1994–95 Rugby Football League season

1994–95 Rugby Football League season

Stones Bitter Championship
Duration	30 Rounds
Number of teams	16
Broadcast partners	Sky Sports
1994–95 Season
Champions	Wigan
Premiership winners	Wigan
Man of Steel	Denis Betts
Top point-scorer(s)	Frano Botica (408)
Top try-scorer(s)	Martin Offiah (53)
Selected for promotion to Championship
Elevated from Second Division	London Broncos
Promotion and relegation
Relegated to new First Division Relegated to new Second Division	Featherstone Rovers Salford Wakefield Trinity Widnes Hull Doncaster
Second Division
Champions	Keighley
Promotion and relegation
Relegated to new Second Division	Hull Kingston Rovers Ryedale-York Hunslet Leigh Swinton Bramley Carlisle Barrow Highfield
< 1993–94 Seasons 1995–96 >

The 1994–95 Rugby Football League season was the 100th ever season of professional rugby league football in Britain. Sixteen teams competed from August 1994 until May 1995 for a number of titles, primarily the Stones Bitter Championship.

Season summary

The summer Super League concept was agreed to commence in 1996.

• Stones Bitter League Champions: Wigan (16th title)
• Silk Cut Challenge Cup Winners: Wigan (30-10 v Leeds)
• Stones Bitter Premiership Trophy Winners: Wigan (69-12 v Leeds)
  • Harry Sunderland Trophy: Kris Radlinski
• Regal Trophy Winners: Wigan (7 - 40-10 v Warrington)
• 2nd Division Champions: Keighley

The record for most points scored by one team in a match was broken by Huddersfield when they clocked up 142 against Blackpool Gladiators' 4 in a Regal Trophy match on 26 November 1994. This is also the record for widest margin.

The 1995 Man of Steel Award for the player of the season went to Wigan's Denis Betts. Wigan also set a new record for most points in all matches in one season with 1,735 from 45 matches as follows:

• Division One Championship: 1,148 (from 30 games)
• Challenge Cup 230 (from 6 games)
• Regal Trophy 170 (from 5 games)
• Premiership Trophy 167 (from 3 games)
• Tour match (Australia) 20 (from 1 game)

Rule changes

The following rule changes were introduced this season by the referees' coaching director, Greg McCallum:

• Referees were given the power to put a player suspected of foul play "on report" with the incident to be reviewed later by the disciplinary panel.^[1] The system was based on the one already operating in Australian rugby league.^[1] Referees signalled that an incident had been put "on report" by crossing their raised arms above their heads.^[2]
• In-goal judges were trialled, these two additional match officials are positioned behind the dead-ball line at each end of the playing field and aim to aid the referee in judging if a try has been scored.^[1] The in-goal judges had been used in Australia for two years.^[1]
• McCallum ordered referees to penalise defending players lifting attackers in the tackle in a way that could lead to an illegal spear tackle.^[1]

Leeds' Gary Mercer (dangerous throw), Sheffield Eagles' Paul Broadbent and Doncaster's Gordon Lynch (tripping) became the first players cited under the reporting system to be found to have a case to answer.^[1]

League Tables

In preparation for the change to summer matches for the Super League, the position teams finished in this season was critical, as it determined which of the new fore-shortened three divisions they would play next season. Only the London Broncos knew where they were to play as they were controversially awarded one of the Super League franchises based on geographic location.

Championship[3] Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts 1 Wigan 30 28 0 2 1148 386 +762 56 2 Leeds 30 24 1 5 863 526 +337 49 3 Castleford 30 20 2 8 872 564 +308 42 4 St Helens 30 20 1 9 893 640 +253 41 5 Halifax 30 18 2 10 782 566 +216 38 6 Warrington 30 18 2 10 753 570 +183 38 7 Bradford Northern 30 17 1 12 811 650 +161 35 8 Sheffield Eagles 30 15 0 15 646 699 -53 30 9 Workington Town 30 12 1 17 538 743 -205 25 10 Oldham 30 11 1 18 534 746 -212 23 11 Featherstone Rovers 30 10 1 19 582 687 -105 21 12 Salford 30 10 1 19 613 775 -162 21 13 Wakefield Trinity 30 9 0 21 434 807 -373 18 14 Widnes 30 8 1 21 481 767 -286 17 15 Hull 30 7 1 22 594 880 -286 15 16 Doncaster 30 5 1 24 469 1007 -538 11 Champions Relegated to First Division Relegated to Second Division

Second Division[3] Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts 1 Keighley 30 23 2 5 974 337 +637 48 2 Batley 30 23 0 7 754 423 +331 46 3 Huddersfield 30 19 3 8 870 539 +230 41 4 London Broncos 30 20 1 9 732 480 +252 41 5 Whitehaven 30 19 0 11 766 507 +259 38 6 Rochdale Hornets 30 18 0 12 805 570 +235 36 7 Dewsbury 30 17 1 12 744 538 +206 35 8 Hull Kingston Rovers 30 16 1 13 824 516 +308 30 9 Ryedale-York 30 15 2 13 720 602 +118 32 10 Hunslet 30 16 0 14 611 783 -172 32 11 Leigh 30 12 0 18 622 787 -165 24 12 Swinton 30 12 0 18 576 768 -192 24 13 Bramley 30 10 0 20 554 655 -101 20 14 Carlisle 30 8 0 22 546 877 -331 16 15 Barrow 30 6 0 24 449 811 -362 12 16 Highfield 30 1 0 29 224 1604 -1380 2 Elected to Championship Promoted to New First Division Relegated to New Second Division

Regal Trophy^[4]

Key
Replayed - 1st match in brackets

	Second Round					Third Round					Quarter-Final					Semi-Final					Final
	Hull		26
	Barrow		16
						Hull		14
						Wigan		38
	Wigan		34
	Rochdale Hornets		12
											Wigan		24
											St Helens		22
	Batley		36
	Ryedale-York		8
						Batley		(22) 22
						St Helens		(22) 50
	Huddersfield		11
	St Helens		52
																Wigan		34
																Castleford		6
	Workington Town		24
	Wakefield Trinity		8
						Workington Town		14
						Leeds		18
	Leeds		54
	Swinton		24
											Leeds		14
											Castleford		34
	Carlisle		16
	Dewsbury		30
						Dewsbury		2
						Castleford		30
	Castleford		32
	Halifax		26
																					Wigan		40
																					Warrington		10
	Highfield		2
	Widnes		50
						Widnes		20
						Oldham		6
	Oldham		28
	Hull Kingston Rovers		0
											Widnes		23
											Bradford Northern		10
	Whitehaven		18
	Featherstone Rovers		12
						Whitehaven		14
						Bradford Northern		34
	Bradford Northern		32
	St Esteve		6
																Widnes		4
																Warrington		30
	Keighley		28
	Bramley		4
						Keighley		26
						Sheffield Eagles		10
	Sheffield Eagles		46
	Leigh		10
											Keighley		18
											Warrington		20
	Salford		16
	London Broncos		14
						Salford		24
						Warrington		31
	Warrington		44
	Doncaster		14

Challenge Cup

Rounds One and Two were contested between amateur clubs only. Millom were the biggest winners in Round One when they defeated Northampton Knights by 62-4. The biggest win in Round Two was Wigan St Patricks who defeated Crown Malet 42-6.

Round Three saw teams from Division Two matched at home against an amateur opponent. There was one shock result, when Beverley beat Highfield by 27-4. Dewsbury recorded the most points in Round Three when they defeated Kells by 72-12, though the biggest margin of victory went to Keighley who beat Chorley 68-0.

In Round Four, the Division One sides entered the competition with no seeding. There were two shock results when Huddersfield defeated Halifax 36-30 and Whitehaven beat Wakefield Trinity by 24-12. Hunslet drew with Salford 32-32 to take them to a replay before going down by 52-10.^[5]

Results (from Fifth round)^[6]

	Fifth Round					Quarter Finals					Semi Finals					Final
	Batley		4
	Wigan		70
						Widnes		12
						Wigan		26
	Sheffield Eagles		7
	Widnes		19
											Wigan		48
											Oldham		20
	Warrington		6
	Oldham		17
						Oldham		23
						Huddersfield		12
	Keighley		0
	Huddersfield		30
																Wigan		30
																Leeds		10
	Hull Kingston Rovers		14
	Whitehaven		18
						Whitehaven		14
						Featherstone Rovers		42
	Salford		10
	Featherstone Rovers		30
											Leeds		39
											Featherstone Rovers		22
	Workington Town		94
	Leigh		4
						Leeds		50
						Workington Town		16
	Leeds		44
	Ryedale-York		14

Final

The 1995 Silk Cut Challenge Cup Final was a replay of the previous season's final between Wigan and Leeds. The match was played at 2:30pm on the dry Saturday afternoon of 29 April 1995 at London's Wembley Stadium. This was the first Wembley Challenge Cup Final to use in-goal judges.

Internationals

Kangaroos Tour of Great Britain & France

In October, November and December 1994 the Australian National team, known as the Kangaroos, toured Great Britain and France playing three Tests against Great Britain, one against Wales, one against France, eight club games and five other representative matches. The Kangaroos were coached by Bob Fulton, assisted by Brian Hollis, Dave Ryan and Frank Ponnisi.^[7] Andrew Ettinghausen, of Cronulla, was the leading points and try scorer on tour with 60 points from 15 tries.

Date Oct 2 Oct 5 Oct 8 Oct 12 Oct 16 Oct 22 Oct 26 Oct 30 Nov 1 Nov 5 Nov 9 Nov 13 Nov 15 Nov 20 Nov 24 Nov 27 Nov 30 Dec 4

Result (Venue) beat Cumbria (at Derwent Park, Workington) beat Leeds (at Headingley, Leeds) beat Wigan (at Central Park, Wigan) beat Castleford (at Wheldon Road, Castleford) beat Halifax (at Thrum Hall, Halifax) lost GREAT BRITAIN (at Wembley Stadium, London) beat Sheffield Eagles (at Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield) beat WALES (at Ninian Park, Cardiff) beat St Helens (at Knowsley Road, St Helens) beat GREAT BRITAIN (at Old Trafford, Manchester) beat Warrington (at Wilderspool, Warrington) beat Bradford Northern (at Odsal, Bradford) beat Great Britain U21 (at Gateshead) beat GREAT BRITAIN (at Elland Road, Leeds) beat President's XIII (at Stade Robert Bobin, Évry, Paris) beat Rousillon-Catalan XIII (at Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan) beat France B (at Stade de Fargues, Avignon) beat FRANCE (at Stade de la Méditerranée, Béziers)

Score (Australia first) 52-8 48-6 30-20 38-12 26-12 4-8 80-2 46-4 32-14 38-8 28-0 40-0 54-10 23-4 42-17 60-16 64-9 74-0

Attendance 4,277 18,581 20,057 11,073 8,352 57,034 7,423 8,729 13,911 43,930 11,244 9,080 4,118 39,468 1,500 4,500 1,500 6,000

Statistics

The following are the top points scorers in all competitions in the 1994–95 season.^[8]

Most tries Player Team Tries Martin Offiah Wigan 53 Greg Austin Huddersfield 52 Nick Pinkney Keighley Cougars 46 Ellery Hanley Leeds 41 David Plange Hull Kingston Rovers 35 Mike Pechey Whitehaven 34 Gary Connolly Wigan 30 John Bentley Halifax 29 Alan Hunte St Helens 29 Scott Limb Hunslet 29

Most goals (including drop goals) Player Team Goals Frano Botica Wigan 186 Bobbie Goulding St Helens 158 Simon Irving Keighley Cougars 152 Martin Strett Rochdale Hornets 150 John Schuster Halifax 144 Mike Fletcher Hull Kingston Rovers 142 Graham Holroyd Leeds 135 Deryck Fox Bradford Northern 131 Simon Wilson Batley 127 Jonathan Davies Warrington 126

Sources

• "Club-by-club guide to the new season", The Independent, 19 August 1994
• 1994-95 Rugby Football League season at rlhalloffame.org.uk
• 1994-95 Rugby Football League season at wigan.rlfans.com
• Wigan's record Cup run at news.bbc.co.uk
• Great Britain Competitions 1994-1995 at hunterlink.net.au
• Championship 1994/95 at rugbyleagueproject.org

References

1. Dave Hadfield (1995-03-22). "Trio face referee reports". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2009-05-11. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
2. BBC Sport (2004-10-27). "Referee signals: Incident on report/holding down a tackled player". BBC. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
3. Raymond Fletcher; David Howes (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996. London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 304. ISBN 0-7472-7817-2.
4. Raymond Fletcher; David Howes (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996. London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 211. ISBN 0-7472-7817-2.
5. Raymond Fletcher; David Howes (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996. London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 189. ISBN 0-7472-7817-2.
6. Raymond Fletcher; David Howes (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996. London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 190. ISBN 0-7472-7817-2.
7. Raymond Fletcher; David Howes (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996. London: Headline Book Publishing. pp. 338–360. ISBN 0-7472-7817-2.
8. Fletcher, Raymond; Howes, David. Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1997. London: Headline. pp. 163–7. ISBN 978-0-7472-7764-4.