Super League III
| League | Super League | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 23 Rounds | |||
| Number of teams | 12 | |||
| Highest attendance | 19,188 Bradford Bulls vs Leeds Rhinos (12 April) |
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| Lowest attendance | 2,014 London Broncos vs Huddersfield Giants (23 Aug) |
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| Broadcast partners |  Sky Sports |
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| 1998 Season | ||||
| Champions | File:Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors 1st Super League title 18th English title |
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| League Leaders | File:Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors | |||
| Man of Steel | File:Rhinoscolours.svg Iestyn Harris | |||
| Top point-scorer(s) | File:Rhinoscolours.svg Iestyn Harris (255) | |||
| Top try-scorer(s) | File:Saintscolours.svg Anthony Sullivan (20) | |||
| New franchise | ||||
| Awarded to |  Gateshead Thunder |
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| Promotion and relegation | ||||
| Promoted from First Division |  Hull SharksFile:Giantscolours.svg Huddersfield Giants |
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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 championship run by Super League. The League format changed in 1998 and the championship became a play off series to determine the Super League champions, similar to the way the Premiership was played a few seasons earlier. This meant the first Final to determine the British champions since the 1972–73 season. 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.
Contents
Teams
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Reigning Champions | |
| Challenge Cup Holders | |
| Promoted | |
| Team | Stadium | Capacity | City/Area | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bradford Bulls |
Odsal | 27,000 | Bradford, West Yorkshire | |
 Castleford Tigers |
Wheldon Road | 11,750 | Castleford, West Yorkshire | |
 Halifax Blue Sox |
Thrum Hall | 9,832 | Halifax, West Yorkshire | |
| File:Giantscolours.svg Huddersfield Giants | Galpharm Stadium | 24,500 | Huddersfield, West Yorkshire | |
| Hull Sharks |
The Boulevard | 10,500 | Hull, East Yorkshire | |
| File:Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos | Headingley | 21,500 | Leeds, West Yorkshire | |
 London Broncos |
The Valley | 27,000 | Charlton, Greater London | |
 Salford Reds |
The Willows | 11,363 | Salford, Greater Manchester | |
 Sheffield Eagles |
Don Valley Stadium | 25,000 | Sheffield, South Yorkshire | |
| File:Saintscolours.svg St Helens | Knowsley Road | 17,500 | St Helens, Mersyside | |
| File:Wolvescolours.svg Warrington Wolves | Wilderspool | 9,200 | Warrington, Chesire | |
| File:Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors | Central Park | 18,000 | Wigan, Greater Manchester |
Season summary
Regular season
Regular Season Final Standings
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16x16px Wigan Warriors | 23 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 762 | 222 | +540 | 42 |
| 2 | 16px Leeds Rhinos | 23 | 19 | 0 | 4 | 662 | 369 | +293 | 38 |
| 3 | Halifax Blue Sox |
23 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 658 | 390 | +268 | 36 |
| 4 | 16x16px St Helens | 23 | 14 | 1 | 8 | 673 | 459 | +214 | 29 |
| 5 | Bradford Bulls |
23 | 12 | 0 | 11 | 498 | 450 | +48 | 24 |
| 6 | 16px Castleford Tigers | 23 | 10 | 1 | 12 | 446 | 522 | -76 | 21 |
| 7 | London Broncos | 23 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 415 | 476 | -61 | 20 |
| 8 | Sheffield Eagles |
23 | 8 | 2 | 13 | 495 | 541 | -46 | 18 |
| 9 | Hull Sharks |
23 | 8 | 0 | 15 | 421 | 574 | -153 | 16 |
| 10 | 16x16px Warrington Wolves | 23 | 7 | 1 | 15 | 411 | 645 | -234 | 15 |
| 11 | Salford Reds |
23 | 6 | 1 | 16 | 319 | 575 | -256 | 13 |
| 12 | 16px Huddersfield Giants | 23 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 288 | 825 | -537 | 4 |
| Play-offs |
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 / Elimination play-offs | Qualifying / Elimination semi-finals | Final eliminator | Grand Final | |||||||||||||||||||
| QSF: 11 October 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | File:Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| File:Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos | 4 | GF: 24 October 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| File:Wigancolours.svg Wigan Warriors | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| QPO: 4 October 1998 | FE: 18 October 1998 | File:Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | File:Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos | 13 | File:Rhinoscolours.svg Leeds Rhinos | 44 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Halifax Blue Sox |
6 | ESF: 9 October 1998 | File:Saintscolours.svg St Helens | 16 | |||||||||||||||||
| Halifax Blue Sox |
30 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| EPO: 2 October 1998 | File:Saintscolours.svg St Helens | 37 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | File:Saintscolours.svg St Helens | 46 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Bradford Bulls |
24 | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Dream Team
The Super League Dream Team for the 1998 season was: 1. Kris Radlinski (Wigan) 2. Jason Robinson (Wigan) 3. Gary Connolly (Wigan) 4. Brad Godden (Leeds) 5. Anthony Sullivan (St. Helens) 6. Iestyn Harris (Leeds) 7. Gavin Clinch (Halifax) 8. Dale Laughton (Sheffield) 9. Robbie McCormack (Wigan) 10. Tony Mestrov (Wigan) 11. Steele Retchless (London Broncos) 12. Adrian Morley (Leeds) 13. Andy Farrell (Wigan).[1]
See also
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
