After the gloom of the previous season, the team made a strong start to the season winning its first four league games, by 10 points or more, including a first away win in 20 months (Huddersfield). Unfortunately that was to be the last away league win until the last game of the season (Birkenhead Park). The losing streak started at New Brighton, who were to be relegated for a second season running, in a game where Rob Quarry was sent off for stamping after half an hour, but having been 11v5 down at that point, the rest of the team drew the remainder of the game 10v10.
On the playing front the new season opened without the large West Cumbrian contingent of previous seasons, including Martin Armstrong and Adrian Bateson. Paul Dodds after 17 seasons, 77 tries and over 700 points, had also played his last game for the first XV, although two seasons later his inclusion in a squad was to have an unexpected impact.
On the recruitment side, the team had a second set of twins, in New Zealander’s Patrick and Massey Tuhakaraina, to join the Ladell brothers who were back on form with 26 tries between them, Luke scoring 11 in just 12 appearances before Christmas, including two hat tricks. A recruit who made a bigger impact (not only on opposition players) was another New Zealander, back row man Nick “Noodles” McKain, who played in 27 of the 28 games (a total equalled by Garry Holmes, and bettered by Simon Mulholland).
Debut Seasons | ||||
Nick | McKain | 27 | Awarded Club Badge | |
Patrick | Tuhakaraina | 24 | Awarded Club Badge | |
Massey | Tuhakaraina | 23 | Awarded Club Badge | |
Andrew | Quarry | 8 | ||
Mark | Wilson | 5 | ||
Chris | Hattam | 4 | ||
Luke | Jacobs | 4 | ||
Ross | Knaggs | 4 | ||
Warren | Wharton | 3 | ||
Stuart | Cartmell | 2 | ||
Anthony | Munday | 1 | ||
Reece | Tomlinson | 1 |
Apperances (20 or more) | ||||
Simon | Mullholland | 28 | ||
Garry | Holmes | 27 | ||
Nick | McKain | 27 | Awarded Club Badge | |
Liam | Hayton | 26 | ||
James | Gough | 25 | ||
Mike | Capstick | 24 | ||
Allen | Martindale | 24 | ||
Patrick | Tuhakaraina | 24 | Awarded Club Badge | |
Duncan | Green | 23 | ||
Nick | Michelini | 23 | Awarded Club Badge | |
Chris | Park | 23 | ||
Massey | Tuhakaraina | 23 | Awarded Club Badge | |
Billy | Coxon | 22 | ||
John | Ladell | 22 |
The game that stood out that season, was the defeat of new League Champions Caldy. They may have rested some players, and given some fringe players a game, but it was far from a full strength Kendal team. The Tuhakaraina brothers had left, James Gough was on one wing, and Nick McKain in the centre. Mark Airey, playing his only game of the season, and his last for the first team, having made his debut nineteen seasons earlier (although he was still on the “Senior Players Register” in 2014/15), scored two of the team’s five tried from scrum half. The game was also a second appearance for Mark Wilson, (now of Newcastle Falcons), who made his debut at Hull a week earlier in a 55v8 loss.
The team did not come into the Caldy game in the best of form, having lost five of their last six games, in a sequence which included the only loss at Mint Bridge (11v21 against to be relegated Stockport) and a 46v5 defeat at also relegated Chester. The win was one of what to be a number of nail biting finishes against Huddersfield. In the last minute, with the scores level and Huddersfield attacking the Kendal line, the ball went loose, and a Kendal forward wildly hacked it up field. The ball bounced kindly for John Ladell, who gathered it, to go in for the match winning try.
Tries | ||
John | Ladell | 15 |
Simon | Mullholland | 12 |
Luke | Ladell | 11 |
Massey | Tuhakaraina | 7 |
Nick | McKain | 6 |
Mike | Capstick | 6 |
Points | ||||
Patrick | Tuhakaraina | 117 | ||
John | Ladell | 79 | includes 2 conversions | |
Simon | Mulholland | 60 | ||
Andrew | Boardley | 58 | ||
Luke | Ladell | 55 | ||
Massey | Tuhakaraina | 38 |
In the Caldy match the visitors scored an early converted try, only for Kendal to come back with four tries of their own for 28v7 half time lead. The second half was almost a mirror image, with Kendal adding an early try, only for Caldy to score three converted tries in the last seven minutes, to just come up short. Andrew “Ginna” Boardley (on the wing that afternoon after playing the previous three games at scum half) had a 100% kicking record that afternoon, with five successful conversions.
The other major success that season was a third win in the Cumbria Cup, beating Carlisle in the final at Penrith, for the first success in the Cup since 1997/98.
The team finished the season in fifth place having won all but one of their home games, in total contrast to their away form.