1998 Super League Grand Final Explained

Year:1998
Super League Grand Final
Home:Wigan Warriors
Away:Leeds Rhinos
Home Abbr:WIG
Away Abbr:LEE
Home Half1:6
Home Half2:4
Home Total:10
Away Half1:4
Away Half2:0
Away Total:4
Date:24 October 1998
Stadium:Old Trafford
Location: Manchester
Mom Title:Harry Sunderland Trophy
Mom: Jason Robinson (Wigan)
Anthem Title:Jerusalem
Referee:Russell Smith
Attendance:43,533
Network:Sky Sports
Commentators:Eddie Hemmings
Commentators2:Mike Stephenson
Tournaments:Super League Grand Final
Next:1999

The 1998 JJB Super League Grand Final was the first staging of the Super League Grand Final and the conclusive and championship-deciding game of 1998's Super League III, and the first Grand Final of the Super League era. It was held on Saturday 24 October 1998, at Old Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom. This was the first time the League Championship had been decided by play-off since the 1972–73 Championship Final. The game was played between Wigan Warriors and Leeds Rhinos.

Background

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.

Route to the Grand Final

width=175 TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts
1 Wigan Warriors232102762222+54042
2 Leeds Rhinos231904662369+29338

Wigan Warriors

See also: 1998 Wigan Warriors season. By finishing first in the regular season, Wigan qualified directly to the play-off semi-finals. They were drawn against Leeds at home and beat their eventual Grand Final opponents 17–4.

Leeds Rhinos

The play-off system in use only gave the league leaders a bye to the semi-finals. Leeds had finished second so had to play a qualifying play-off first. Drawn at home to Halifax Blue Sox Leeds won 13–6 to go through to the semi-final. This was an away fixture to Wigan where the Rhinos were beaten 17–4. However this loss did not end their season. The losers of the qualifying semi-final got another chance by playing the winners of the other semi-final in a final eliminator. Therefore Leeds' third play-off game was a home tie against St Helens where they cruised through 44–16.

Round!width="150"
OppositionScore
scope=row style="text-align:center"Qualifying Play-off Halifax Blue Sox (H)13-6
scope=row style="text-align:center"Qualifying Semi-Final Wigan Warriors (A)17-4
scope=row style="text-align:center"Final Eliminator St Helens (H)44-16
Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue.

Match details

Wigan WarriorsPositionLeeds Rhinos
1 Kris RadlinskiFullback1 Iestyn Harris (c)
2 Jason RobinsonWinger22 Leroy Rivett
3 Danny MooreCentre3 Richie Blackmore
4 Gary ConnollyCentre4 Brad Godden
5 Mark BellWinger5 Francis Cummins
6 Henry PaulStand Off13 Daryl Powell
7 Tony SmithScrum half7 Ryan Sheridan
16 Terry O'ConnorProp8 Martin Masella
9 Robbie McCormackHooker21
10 Tony MestrovProp25 Darren Fleary
17 Stephen Holgate2nd Row11 Adrian Morley
20 Lee Gilmour2nd Row17 Anthony Farrell
13 Andy Farrell (c)Loose forward12
25 Paul JohnsonInterchange24 Marcus St Hilaire
12 Simon HaughtonInterchange14 Graham Holroyd
14 Mick CassidyInterchange27 Andy Hay
8 Neil CowieInterchange20 Jamie Mathiou
John MonieCoach Graham Murray

See also

External links