1998 Super League season

Last updated
Super League III
League Super League
Duration23 Rounds
Teams12
Highest attendance19,188
Bradford Bulls vs Leeds Rhinos (12 April)
Lowest attendance2,014
London Broncos vs Huddersfield Giants (23 Aug)
Broadcast partners Sky Sports
1998 Season
Champions Wigan Warriors
1st Super League title
18th British title
League Leaders Wigan Warriors
Man of Steel Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Iestyn Harris
Top point-scorer(s) Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Iestyn Harris (255)
Top try-scorer(s) Flag of England.svg Anthony Sullivan (20)
New franchise
Awarded to Gateshead Thunder
Promotion and relegation
Promoted from Division One Hull Sharks
Huddersfield Giants

JJB Sports Super League III was the official name for the year 1998's Super League championship season, the 104th season of top-level professional rugby league football in Britain, and the third season played in summer.

Contents

The League format changed in 1998, with a playoff series being used to determine the Super League Champions for th first time since the 1972–73 season.

The team which finished on the top of the table were, from this season, awarded the League Leaders' Shield, with the inaugural honours going to Wigan. Huddersfield Giants, the league's bottom club was saved from relegation in 1998 due to the expansion of the league to fourteen teams in Super League IV. The season culminated in the grand final between Leeds Rhinos and Wigan Warriors, which Wigan won, claiming the 1998 Championship.

Notable events

League affairs and broadcasting

The 1998 pre-season marked the departure of Rugby Football League chief executive Maurice Lindsay, who was asked to resign by RFL president Rodney Walker in early January. He was succeeded by his right-hand man, former deputy chief executive Neil Tunnicliffe. [1] However, Lindsay immediately signed up for the position of managing director at Super League (Europe), the parent company of Super League. [2] The deal brokered between the RFL and SLE for his transfer entailed the payment of Lindsay's salary by the RFL for two years, as well as the payment to SLE of about £500,000 previously earmarked for the defunct Paris Saint-Germain and Oldham clubs. [3]

Lindsay's move which quickly followed by another row over which organization would represent Super League clubs in their negotiations with Sky for the sport's next television contract. [4] The deal was eventually signed between Sky and Super League Europe, although it still required the approval of FASDA (the group representing the RFL's minor league clubs), who was offered the sum of £10.8 million by Sky in exchange for their approval. [5] However, FASDA stalled deal in order to obtain assurances from SLE that the promotion system would be preserved, even as talks were underway with expansion teams in Gateshead and South Wales. [6] Two weeks later, FASDA and SLE reached an agreement keeping promotion and relegation. [7]

This paved the way for the signing of the new TV deal on 15 July. [8] The total amount was £44 million over four years, plus a £1 million signing bonus for the Super League itself, and another £1 million to the RFL for the rights to select international matches not covered by main broadcasting contracts. [7] With the new agreement secured, Rodney Walker, who had previously hinted at his resignation from the RFL due to recurring tensions within the organization and possible scheduling conflicts with his new job as chairman of the UK Sports Council, announced that he would likely reconsider, which he did. [8] Meanwhile, towards the end of 1998, reports that Lindsay had started investing in betting booths at several racetracks all but confirmed the rumor that he was intent on leaving the sport of rugby league at the end of his two-year deal with SLE. [9]

Other

Despite FASDA rejecting a proposal to officially recognize farm team agreements at the end of the previous season, player call-ups continued unabated amidst several Super League clubs' decision to shut down their reserve teams. As a result, FASDA demanded in January that the number of players concerned by such arrangements be capped to three. [4] In July, a committee headed by technical director Joe Lydon proposed to abolish transfer fees for players above the age of twenty-four. [10]

Teams

Legend
 Reigning Champions
 Challenge Cup Holders
 Promoted
TeamStadiumCapacityCity/Area
Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls Odsal 27,000Bradford, West Yorkshire
Castleford colours.svg Castleford Tigers Wheldon Road 11,750Castleford, West Yorkshire
Faxcolours.svg Halifax Blue Sox Thrum Hall 9,832Halifax, West Yorkshire
Giantscolours.svg Huddersfield Giants Galpharm Stadium 24,500Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Hullcolours.svg Hull Sharks The Boulevard 10,500Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos Headingley 21,500Leeds, West Yorkshire
Broncoscolours.png London Broncos The Valley 27,000Charlton, Greater London
Redscolours.svg Salford Reds The Willows 11,363Salford, Greater Manchester
Sheffeagles colours.svg Sheffield Eagles Don Valley Stadium 25,000Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Saintscolours.svg St Helens Knowsley Road 17,500St Helens, Mersyside
Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves Wilderspool 9,200Warrington, Cheshire
Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors Central Park 18,000Wigan, Greater Manchester

Table

PosTeamPldWDLPFPAPDPtsQualification
1 Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors (L, C)232102762222+54042Semi Final
2 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 231904662369+29338Qualifying Semi Final
3 Faxcolours.svg Halifax Blue Sox 231805658390+26836
4 Saintscolours.svg St Helens 231418673459+21429Elimination Semi Final
5 Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls 2312011498450+4824
6 Castleford colours.svg Castleford Tigers 2310112446522−7621
7 Broncoscolours.png London Broncos 2310013415476−6120
8 Sheffeagles colours.svg Sheffield Eagles 238213495541−4618
9 Hullcolours.svg Hull Sharks 238015431574−14316
10 Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves 237115411645−23415
11 Redscolours.svg Salford Reds 236116319575−25613
12 Giantscolours.svg Huddersfield Giants 232021288825−5374
Source: [ citation needed ]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Points difference; 3) Number of points scored;
(C) Champions; (L) League Leaders

Play-offs

The top five clubs at the end of the 23-round regular season entered the play-offs to decide the championship.

The format was to have an elimination play off between the fourth and fifth teams (the fourth team gaining home advantage) and then have a qualifying play-off between the second and third placed teams (the second placed team gaining home advantage). The winner of the qualifier would play the team finishing first in the first semi final whilst the losing team got a second chance and played against the winner of the eliminating play off between fourth and fifth. The winner of the qualifying semi final would progress to the final of the Super League championship and the losing side would get another chance and play against the winning side of the elimination semi final.

Qualifying play-off
4 October 1998		Qualifying semi-final
11 October 1998		Preliminary final Grand Final
24 October 1998
1 Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors 17 Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors 10
Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 4 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 4
2 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 13 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos 44
3 Faxcolours.svg Halifax Blue Sox 6Elimination semi-final
9 October 1998		 Saintscolours.svg St. Helens 16
Faxcolours.svg Halifax Blue Sox 30
4 Saintscolours.svg St. Helens 46 Saintscolours.svg St. Helens 37
5 Bullscolours.svg Bradford Bulls 24

Grand final

24 October 1998
Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors 10–4 Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos
Tries: Robinson
Goals: Farrell (3)		 Report
Tries: Blackmore
Old Trafford, Manchester
Attendance: 43,533 [11]
Referee: Russell Smith (Castleford)

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Robinson (rugby)</span> GB & England dual-code international rugby footballer

Jason Thorpe Robinson is an English former dual-code international rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. Playing as a wing or fullback, he won 51 rugby union international caps for England and is the first black man to captain the England team. He was part of the 2003 World Cup winning rugby union England team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby Football League</span> Governing body for professional rugby league football in England

The Rugby Football League (RFL) is the governing body for rugby league in England. Founded in 1895 as the Northern Rugby Football Union following 22 clubs resigning from the Rugby Football Union, it changed its name in 1922 to the Rugby Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrison Hansen</span> New Zealand and Samoa international rugby league footballer

Harrison Luther Mata'afa Hansen is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row and loose forward for Toulouse Olympique in the Betfred Championship. He has played for Samoa and New Zealand at international level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catalans Dragons</span> French rugby league club

The Catalans Dragons are a professional rugby league club from Perpignan, Pyrénées-Orientales department, France. Despite being based in France the club competes in Super League, the top tier of British rugby league

Maurice Lindsay was the chairman of Preston North End F.C. and of Wigan Warriors R.L.F.C. and had two stints at the club after being one of the 'Gang of Four' directors that used to run the club when it dominated the league in the 1980s.

The year 1996's Stones Bitter Super League I was the official name for the 102nd season of top-level rugby league football, and the first year of Europe's new championship: Super League. It is also the first season of rugby league to be played in summer. The competition featured all eleven teams from the 1995-96 RFL First Division plus one expansion club, Paris Saint-Germain.

Tetley's Super League IX was the name of the 2004 Super League championship season due to sponsorship by Tetley's Bitter. This was the 110th season of top-level professional rugby league held in Britain, and the ninth championship decided by Super League. The season culminated in the grand final between Leeds Rhinos and Bradford Bulls, which Leeds won, claiming the 2004 title.

The 1995–96 Rugby Football League season was the 101st season of rugby league football. Eleven English teams competed from August 1995 until January 1996 for the Stones Bitter Centenary Championship. The season was kept brief to accommodate the first season of the forthcoming new Super League competition, which would see top-level rugby league in the UK changed to a summer sport. It was also punctuated by the 1995 World Cup which took place in Britain throughout October. The 1996 Challenge Cup rounds started immediately after the Centenary Championship and the final was played in summer, during Super League I.

The 1994–95 Rugby Football League season was the 100th ever season of professional rugby league football in Britain. Sixteen teams competed from August 1994 until May 1995 for a number of titles, primarily the Stones Bitter Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Jones-Bishop</span> Jamaica international rugby league footballer

Ben Jones-Bishop is a Jamaica international rugby league footballer who plays as a winger or fullback for the Sheffield Eagles in the RFL Championship.

The Engage Super League XIV was the official name for the 2009 season of Super League. Fourteen teams competed over 27 rounds after which, the highest finishing teams entered the play-offs to compete for a place in the Grand Final and a chance to win the Super League Trophy. The previous Top six play-offs were extended to eight teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super League</span> British professional rugby league competition

The Super League is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of which ten are from Northern England, reflecting the sport's geographic heartland within the UK, one from London and one from southern France.

Engage Super League XV was the official name for the 2010 Super League season. Fourteen teams competed over 27 rounds. The season officially kicked off on 5 February with the Crusaders versus the Leeds Rhinos on 29 January at Crusaders' new homeground at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. Crusaders halfback Michael Witt scored the first points of the season with a penalty goal and the Rhinos came away with the first competition points, posting a 34 to 6 victory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby league in the British Isles</span> Overview of rugby league in the United Kingdom and Ireland

Rugby league is played across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but its heartland in parts of Northern England is where the sport is most popular, and is where the majority of professional clubs are based. The sport was first established in the George Hotel, Huddersfield, where 22 clubs split from the Rugby Football Union to form the Northern Rugby Football Union.

The Engage Super League XVI was the official name for the 2011 Super League season. Fourteen teams competed over 27 rounds, after which the highest finishing teams entered the play-offs to compete for a place in the Grand Final and a chance to win the championship and the Super League Trophy. Leeds Rhinos claimed their fifth Super League crown, tying the record previously held by St. Helens, whilst the Warrington Wolves lifted the League Leaders' Shield.

The 1941–42 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the third season of the rugby league’s Wartime Emergency League necessitated by the Second World War. With fewer clubs than the previous season the Rugby Football League (RFL) decided to amalgamate the two county leagues into one joint league. The season started with 18 clubs but finished with 17 after Broughton Rangers withdrew in January 1942. The single division championship was won by Dewsbury, who had finished the season in first position and then defeated Bradford Northern in the play-off final.

Super League XVIII was the official name for the 2013 Super League season. Fourteen teams competed over 27 rounds, after which the highest finishing teams entered the play-offs to compete for a place in the Grand Final and a chance to win the championship and the Super League Trophy.

The 1997 Paris Saint-Germain rugby league season was the club's second and final season in the Super League. Although the overhauled squad produced a marginally improved record, the RFL remained dissatisfied with the organization's performance on and off the field, and opted to end its Paris presence at the end of the campaign.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the sport of rugby league in both the northern and southern hemispheres with the two major league competitions suspended for periods and numerous other leagues and cup competitions cancelled or abandoned.

The 2022 Challenge Cup, known for sponsorship reasons as the 2022 Betfred Challenge Cup, was the 121st edition of the Challenge Cup, the main rugby league knockout cup tournament in British rugby league run by the Rugby Football League (RFL). It started on 15 January 2022 and ended, with the final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 28 May.

References

  1. ↑ Wilson, Andy (5 July 1998). "Rugby league: Who follows Sir Rodney?". The Observer. London. p. 15  – via newspapers.com (subscription required).
  2. ↑ Hadfield, Dave (9 January 1998). "Rugby League: Lindsay stirs controversy again by finding himself new position of influence". The Independent. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Lindsay's £3/4m 'transfer'". Manchester Evening News. 13 January 1998. p. 63  – via newspapers.com (subscription required).
  4. 1 2 "Goodway and McGinty return to Central Park". The Guardian. 20 January 1998. p. 23  – via newspapers.com (subscription required).
  5. ↑ Wilson, Andy (24 June 1999). "Lesser lights set for £11 million pay-off in new Sky deal". The Guardian. London. p. 9 (Sport)  – via newspapers.com (subscription required).
  6. ↑ Kirchin, Andrew (25 June 1998). "Sky deal runs into new hitch". Liverpool Echo. p. 84  – via newspapers.com (subscription required).
  7. 1 2 Wilson, Andy (12 July 1998). "Hopes for an end to League TV row". The Observer. London. p. 8 (Sport)  – via newspapers.com (subscription required).
  8. 1 2 "Super League delight as Sky deal secured". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 16 July 1998. p. 21  – via newspapers.com (subscription required).
  9. ↑ Hadfield, Dave (23 December 1998). "Rugby League: Smart money on Lindsay's exit". The Independent. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  10. ↑ Kirchin, Andrew (24 June 1998). "RL transfer fees set to be axed". Liverpool Echo. p. 33  – via newspapers.com (subscription required).
  11. ↑ "Wonderful Wigan add Final chapter to illustrious history". The Birmingham Post . England. 1998-10-26. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.