North Shore Albion juniors 1920s–1930 Leatherbarrow began playing rugby league for the
Devonport United club in the mid 1920s. They were better known in their history as North Shore Albions but were named Devonport United from 1920 to 1936 after they merged with
Sunnyside in
1920. In 1927 Leatherbarrow played for their 3rd grade intermediate side.{{cite news The
1930 season saw him still in the 3rd Grade Open team but there was also a Leatherbarrow listed in their 2nd grade side at one point in the season. He was now aged 20.{{cite news
Senior debut (1931) By
1931 Leatherbarrow had been promoted to the North Shore reserve grade team. His side won the grade following a 5–5 draw with
Ponsonby on 15 August at
Carlaw Park. The match was the ‘final’ as it was between the two leading teams though Devonport won as they had a one point competition lead. Leatherbarrow was playing with
Albert Laing who later became a New Zealand representative, and several future senior players including John Harding, Arthur Saxon, Alf Smith, George Radonich, Horace Hunt, and J Hawkes.{{cite news The following weekend Leatherbarrow made his senior debut playing in the loose forwards against Ponsonby in the Roope Rooster knockout final at
Carlaw Park.{{cite news along with S. Casey in Devonport's match with Eastern Suburbs.Leatherbarrow was then named to play for Devonport against the touring
Eastern Suburbs side from
Sydney,
Australia. He played in the second row with Ernest Ruby, up against
Max Nixon, and
Joe Pearce. Pearce represented
Australia from 1932 to 1937.{{cite news His final game of the season was against the same Eastern Suburbs side on 21 October however this time he was named at prop in an Auckland Colts side. He was marking Ray Stehr.{{cite news
Devonport, Auckland, and New Zealand trial (1932) In
1932 Leatherbarrow became established in the Devonport first grade side and also went on to make his
Auckland debut and also make a
New Zealand trial side. He was initially included in the Devonport reserve grade team for the early rounds but on 11 June he was chosen in the first grade side and would remain in that grade for the rest of his career.{{cite news He was named in the side to play
Richmond on 18 June and then in the round 8 game against
Newton on 25 June he scored two tries in an 18–17 win on
Carlaw Park 2. He was said to have “played his best game to date [and] showed uncanny anticipation in the loose. His two tries did much to turn the tables on a greatly improved Newton side”.{{cite news A week later Leatherbarrow was selected in a
New Zealand trial match to be played on 23 July. He was chosen in the second row of the Probables team alongside
Alan Clarke (Marist). Although the match was a New Zealand trial the teams were entirely made up of Auckland players with the exception of
Edwin Abbott from the
Waikato. Their second row opponents were Doug McLeay (Ponsonby), and A Hobbs (City). The match was played as a
curtain raiser to the
North Island v
South Island annual match.{{cite news The club competition resumed on 13 August with Devonport losing 19–13 to
City. The Auckland Star wrote that “Leatherbarrow and [Arthur] Sowter in the Devonport pack were a good pair”.{{cite news
Auckland selection v Lower Waikato In late September, Leatherbarrow was named by selectors
Bert Avery,
Ernie Asher, and William (Bill) Mincham to make his debut for
Auckland against
Lower Waikato at
Huntly on the Recreation Ground on 2 October. The match was for the Sunshine Cup and was a charity match to raise funds for the Sunshine organisation. He was originally selected in the second row with
Ray Lawless though seemingly played at lock with Lawless and Doug McLeay in the second row.{{cite news The following weekend Leatherbarrow was chosen to play in a
Newton Rangers XIII which was travelling to
Hikurangi, north of
Whangārei on 8 October. The Newton XIII won 18 to 5 with Leatherbarrow scoring two of their four tries, with
Trevor Hall scoring the other two and
Albert Laing kicking three conversions.{{cite news
Devonport and Auckland (1933) In
1933 Leatherbarrow played 14 games for Devonport scoring seven tries, and five games for Auckland. His first game of the season was at prop on 29 April against
Ponsonby on Carlaw Park 2. Devonport won 26–13 with Leatherbarrow among the best of their forwards.{{cite news Leatherbarrow scored another try in an upset loss to Newton, 11–8. Late in the game he and others “made mighty bids” to stage a comeback win. His try was a “surprise try” started by winger, C. Rhodes.{{cite news
Auckland v Taranaki Following round 6 Leatherbarrow was chosen for the Auckland side by selectors
Ernie Asher, William (Bill) Mincham, and
Bert Avery to play
Taranaki on 10 June at
Carlaw Park. He was chosen at prop along with
Stan Clark, with
Gordon Campbell hooking. They were up against a front row of
Jack McLeod, Doug McLeay, and J Fraser.{{cite news Returning to Devonport, Leatherbarrow scored a try in a 35–11 loss to Marist. He was among the pick of the Devonport forwards.
Hec Brisbane, the Marist captain had his kick charged down and Leatherbarrow got the rebound and scored between the posts.{{cite news side which won the championship. Leatherbarrow is near the centre looking in the direction of the cameraIn round 9 he was said to have been “prominent” in a 5–5 draw with
Richmond.{{cite news He was selected to play for Auckland against
South Auckland (Waikato) on 15 July. Incumbent hooker
Gordon Campbell was unavailable due to injury with Leatherbarrow taking that position. Despite playing in various positions for Devonport earlier in the season and prop in his earlier game for Auckland he had recently been playing hooker for Devonport.{{cite news Devonport were knocked out of round 1 of the Roope Rooster knockout competition on 29 July with Leatherbarrow and Donald “the pick of a solid set of forwards”.{{cite news Returning to his Devonport side he was among the best Devonport forwards in a 9–3 win on 19 August.{{cite news The season was drawing to a close but Devonport had two important games left. The first was against
Richmond for the Stormont Shield on 16 September. Devonport won the Stormont Shield for the 3rd time with a 12–7 win with Leatherbarrow at prop. For the first try “Leatherbarrow and [Arthur] Sowter smashed through on the blind side of a breaking scrum” then “Sowter picked up and went on to score easily”. In comments on the game the Auckland Star wrote that he “played well” in the forwards.{{cite news
Devonport (1934) The
1934 season saw Leatherbarrow play 17 games for Devonport, scoring four tries. It was to be his final season with them. His first game was on 28 April against
City Rovers where he played at his now familiar position of hooker however as the season went on he often played in the loose forwards with L Stevens the former Ponsonby hooker in that position.{{cite news Devonport’s 3rd round game saw them in the number 2 field at Carlaw Park and another loss, 18–8 to Newton. Leatherbarrow was “prominent” along with Donald and Sowter in their forwards.{{cite news Devonport finally had a win in round 6 against City by 18 points to 15. Leatherbarrow scored two tries including the last minute winner where he “barged across from the ruck” and “was temporarily incapacitated”. The Auckland Star said that he “stamped himself a fine Shore forward”.{{cite news Leatherbarrow was selected to practice for the
Auckland team which was preparing for a game against
Taranaki on 30 June.{{cite news Devonport continued their relatively poor season with a 26–5 loss to Richmond in round 1 of the Roope Rooster knockout competition. Leatherbarrow was among the “best of the keen North Shore sextet”.{{cite news
Transfer to Ponsonby (1935) In
1935 Leatherbarrow transferred to the
Ponsonby United club where he played 14 games scoring four tries and kicking a conversion. It was reported on 24 April that Devonport would miss his services as he was “away from town”.{{cite news Leatherbarrow’s first game for Ponsonby was in round 4 of the Fox Memorial championship on 18 May. Ponsonby lost 22–5 and he was said to have been “not so prominent as usual”.{{cite news In round 10 Ponsonby played City on the number 2 field at Carlaw Park. The two captains decided to play 30 minute halves instead of the normal 40 minutes and it may have cost Ponsonby the win. They lost 10–8 and were attacking for a long time in the second half with Leatherbarrow at one point held up over the tryline. It was said that he and J Moran “were the best of the scrummagers”.{{cite news During the following week Leatherbarrow was named among the reserves for the Auckland B and Auckland A teams which were playing
South Auckland (Waikato), and
Taranaki respectively. The games were played on 3 August at Carlaw Park.{{cite news
Ponsonby (1936) The
1936 season saw Leatherbarrow once again fail to make any representative teams. He played 18 games for
Ponsonby scoring eight tries and kicking six goals. This marked the first real year where he took goal kicks on occasion. Leatherbarrow scored a try in a special round of matches on 18 April to raise money for
Jim Laird from the Marist club who had suffered a career ending knee injury in October of the previous season. The try helped them to a 21–17 win over
City.{{cite news He began the championship proper playing at prop on 2 May against Richmond at Carlaw Park.{{cite news Leatherbarrow was named in the Ponsonby side to play each week however was not mentioned specifically in a match report until the final championship game in round 14 on 29 August. Ponsonby beat Devonport to finish 5th of the 8 teams and he “stood out in the Ponsonby forwards” with Blood and Morgan.{{cite news
Transfer to Mount Albert (1937), New Zealand trial and Auckland appearances The
1937 season saw Leatherbarrow return to representative rugby league for the first time since 1933. It was also marked by another club transfer, this time moving to the relatively new
Mount Albert United club which has only begun playing first grade in
1935 and was based at Fowlds Park in the suburb
Mt Albert. He played 19 games for them scoring nine tries and kicking two conversions. He went on to play for Mount Albert until
1943, scoring over 200 points in 115 games. During the season he also played in a
New Zealand trial match and one game for
Auckland which was his seventh Auckland appearance. Leatherbarrow played his first game for Mount Albert in the second round of the preliminary matches. Their opponents were
City on 24 April. It was reported that he had scored a try on debut but it was later corrected that it was Richard Shadbolt who had scored the try.{{cite news
New Zealand trial Leatherbarrow was then selected in a
New Zealand trial match to play for the Possibles against the Probables in a midweek match on 28 July. The match was to help decide the New Zealand team to play the touring
Australia side. He was chosen at hooker with the props being
Bill Telford and
Angus Gault. The opposition front row was
Billy Glynn (hooker), and
Joe Cootes and Bill Breed the props.{{cite news Returning to his Mount Albert side days later he “shaded K. Brown in the hooking” in a 20–0 win over
Ponsonby. {{cite news
Auckland v New Zealand Māori Leatherbarrow capped his season by being selected for
Auckland to play against
New Zealand Māori on 9 October at
Carlaw Park. The Māori side was essentially an Auckland Māori side though
George Nēpia travelled up from
Gisborne to play in the match.{{cite news
Mount Albert, NZ Trial, Auckland (1938) The
1938 season saw Leatherbarrow play 20 games for Mount Albert along with another trial game for New Zealand, and a representative match for
Auckland. He also played his first ever game for Auckland Pākehā against Auckland Māori. His first game of the season was a preseason match against Richmond which they won 24–15.{{cite news He was named at hooker for the Probables though this appears to have been a misprint and it was the Possibles side. Leatherbarrow’s prop partners were
Bill McNeight and Bill Breed. They were up against a front row of Alf Broadhead, N. Brown, and Arthur Sowter. The match was the curtain-raiser to the
North Island v
South Island inter-island match at
Carlaw Park on 21 May.{{cite news Mount Albert were well beaten by Richmond in round 7 by 29 points to 7 though “Leatherbarrow hooked well, but
J. Satherley also got a good share of the ball for Richmond”.{{cite news
Auckland Pākehā In early June Leatherbarrows was named to make his first ever appearance for Auckland Pākehā. With the growth of Māori rugby league players in the senior Auckland sides during the 1930s the
Auckland Rugby League had begun to schedule representative matches between Pākehā and Māori sides. He was named at hooker with his Mount Albert team mates Broadhead and Shadbolt propping either side.{{cite news The following Saturday Leatherbarrow returned to his Mount Albert side and scored two tries and kicked a conversion in a 27–0 win over
Papakura. He scored the best try of the match when Black took a kick, “and ran strongly before transferring to Claude List|[Claude] List, who sent to Shadbolt, and Leatherbarrow took the final pass for a great try”. He was given the final conversion attempt of the game following Hansen’s try.{{cite news His try scoring run continued with two more tries in their 9–3 win against
North Shore in the main match at Carlaw Park on 2 July. His first try came after Joseph Gunning had led the forwards and Leatherbarrow scored, then later in the half he scored “after evading a flying tackle by Ted Scott”.{{cite news
Auckland selection v New Zealand On 11 July Leatherbarrow was named to play for
Auckland against the touring
New Zealand which had just arrived back from
Australia.{{cite news The following weekend Mount Albert beat
Richmond 11–3 and “Leatherbarrow was the best of the hookers and gave his team a good share of the ball”.{{cite news In Round 1 of the Roope Rooster knockout competition Mount Albert lost 6–2 to City. Leatherbarrow “worked hard” with the other forwards.{{cite news
Mount Albert (1939) 1939 was to be the most important of Leatherbarrow’s long career when he was finally selected to play for
New Zealand after having made his senior debut 8 years earlier in
1931. He played 13 games for Mount Albert, scoring six tries. He scored two tries in the New Zealand trial match and also played in a representative match for Auckland Pākehā. Leatherbarrow was then selected to tour
England with the New Zealand side. The senior side was being coached by former New Zealand standoff
Stan Prentice with former New Zealand player
Tom Haddon selecting the team. His first club game of the season was for his Mount Albert side against
Papakura on 1 April in Round 1 of the Fox Memorial championship. They won 24 to 10 at
Carlaw Park on the main field in the early game.{{cite news . On 6 May he scored another try when Mount Albert beat
Manukau by 38 to 15.{{cite news
Auckland Pākehā v Auckland Māori Before the Auckland Pākehā match with Auckland Māori on 5 June the New Zealand Herald wrote on the various positional selections and said that [Huck] “Flanagan, Ponsonby, is a cleaner hooker than Leatherbarrow, but the latter has an advantage in weight, and this no doubt influenced the selectors”. Leatherbarrow was matched up to S. Hapeta from the
North Shore club.{{cite news
New Zealand Trials and selection (1939) Trial (1939) In early July Leatherbarrow was named in the New Zealand Probables side to play the Possibles. The match was curtain-raiser to the annual inter-island match between
North Island and
South Island on 8 July at
Carlaw Park. Jim Brooks of the
South Auckland (Waikato) team had been named at hooked for the North Island. In the Probables side the props in support of Leatherbarrow were current
New Zealand forward
Joe Cootes and Joseph Gunning from his Mount Albert side.{{cite news
New Zealand selection Following the second trial the New Zealand selectors, Jack Redwood,
Scotty McClymont, and
Jim Amos named the
New Zealand side to tour
England. Leatherbarrow was chosen as one of two hookers along with
George Orman from the
West Coast. The Auckland Star in comments on the selections said that “Leatherbarrow, in addition to being a good hooker, is a speedy player in the loose”.{{cite news Before leaving for the tour the Auckland club players played in two more club rounds. Mount Albert were in first position in the championship and on 15 July Leatherbarrow scored a try in a 21–19 win over Manukau. It came after George Nēpia had scored an early try for Manukau. Then “Mount Albert evened the scores, after a very fine passing movement, in which Leatherbarrow changed his direction smartly and used his pace to improve the position”.{{cite news
New Zealand tour of England and France The Auckland members of the side got the Express train to
Wellington on 26 July. There was a photograph of Jones embracing somebody, possibly his mother, at their farewell from Auckland in the Auckland Star on 27 July. On the morning of the 27th the team and management attended a morning tea in the
Parliament Buildings with "good wishes extended to the Kiwis, by Deputy-Prime Minister, the Hon. P, Fraser, who expressed hope that they would have a successful tour".{{cite news It was intended for the tour to consist of 23 matches in England including three tests and then six or seven matches in France however the tour was to be cut very short due the outbreak of World War 2. The first match of the tour was against
St Helens on 2 September with
George Orman named at hooker. New Zealand won 19 points to 3 at
Knowsley Road before 4,000 spectators.{{cite news In a letter from managers Jack Redwood and R. Doble they said after war broke out the team had to stay at Beechwood House,
Harrogate in the north of England "under the insistence of the English authorities. The players went on A.R.P. (Air Raid Precaution) work, filling and stacking sandbags, and had agreed to keep together under the circumstances". The team was said to have "experienced one air-raid scare at Harrogate" in
Yorkshire. They later moved to a different city and the letter concluded "we hope to see you soon. The boys are disappointed at the turn in events, but are happy and well". {{cite news After his return the Mount Albert club celebrated their championship success.{{cite news
Mount Albert (1940) In
1940 Leatherbarrow began his tenth season of senior rugby league. He played 22 games for Mount Albert, scoring 15 tries and kicking 10 goals. His try tally was the highest in the senior competition matches which was quite a feat for a hooker at this time. His first game of the season was in a preliminary round match against Newton which Mount Albert won 23–9 on Carlaw Park 2. He scored one of their five tries.{{cite news
Auckland Pākehā v Auckland Māori In a win against Marist the following weekend he “raked with great success and also showed up in the loose”.{{cite news Leatherbarrow was then selected for the Auckland Pākehā side for the third time. He was chosen at hooker with Hermes Hadley and Bill Breed his propping partners while the hooker for Auckland Māori was W. Mataira.{{cite news Returning to his Mount Albert side he scored a try and “played a fine game” in a 24–11 win against Richmond before 7,000 spectators.{{cite news Two rounds later on 6 July Leatherbarrow scored once more in a 17–7 win over North Shore with a crowd of 7,500 in attendance at Carlaw Park. Prior to the game the Auckland Star wrote “with players of the calibre of Shadbolt, Leatherbarrow, Gunning and Flowers, they have one of the best packs in Auckland…”.{{cite news On 3 August he scored a try in his fourth consecutive game, and his ninth for the season in a 17–16 loss to Marist. The Marist hooker, Dobbyn, “was fully a match for Leatherbarrow at hooking” though Leatherbarrow “performed creditably”.{{cite news Mount Albert then had a 23–14 win in Round 2 of the Roope Rooster knockout competition on 14 September. Leatherbarrow scored two of their tries and kicked a conversion and was one of “the best of the forwards”.{{cite news Before their final game of the season a portrait photograph was published in the Auckland Star.{{cite news
Mount Albert (1941) and baseball Despite the intentions of Leatherbarrow at the end of the 1940 season he came out of ‘retirement’ and began the
1941 season for Mount Albert. He ultimately played 21 games for them. Interestingly he failed to score a single try though he did kick 11 goals. He was also to make his last ever representative appearance during the season when he played twice for
Auckland against
South Auckland (Waikato). Prior to the start of the season Leatherbarrow played baseball which had been introduced to Auckland by American soldiers stationed in Auckland during the war. Leatherbarrow played for the Auckland representative side and on 1 February 1941 he played for them against the Auckland Under 21 representative side. In his Auckland team were Mount Albert rugby league team mates Basil Cranch and Joseph Gunning.{{cite news His first game was in a preliminary round match against City on 26 April. He kicked a penalty in a 5–5 draw.{{cite news In Round 7 Mount Albert beat the league leaders Richmond by 13 points to 8. Leatherbarrow “hooked cleanly” for the winners and was “successful as hooker” according to the Herald.{{cite news
Auckland selection Following the game with Manukau, Leatherbarrow was named in the
Auckland team to play
South Auckland (Waikato) side at Carlaw Park on 12 July.{{cite news On 19 July he kicked a conversion in an 18–11 win against Marist on Carlaw Park 2. He had converted Hetherington’s try and “played a good game”.{{cite news Mount Albert lost games to Newton, Ponsonby, and the North Shore in Rounds 13, 14, and 15. However Leatherbarrow’s individual form was good enough to see him selected for
Auckland for their second and final match of the season. Their opponents were South Auckland (Waikato) once more, though this time the game was being played at Davies Park in
Huntly on 6 September.{{cite news Leatherbarrow was selected in the Auckland Pākehā team to play Auckland Māori on 20 September at Carlaw Park.{{cite news
Mount Albert and Newton combined side (1942) With
World War 2 having an enormous effect on the senior playing numbers in Auckland the Auckland Rugby League decided to force several senior teams to merge. The
City Rovers joined with
Otahuhu Rovers,
Marist Old Boys with
North Shore Albions, and
Mount Albert United with
Newton Rangers. The move proved somewhat unpopular with some of the sides and ultimately only lasted for one season with the clubs reverting back to their own senior teams the following year. Prior to the merger the New Zealand Herald said that Leatherbarrow would be playing again for Mount Albert and would be part of “the nucleus of a good pack”.{{cite news Leatherbarrow did not play in any of the Newton-Mount Albert merged sides opening three matches. The Mount Albert club was essentially boycotting the composite side with none of their players participating, choosing instead to ‘stand down’. However prior to the 4th round the club decided to ‘bury the hatchet’ and “threw in their lot to amalgamate with Newton”.{{cite news
Mount Albert, Rheumatism, and Transfer to City Rovers(1943) The
1943 season saw Leatherbarrow change clubs for the third time in his career. The Mount Albert and Newton clubs had gone back to being separate at the senior level and he rejoined Mount Albert. However he stopped playing for them early in the season and then nearing the end of the season he joined the
City Rovers. In a preliminary round match on 17 April he kicked four conversions in a 20–13 win over Marist.{{cite news Leatherbarrow then did not play in any of Mount Albert’s four matches on 29 May, 5, 12 and 19 June. A piece then appeared in the Auckland Star on his health regarding his work situation. The article was titled “Decision Reserved – Motor Mechanic’s Appeal” and read “stating that he suffered from rheumatism and might possibly become a physical wreck if he had to continue in his present employment, B. Leatherbarrow, motor mechanic admitted to the Auckland Manpower (Industrial) Committee today that he had been playing league football up till four or five weeks ago. The particular work which affected him was having to lie underneath cars. He was employed by Schofield and Company, Ltd. The manager of the company said that if the company allowed one man to go a landslide might take place. Leatherbarrow was a most capable mechanic and the company would try to avoid giving him the particular work he claimed aggravated his rheumatism. Decision was reserved”.{{cite news
Move to City It appears that he missed another ten games for Mount Albert due to his physical condition but then on 2 October he turned out for the
City Rovers club in the Stormont Shield final match with
Manukau. Manukau won the game 12 points to 9 with the Auckland Star mentioning that Leatherbarrow and
Hawea Mataira had played in the City forwards.{{cite news
City and then retirement (1944) The
1944 season was to be the last for Leatherbarrow. He was 34 years of age at the start of the year and turned 35 before his final match in what was his fourteenth season in senior rugby league. He played 20 games for City and scored three tries. As in recent years due to the War there was less coverage of sports in Auckland and there was no mention of Leatherbarrow until round 2 of the championship following City’s 9–7 win over Richmond. The Auckland Star wrote a short piece about the City forwards which said “the City team showed on Saturday that it can field a pack likely to hold any opposing six during the present season. In B. Leatherbarrow the club has a New Zealand representative hooker, with a great front-row support in H. Mataira, another New Zealand league representative…”.{{cite news His first try for City came in a 24–3 win against
Newton at Grey Lynn Park on 27 May. The ground was the home of
Richmond Rovers. With their being ten teams in the Fox Memorial championship necessitating five games per round, Carlaw Park was not able to accommodate all the matches and a game each week was played at a suburban ground.{{cite news Controversy struck the City club following their 13–12 loss to Richmond in Round 11. Eugene Donovan was sent off by referee George Kelly and following a try to Pouvi (Robert) Salaia. He had said to Leatherbarrow as they walked back to halfway that “if City’s tries are not clear cut this chap won’t allow them”. The referee heard the remark and said “any more of that and you will go off”. Donovan argued that he was talking to his team mate with the referee saying he didn’t care who it was too and when Donovan said he’d talk to his team mate anytime he wanted with Kelly then sending him off just ten minutes into the match.{{cite news When City returned to the playing field in Round 15 they beat North Shore 15–10 with Leatherbarrow scoring one of their three tries.{{cite news In an advertisement for the final the Auckland Rugby League had written “both sides will field great forwards with little between them in weight, speed and ruggedness. City has a fine hooker in Leatherbarrow…”{{cite news City were eliminated from the Roope Rooster knockout competition on 30 September when Ponsonby beat them 31–17.{{cite news In Leatherbarrow’s final ever game City beat
Ponsonby 15–11 on 21 October to claim the Stormont Shield title for the ‘champion of champions’.{{cite news ==Personal life==