| Super League XXIV | |
|---|---|
| League | Super League |
| Duration | 29 rounds |
| Teams | 12 |
| Highest attendance | 20,044 Hull F.C. VsHull Kingston Rovers (19 April) |
| Lowest attendance | 1,133 London Broncos vsSalford Red Devils (27 April) |
| Average attendance | 8,441 |
| Attendance | 1,468,823; as of 20 September 2019 (playoffs game 2) |
| Broadcast partners | Sky Sports BBC Sport Fox League beIN Sports Fox Soccer Plus Sport Klub |
| 2019 season | |
| Champions | St. Helens 7th Super League title 14th British title |
| League Leaders Shield | St. Helens |
| Runners-up | Salford Red Devils |
| Biggest home win | St. Helens 62–16Hull FC (22 April) |
| Biggest away win | Hull F.C. 12–63Warrington Wolves (29 March 2019) |
| Man of Steel |  Jackson Hastings |
| Top point-scorer(s) |  Lachlan Coote (247) |
| Top try-scorer(s) |  Tommy Makinson (23) |
| Promotion and relegation | |
| Promoted fromChampionship | Toronto Wolfpack |
| Relegated toChampionship | London Broncos |
Super League XXIV, known as theBetfred Super League XXIV for sponsorship reasons, was the 2019 iteration of and the 24th season of theSuper League and 125th season ofrugby league in Great Britain.
Twelve teams competed over 29 rounds, including theMagic Weekend, which took place atAnfield. After the regular rounds, the top five highest teams entered theSuper League play-offs, for a place in theSuper League Grand Final.
London Broncos were immediately relegated to theChampionship after only being promoted last year, but a bad season saw them win just 10 games out of 29.[1] They will be replaced byToronto Wolfpack.[2]
Wigan Warriors were the defending champions, but they were eliminated from the competition, after suffering back to back defeats in the semi-finals. First against St Helens in the semi final, and eventually losing out to Salford in the preliminary final.
Toronto Wolfpack won theMillion Pound Game by beatingFeatherstone Rovers 24–6 and were promoted to the Super League, for the first time in the club's history.
St. Helens were crowned champions on 12 October, after a 23–6 victory over Salford, which saw them claim their first championship in 5 years.
Following a vote of RFL clubs in 2018, Super League has implemented a number of changes to the format for Super League XXIV.The Qualifiers were scrapped and the play-offs for theSuper League Grand Final changed from a top four totop five play-offs system for the first time in 18 years as it was last used in 2001.[3][4] For relegation, theRugby League Super 8s were also scrapped so that the team that finishes bottom of the Super League will be relegated and replaced by the winner of theChampionship Grand Final.[5] TheMagic Weekend was held on 25 and 26 May atAnfield inLiverpool. Each team will play each other home and away, with an extra game at the Magic Weekend, before a series of 6 "loop" fixtures are played to finish the regular season.
The Super League game between Catalans Dragons and Wigan Warriors, saw a new record crowd of 31,555 fans, and it was the first game to be played at Barcelona'sCamp Nou stadium on 18 May 2019.
Catalan went on to win the match, 33–16, thus ending a 10-game losing streak against Wigan, and their first win over Wigan since 2015.
For the first time in Super League history, the Derby between St Helens and Wigan was not televised, as Sky Sports opted to televise the relegation battle between Leeds and Hull KR.
St Helens won the League Leaders Shield for the second season running on 3 August when Warrington Wolves were beaten 30-10 by Catalans Dragons, thus ensuring that 2nd placed Warrington, 12 points behind with 5 games left, could no longer catch the Saints.
Super League XXIV featured twelve teams.[6] This is also the fourth year since promotion and relegation was reintroduced into the competition.[7]London Broncos were promoted from the Championship after defeatingToronto Wolfpack in the finalMillion Pound Game to compete in Super League for the first time since2014.[8] They also received special dispensation from the RFL to play their home Super League matches at theirTrailfinders Sports Ground, which they share with rugby union'sEaling Trailfinders, even though it is smaller than the RFL's minimum seating requirements.[9] London replacedWidnes Vikings who were relegated last season.[10]
Just prior to the start of the seasonWigan Warriors were fined and deducted two competition points for breaching thesalary cap in 2017;[11] however, on 6 March following an appeal, the points deduction was suspended, and Wigan were reinstated the 2 points, as long as the club do not breach the salary cap in the following 12 months.[12]
Twelve teams were selected to play in the inaugural Super League season.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Reigning Champions | |
| Previous season League Leaders | |
| Promoted | |
Golden-point extra-time, shot clocks and a reduced number of interchanges are among the law changes confirmed by Super League for the 2019 season.
On 19 November 2018, it was confirmed that Super League would be adoptinggolden point during regular season for the first time as of the start of the 2019 season, bringing it in line with theNRL which has been using the system since 2003.[13]
The 12 clubs announced the introduction of golden-point extra-time in November, with games level at full-time, to be decided in two additional five-minute periods. If it remains level after the extra 10 minutes, the match will end as a draw.[14]
The first game to go to golden-point, was the round 3 game between Wigan and Hull F.C. on 24 February 2019. Hull won 23–22, after the scores were tied at 22-all after 80 minutes.[15]
The second game to go to golden-point, was the round 8 game between Leeds and Castleford, on 28 March 2019. Leeds won the match 21–20, after a 40mfield goal fromBrad Dwyer after the scores were tied at 20-all after 80 minutes.[16]
The third game to go to golden-point, was the round 10 game between Catalans and Hull FC, on 12 April 2019. Hull won the match 31–30, thanks to aMarc Sneydfield goal, after the scores were tied at 30-all after 80 minutes. This is Hull's 2nd golden point victory so far this season, Sneyd has scored the decisive field goal in both.[17]
The fourth game to go to golden-point, was the round 17 game between Castleford and Huddersfield Giants on 7 June 2019. Castleford won the match 27–26, thanks to aPeter Matautiafield goal, after the scores were tied at 26-all after 80 minutes.[18]
The fifth game to go to golden-point, was the round 17 game between London Broncos and St Helens on 9 June 2019. London won the match 23–22, thanks to aMorgan Smithfield goal, after the scores were tied at 22-all after 80 minutes.[19]
The sixth game to go to golden-point, was the round 24 game between Hull KR and Castleford on 4 August 2019. Hull KR won the match 27–26, thanks to aDanny McGuirefield goal, after the scores were tied at 26-all after 80 minutes.
This was the 3rd time that Castleford had forced extra time, winning just once
The seventh game to go to golden-point, was the round 29 game between Salford and Hull KR on 13 September 2019. Salford won 17–16, after the scores were tied at 16-all after 80 minutes.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  St. Helens(C, L) | 29 | 26 | 0 | 3 | 916 | 395 | +521 | 52 | Semi Final |
| 2 |  Wigan Warriors | 29 | 18 | 0 | 11 | 699 | 539 | +160 | 36 | Qualifying Final |
| 3 |  Salford Red Devils | 29 | 17 | 0 | 12 | 783 | 597 | +186 | 34 | |
| 4 |  Warrington Wolves | 29 | 16 | 0 | 13 | 709 | 533 | +176 | 32 | Elimination Final |
| 5 |  Castleford Tigers | 29 | 15 | 0 | 14 | 646 | 558 | +88 | 30 | |
| 6 |  Hull F.C. | 29 | 15 | 0 | 14 | 645 | 768 | −123 | 30 | |
| 7 |  Catalans Dragons | 29 | 13 | 0 | 16 | 553 | 745 | −192 | 26 | |
| 8 |  Leeds Rhinos | 29 | 12 | 0 | 17 | 650 | 644 | +6 | 24 | |
| 9 |  Wakefield Trinity | 29 | 11 | 0 | 18 | 608 | 723 | −115 | 22 | |
| 10 |  Huddersfield Giants | 29 | 11 | 0 | 18 | 571 | 776 | −205 | 22 | |
| 11 |  Hull KR | 29 | 10 | 0 | 19 | 548 | 768 | −220 | 20 | |
| 12 |  London Broncos(R) | 29 | 10 | 0 | 19 | 505 | 787 | −282 | 20 | Relegated toChampionship |
The play-off system in use for 2019 was also previously used between 1998 and 2001.
| Qualifying play-off DW Stadium | Qualifying semi-final Totally Wicked Stadium | Preliminary final | Grand Final Old Trafford | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | St. Helens | 40 | St. Helens | 23 | ||||||||||||||
| Wigan Warriors | 10 | Salford Red Devils | 6 | |||||||||||||||
| 2 | Wigan Warriors | 18 | Wigan Warriors | 4 | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | Salford Red Devils | 12 | Elimination semi-final AJ Bell Stadium | Salford Red Devils | 28 | |||||||||||||
| Salford Red Devils | 22 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Warrington Wolves | 12 | Castleford Tigers | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| 5 | Castleford Tigers | 14 | ||||||||||||||||
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | ||||||||
| Elimination final | |||||||||||
| Warrington Wolves | 12–14 | Castleford Tigers | 19 September 2019, 19:45 | Halliwell Jones Stadium | Chris Kendall | 5,627 | |||||
| Qualifying final | |||||||||||
| Wigan Warriors | 18–12 | Salford Red Devils | 20 September 2019, 19:45 | DW Stadium | Robert Hicks | 9,247 | |||||
| Progress to semi-final 2: Castleford, Salford Progress to semi-final 1: Wigan Eliminated: Warrington | |||||||||||
| Source: | |||||||||||
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | ||||||||
| Semi-final 1 | |||||||||||
| Salford | 22–0 | Castleford | 26 September 2019, 19:45 | AJ Bell Stadium | Ben Thaler | 6,000 | |||||
| Semi-final 2 | |||||||||||
| St. Helens | 40–10 | Wigan | 27 September 2019, 19:45 | Totally Wicked Stadium | Chris Kendall | 14,508 | |||||
| Progress to Preliminary Final: Salford Red Devils, Wigan Warriors Progress toGrand Final: St Helens Eliminated: Castleford | |||||||||||
| Source: | |||||||||||
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | ||||||||
| Wigan | 4–28 | Salford | 4 October 2019, 19:45 | DW Stadium | Ben Thaler | 9,858 | |||||
| Progress to Grand Final: Salford Eliminated: Wigan | |||||||||||
| Source: | |||||||||||
| Home | Score | Away | Match Information | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date and Time | Venue | Referee | Attendance | ||||||||
| St Helens | 23 – 6 | Salford | 12 October 2019, 18:00 | Old Trafford,Manchester | Chris Kendall | 64,102 | |||||
| Source: | |||||||||||
Statistics correct, as of 20 September 2019 (Play off game 2)
|
|
Statistics correct as of 20 September 2019 (playoffs game 2)
(The 5 nominations for the man of steel awards were as follows)
| Player | Club |
|---|---|
| Liam Watts | Castleford Tigers |
| Jackson Hastings | Salford Red Devils |
| Lachlan Coote | St. Helens |
| Blake Austin | Warrington Wolves |
| George Williams | Wigan Warriors |
Awards are presented for outstanding contributions and efforts to players and clubs in the week leading up to the Super League Grand Final
The format for choosing the winner of the Steve PrescottMan of Steel award would also change Prior to this season. It was voted on by Super League players, but from this season onwards, it will adopt a similar system to theNRL equivalent the Dally M Medal. A 21-man panel of former players chose the three best players from each weekly round game. 6 points were split between 3 players, with 1st place getting 3 points, 2nd getting 2 points, and 3rd getting 1 point. The leaderboard was public until week 22 in mid-July, when it was then hidden until theSteve PrescottMan of Steel Awards ceremony in October.
Salford'sJackson Hastings was eventually crownedMan of Steel on 6 October 2019.
Justin HolbrookWarrington WolvesDanny Houghton (1259 tackles)Jackson HastingsTommy Makinson (3,803 metres)Tommy Makinson (23)Matty LeesAverage attendances
| Top 10 attendances
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* As of 12 October 2019
