In 1972, Maurice Bamford arrived at Dewsbury as a coach. Tommy Smales was the coach in 1973. Dewsbury's only championship title came in the 1972–73 season when they beat Leeds in the play-off final at Bradford Northern's Odsal Stadium 22–13. They had been hammered 36–9 by the same opposition in the Yorkshire Cup final earlier that season. Dewsbury, captained by Mike Stephenson finished 8th in the league but the title was to be decided through a series of play-offs in which they also defeated Oldham, Featherstone Rovers and Warrington on their way to glory.