I WAS interested to read about Mark Cueto’s recent visit to The Halliwell Jones Stadium to commemorate the life of his greatuncle Frank (Warrington Guardian, April 28).

My late father Eric Welsby played in the pack for Warrington from 1934 to 1939 during the Jack Arkwright era.

Frank Cueto, known to the other players as Frankie, was scrum half and a great friend of my father.

Frankie and his girlfriend, later to become his wife Vera, often used to visit our family home.

One of my father’s favourite stories was about Warrington beating the Australian touring team in November 1937 at Wilderspool.

My father was playing loose forward that day, with instructions to ‘look after Frankie’.

Warrington were losing 6-3 when Frankie got the ball from a scrum.

My father grabbed the collar of the Australian who was going to tackle him, and Frankie went in under the posts for the winning try.

My father also spoke of an outstanding Australian forward called Ray Stehr who was dominating the game until Jack Arkwright knocked him out with a punch.

Rugby league was very different in those days. Most of the players were part-timers for whom a winning bonus made a big difference, so games were hardfought.

Scrums were contested, with all kinds of dirty tricks that referees had difficulty in spotting. It is a much faster game these days, especially for the forwards, but there were still some great players.

Frankie’s death near the end of the war was very sad, and it is good that he has been remembered by the club all these years later.

JACK WELSBY York