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1998 Super League season

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(Redirected from Super League III)
Super League III
LeagueSuper 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 partnersSky Sports
1998 Season
ChampionsWigan Warriors
1st Super League title
18th British title
League LeadersWigan Warriors
Man of SteelWales Iestyn Harris
Top point-scorer(s)Wales Iestyn Harris (255)
Top try-scorer(s)England Anthony Sullivan (20)
New franchise
Awarded toGateshead Thunder
Promotion and relegation
Promoted from Division OneHull 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.

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

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League affairs and broadcasting

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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

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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

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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
Huddersfield Giants Galpharm Stadium 24,500 Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Hull Sharks The Boulevard 10,500 Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
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
St Helens Knowsley Road 17,500 St Helens, Mersyside
Warrington Wolves Wilderspool 9,200 Warrington, Cheshire
Wigan Warriors Central Park 18,000 Wigan, Greater Manchester

Table

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Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Wigan Warriors (L, C) 23 21 0 2 762 222 +540 42 Semi Final
2 Leeds Rhinos 23 19 0 4 662 369 +293 38 Qualifying Semi Final
3 Halifax Blue Sox 23 18 0 5 658 390 +268 36
4 St Helens 23 14 1 8 673 459 +214 29 Elimination Semi Final
5 Bradford Bulls 23 12 0 11 498 450 +48 24
6 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 15 431 574 −143 16
10 Warrington Wolves 23 7 1 15 411 645 −234 15
11 Salford Reds 23 6 1 16 319 575 −256 13
12 Huddersfield Giants 23 2 0 21 288 825 −537 4
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Points difference; 3) Number of points scored;
(C) Champions; (L) League Leaders

Play-offs

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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 finalGrand Final
24 October 1998
1 Wigan Warriors17 Wigan Warriors10
Leeds Rhinos4 Leeds Rhinos4
2 Leeds Rhinos13 Leeds Rhinos44
3 Halifax Blue Sox6Elimination semi-final
9 October 1998		 St. Helens16
Halifax Blue Sox30
4 St. Helens46 St. Helens37
5 Bradford Bulls24

Grand final

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Main article: 1998 Super League Grand final
24 October 1998
Wigan Warriors 10–4 Leeds Rhinos
Tries: Robinson
Goals: Farrell (3) 		Report
 Tries: Blackmore
Old Trafford, Manchester
Attendance: 43,533[11]
Referee: Russell Smith (Castleford)

See also

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References

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  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. ^ a b "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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "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.
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