEW
1985-10-13 134
L
 Castleford L A 18 32 VIEW
1985-10-20 135
W
 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 39 22 VIEW
1985-10-27 136
L
 New Zealand Tour H 8 46 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 94 | LOSSES : 48 | DRAWS : 8




Copyright © Saints Heritage Society 1999-2024.