1988–89 Rugby Football League season

The 1988–89 Rugby Football League season was the 94th season of professional rugby league football in Britain. Fourteen teams competed from August, 1988 until May, 1989 for the Stones Bitter Championship, Premiership Trophy and Silk Cut Challenge Cup.

1988–89 Rugby Football League season
LeagueStones Bitter Championship
Teams14
1988–89 Season
Champions Widnes
Premiership winners Widnes
Man of Steel Award Ellery Hanley
Top try-scorer(s) Martin Offiah 60
Promotion and relegation
Promoted from Second Division
Relegated to Second Division
Second Division
Champions Leigh
Top point-scorer(s) Mark Aston 307
Top try-scorer(s) Derek Bate 34

Season summary

Springfield Borough (previously Blackpool Borough) relocated were renamed Chorley Borough.

Huddersfield Barracudas reverted to their original name Huddersfield.

Wigan beat Salford 22–17 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Leeds beat Castleford 33–12 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.

League Tables

ChampionsRelegated

Second Division Final Standings

TeamPldWDLPFPAPDPts
1Leigh282602925338+58752
2Barrow282116726326+40043
3Sheffield Eagles281918669362+30739
4York2817110585383+20235
5Swinton2816210621482+13934
6Doncaster2817011599464+13534
7Whitehaven2815211522378+14432
8Keighley2816012551525+2632
9Rochdale Hornets2815013655677-2230
10Bramley2814113600514+8629
11Carlisle2814113512441+7129
12Batley2813312461416+4529
13Dewsbury2813015518626-10826
14Hunslet2812115473540-6725
15Fulham2810018464650-18620
16Chorley Borough289118408533-12519
17Workington Town289118365549-18419
18Huddersfield289118400615-21519
19Mansfield Marksman284123308769-4619
20Runcorn Highfield282125224998-7745
Promoted

Premiership

Challenge Cup

Wigan defeated St. Helens 27-0 in the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium before a crowd of 78,000.[1] Ellery Hanley, Wigan's loose forward, was awarded the Lance Todd Trophy for his man-of-the-match performance.[2] This was the first time a side had been held scoreless in a Challenge Cup final.

Lancashire Cup

First roundSecond roundSemi-finalsFinal
            
Barrow10
Wigan14
Wigan36
Rochdale Hornets4
Rochdale Hornets25
Fulham14
Wigan14
Widnes10
Widnes32
St. Helens24
Widnes38
Swinton4
Swinton24
Leigh14
Wigan22
Salford17
Oldham64
Workington Town2
Oldham2
Salford18
Salford42
Whitehaven8
Salford15
Warrington2
Runcorn Highfield4
Warrington42
Warrington34
Carlisle18
Carlisle17
Chorley Borough7

Yorkshire Cup

The following chart excludes any preliminary round fixtures/results

First roundSecond roundSemi-finalsFinal
            
Leeds24
Bradford Northern21
Leeds15
Wakefield Trinity10
Wakefield Trinity46
Dewsbury20
Leeds12
Hull F.C.8
Hull F.C.53
Hunslet0
Hull F.C.18
Featherstone Rovers0
Featherstone Rovers38
Doncaster8
Leeds33
Castleford12
Halifax36
Batley14
Halifax24
Hull Kingston Rovers2
Keighley22
Hull Kingston Rovers28
Halifax8
Castleford12
Castleford94
Huddersfield12
Castleford40
York14
York25
Mansfield Marksman4

John Player Special Trophy

This tree excludes any preliminary round fixtures

First roundSecond roundThird roundSemi-finalsFinal
               
Huddersfield4
Chorley Borough22
Chorley Borough22
Hull Kingston Rovers36
Hull Kingston Rovers40
Keighley0
Hull Kingston Rovers16(0)
Wigan16 (30)
Runcorn Highfield2
Wigan92
Wigan20
Halifax16
Halifax22
Salford4
Wigan16
Bradford Northern5
Leeds12
Castleford21
Castleford18
Bradford Northern19
Bradford Northern34
Dewsbury18
Bradford Northern6
Leigh0
Leigh42
Barrow14
Leigh40
Doncaster18
Swinton13
Doncaster16
Wigan12
Widnes6
Sheffield Eagles80
Wigan St Patricks8
Sheffield Eagles9
Widnes34
Widnes37
Featherstone Rovers12
Widnes16
Warrington7
Warrington21
Oldham14
Warrington42
Bramley10
Bramley32
Mansfield Marksman6
Widnes20
St. Helens15
York6
St. Helens14
St. Helens16
Hull F.C.13
Hull F.C.26
Batley10
St. Helens34
Wakefield Trinity18
Wakefield Trinity34
Carlisle14
Wakefield Trinity38
Rochdale Hornets12
Rochdale Hornets26
Whitehaven20

References

Sources