1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season

1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season
League Northern Rugby Football League
Champions Widnes
Premiership Bradford
Man of Steel George Nicholls
Top point-scorer(s) Geoff Pimblett (381)
Top try-scorer(s) Stuart Wright (33)
Promotion and relegation
Promoted from Second Division Leigh
Barrow
Rochdale Hornets
Huddersfield
Relegated to Second Division Hull
New Hunslet
Bramley
Dewsbury
< 1976–77 Seasons 1978–79 >

The 1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season was the 83rd season of rugby league football. Sixteen English clubs competed for the Northern Rugby Football League Championship with Widnes claiming the title by finishing the season on top of the League.

Season summary

League Champions were Widnes for the first time. Bradford Northern's last game was cancelled as Featherstone Rovers were on strike, consequently Bradford Northern finished 2nd on percentages.

Hull, New Hunslet, Bramley and Dewsbury were demoted to the Second Division.

Leeds were 14-12 Challenge Cup Winners over St. Helens.

John Player Trophy Winners were Warrington beating Widnes 9-4 in the final

Rugby League Premiership Trophy Winners were Bradford Northern beating Widnes 17-8 in the final.

BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Winners were Hull Kingston Rovers beating St. Helens 26-11 in the final.

2nd Division Champions were Leigh, and they, Barrow, Rochdale Hornets and Huddersfield were promoted to the First Division.[1]

Workington Town (from Cumbria) beat Wigan 16–13 to win the Lancashire Cup, and Castleford beat Featherstone Rovers 17–7 to win the Yorkshire Cup.

League Tables

First Division Championship

Team Pld W D L PF PA Pts
1Widnes30242461324150
2Bradford Northern29212650029144
3St. Helens30221767838445
4Hull Kingston Rovers301631149541935
5Wigan301711248243535
6Salford301601447044632
7Featherstone Rovers291521244345232
8Leeds301511451246031
9Warrington301501556136730
10Castleford301321551558328
11Workington Town301141540651926
12Wakefield Trinity301211739345025
13Hull301031735848023
14New Hunslet301101931851822
15Bramley30542128160814
16Dewsbury3022262075896

Second Division Championship

Team Pld W D L PF PA Pts
1Leigh26210553823142
2Barrow26210552123442
3Rochdale Hornets26210543720042
4Huddersfield26180850232436
5York26162844728634
6Oldham26170941932534
7Keighley261131235733725
8Swinton261111436938523
9Whitehaven261021427732622
10Huyton26921525035220
11Doncaster26901730452818
12Batley26512023349611
13Blackpool Borough26512026254311
14Halifax2620241825314
  Champions   Play-offs   Promoted   Relegated

Challenge Cup

Leeds beat St Helens 14-12 in the final played at at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 13 May 1978 before a crowd of 96,000.

This was Leeds’ eleventh Cup Final win in fifteen appearances and their second in successive years.[2]

Statistics

The following are the top points scorers in the 1977–78 season.[3]

Most tries

Player Team Tries
Stuart Wright Widnes 33
Keith Fielding Salford 31
Eddie Cunningham St Helens 30
John Bevan Warrington 30
Steve Fenton Castleford 30
Green Vigo Wigan 29
Peter Glynn St Helens 28
David Smith Leeds 28
Terry Morgan York 27
Bruce Burton Castleford 27

Most goals (including drop goals)

Player Team Goals
Geoff Pimblett St Helens 178
Steve Hesford Warrington 158
John Woods Leigh 149
Iain McCorquodale Workington Town 138
Paul Woods Widnes 122
David Watkins Salford 110
Keith Mumby Bradford Northern 107
Sammy Lloyd Castleford 104
Neil Fox Bradford Northern 95
Willie Oulton Leeds 80

References

  1. "1977-78 Season summary". Archived from the original on 2009-09-16. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
  2. "RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 2009-09-16. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
  3. Fletcher, Raymond; Howes, David. Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1997. London: Headline. pp. 163–7. ISBN 978-0-7472-7764-4.

Sources

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