Over the course of his ten year professional RL career, Nick Pinkney played for a number of clubs including Keighley, Sheffield, Halifax, Salford and Hull KR as well as playing for England at the 1995 Rugby League World Cup. During his time with Sheffield, Pinkney formed part of the squad that famously stunned Wigan to win the 1998 Challenge Cup, scoring the first try on that famous day at Wembley.
Recently, The BIG League was able to speak to Nick all about his Rugby League career.
TBL: How did you start playing Rugby League?
NP: 'My dad played for Hull KR for a few years and then played as an amateur locally so I grew up with it really from around 5 or 6. I used to play small sided games with friends on a little patch of grass down Sheldon Close on Bransholme in Hull where I grew up. I was lucky to go to Biggin Hill junior school and meet up with some new friends Mike Bibby and Mike Crane to name two who both went on to play for Hull KR. Biggin Hill was such a fantastic start to my time in Rugby League, we had a great time and the teachers were so supportive so we lived and breathed it from being 9 years old.'
TBL: How old were you when Ryedale-York signed you? Were there any other clubs interested in taking you on?
NP: 'I was 18 at the time and was playing for Hull KR Colts so there were interested in but were offering very little money-wise and I think they offered all the lads the same sort of deals. At the same time I was playing for BARLA under-19s so my dad said we should hold out and see what happens.
I think Hull KR were expecting us all to sign with them so they were a little put out when I turned them down. I played OK for GB so I had attracted a little attention from other clubs but it was York who just seemed to catch my eye, maybe because they offered 10 times what Rovers were prepared to pay me. I think my dad showed me very early that you had to treat the sport as a job just as any other.'
TBL: How did you find the jump from age-grade rugby to the professional game?
NP: 'I made my professional debut against Chorley Borough on amateur forms so I could tour France with BARLA GB U19s so I went from playing with my mates to playing against seasoned pros in the space of a week. I didn't even know any of the guys I was playing with but they looked after me and I was lucky enough to score my first professional try in that game too so not a bad start.'
TBL: How did the move to Keighley come about?
NP: 'I was coming to the end of my contract with York and I had spent four really enjoyable years there, it's a great club but I just thought it was time to move on. I remember the coach Steve Crooks coming to my house to try and get me to re-sign for the club but I'd made my mind up and wanted to leave. A few clubs were interested in signing me including Wakefield, Featherstone and Hull FC to name a few but something about Keighley and the people involved just grabbed me. They were and still are great people.'
TBL: Your spell at Keighley proved prolific and it took place during an exciting time in Rugby League as the summer era honed into view. Were you disappointed when the club missed out on a place in the formative Super League?
NP: 'I think it was one of the most disappointing and short sighted things the RFL have ever done. The energy and innovative ideas that the directors and coaching staff had already brought to the table were game changing. I think the game was robbed of something very special. It was such a shame for the people who had sacrificed so much to make the game better.'
Keighley won the Second Division title in 1995 but were controversially denied a place in the new Super League due to the fast-tracking of London Broncos to the top flight and the birth of the ill-fated Paris St. Germain project.
NP: 'That was such an incredible time for me as you can imagine, I never really expected to be selected from the First Division. Ellery Hanley was the coach during the previous year and he chose me to play against France in Gateshead, I played OK and scored a pretty good try. When it came to the World Cup Phil Larder was the new coach so he saw first hand what I was capable of. The selection came as a surprise but we had such a great squad of players. Unfortunately I was only selected on the bench for the final but to this day I still think we should have beaten them.'
Nick Pinkney lines up for England ahead of their 1995 World Cup clash with Australia.
NP: 'It was bittersweet at the time because of what had happened at Keighley but they had to sell both myself and Martin Wood to recoup some money but it was a good opportunity for me. I was carrying a bit of a knee injury at the time so I didn't feel at my best but still managed to play pretty well in the first half of the season as I was playing in my preferred position of centre and I scored something like 16 tries in 20 games.
Nick tussles with Wigan's Gary Connolly during his time with Sheffield Eagles. Pinkney notched the first try in Sheffield's famous 17-8 win over the Central Park club at Wembley in 1998.
TBL: We can't mention your time at Sheffield without talking about the famous Challenge Cup final win of 1998. You scored the try which kickstarted the biggest shock in the competition's long history. How did it feel to upset the odds and lift the famous trophy?
NP: 'I'm asked about that so often and it's always difficult to put into words. We just had a belief within the group that we were going to do something special that started in the first round and by the time we got to Wembley we were so confident that no-one could beat us.
The feeling on the day is one I had never felt before or since, it was such an incredible day and provided great memories for everyone who witnessed it.'
TBL: After Sheffield you joined Halifax in 1999 just after the team had finished third in Super League III. Was there a belief among the squad that you could potentially kick on and possibly reach a Grand Final?
NP: 'I really believed we had a chance of achieving something good with Halifax that year but I didn't realise the club was struggling financially. When I signed there was a lot of unrest within the squad but we still played some good stuff on the field even if we didn't hit the heights I expected.
Towards the end of the year, money was so tight that I was asked if I would take a 10k pay cut, there was no way I could afford to do so and another move was on the cards after just 12 months.'
TBL: That move took you across the Pennines to Salford. What was the highlight of your time at The Willows?
NP: 'I really enjoyed my first two seasons at Salford under John Harvey who was a typical laid back Aussie. We had a good squad of players and we were a competitive side. The most memorable game was a win over Wigan at home just before Frank Endacott got sacked, we beat them thanks to a Graham Holroyd drop goal and I scored a hat-trick which was great for the people of Salford as they really love to beat Wigan. I also got the chance to play alongside two of the best wingmen of all time in Martin Offiah and Michael Hancock although Hancock was playing in the second row at the time.'
Pinkney in action for Salford during the 2001 season.
NP: 'Yeah, it felt right to finish at Rovers as I have always been a supporter of the club and I was really proud to captain them alongside Anthony Seabold, we had a team made up of mostly local lads so it was a really enjoyable time.
Unfortunately by that time I was getting a bit long in the tooth and carrying a fair few injuries so I never felt that I got to show my best but I still enjoyed the opportunity to finish my career where it could have started.'
Pinkney's decade-long career ended in 2003 after a spell with hometown club Hull Kingston Rovers.
NP: 'I feel that I've been so lucky to play over 400 games in my career and lots of them stick in the mind but none more than the 1998 Challenge Cup Final. It was such an incredible occasion, not many people are fortunate enough to realise a dream they had as a 9 year old but I did on that day.'
Nick Pinkney alongside captain Paul Broadbent and Mark Aston celebrate Sheffield's shock win over Wigan in the 1998 Challenge Cup final at Wembley.
We'll be back next week with a look back at the oft-forgotten 'Treize Tournoi' competition that saw the best that the English lower divisions had to offer square up against some of France's top clubs in 1998.
To keep up to date with developments on the site, drop our editor Dan a follow on Twitter @BarkerGray2.
Until next time, take care.
