Super League XXVIII
Super League XXVIII, known as the Betfred Super League XXVIII for sponsorship reasons, was the 28th season of the Super League and 129th season of rugby league in Great Britain.
| Super League XXVIII | |
|---|---|
| League | Super League |
| Duration | 27 rounds |
| Teams | 12 |
| Matches played | 167 |
| Points scored | 6,464 |
| Highest attendance | 24,275 Wigan Warriors Vs St Helens (7 April) |
| Lowest attendance | 3,348 Wakefield Trinity Vs Catalans Dragons (8 September) |
| Average attendance | 9,256 |
| Attendance | 1,545,894 |
| Broadcast partners | |
| 2023 season | |
| Champions | Wigan Warriors 6th Super League title 23rd British title |
| League Leaders Shield | Wigan Warriors |
| Runners-up | Catalans Dragons |
| Biggest home win | Catalans Dragons 61–0 Leeds Rhinos (16 September) |
| Biggest away win | Leeds Rhinos 0–50 Wigan Warriors (9 September) |
| Man of Steel | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Bevan French |
| Top point-scorer(s) |  Harry Smith (218) |
| Top try-scorer(s) |  Abbas Miski(28) |
| Promotion and relegation | |
| Promoted from Championship | London Broncos |
| Relegated to Championship | Wakefield Trinity |
The season began on 16 February 2023, and ended with the Grand Final on 14 October 2023.[1]
St Helens were the reigning champions after winning their 4th successive title, beating Leeds Rhinos in the 2022 Grand Final.[2] They were eliminated in the semi final, losing 6–12 to Catalans Dragons.
Leigh Leopards were immediately promoted back to Super League, after they beat Batley Bulldogs 44–12 in the 2022 Championship Grand Final. Wakefield Trinity were relegated from Super League after 24 years.
Wigan Warriors defeated Catalans, 10–2 in the Grand Final, to win their 6th super league title, and 23rd overall.
Teams
The league comprises 12 teams. The regular season comprises 27 rounds.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Reigning Champions | |
| Previous season Runners-Up | |
| Previous season League Leaders | |
| Promoted | |
Results
Matches decided by golden point
If a match ends in a draw after 80 minutes, then a further 10 minutes of golden point extra time is played, to determine a winner (five minutes each way). The first team to score either a try, penalty goal or drop goal during this period, will win the match. However, if there are no further scores during the additional 10 minutes period, then the match will end in a draw.
Game 1 (Salford Red Devils v Wakefield Trinity)
The round 5 game between Salford Red Devils and Wakefield Trinity on 19 March 2023, finished 13–all after 80 minutes. The game then went to extra time, which saw numerous drop goal attempts by both teams. Salford won the match 14–13 with a drop goal from Marc Sneyd.
Game 2 (Hull Kingston Rovers v Wigan Warriors)
The round 13 game between Hull Kingston Rovers & Wigan Warriors on 25 May 2023, finished 22–all after 80 minutes, with Abbas Miski scoring a last gasp try on the final hooter, to level the match. The game then went to extra time. The first chance came to Mikey Lewis, as he kicked a drop goal, but his effort hit the post. With less than 20 seconds of the first 5 minutes remaining, Liam Farrell scored the match winning try, to win the game 26–22.
Game 3 (Leeds Rhinos v St Helens)
The round 13 game between Leeds Rhinos and St Helens on 26 May 2023, finished 12-all after 80 minutes. The match then went to golden point, with numerous drop goal attempts from both sides. With 26 seconds of the match remaining, Lewis Dodd kicked a drop goal for Saints, to win the match 13–12.
Game 4 (Wakefield Trinity v Wigan Warriors)
The round 18 game between Wakefield Trinity and Wigan Warriors on 7 July 2023, finished 26–all after 80 minutes. Wigan almost won the game 26–24, but were penalised for an off the ball tackle with seconds of the match remaining. Will Dagger kicked a penalty goal on the hooter, to send the game to golden point. The only chance of the game went to Wakefield, with Dagger kicking a drop goal to win the match for Wakefield, 27–26.
Game 5 (Leeds Rhinos v Hull KR)
The round 19 game between Leeds Rhinos and Hull KR on 14 July 2023, finished 18–all after 80 minutes. The first chance of the game came for Hull KR, as Brad Schneider attempted a drop goal attempt, but his effort fell just short. but as Leeds got the ball back, they knocked on from the kick off, and this time, debutant Schneider, kicked the winning DG, to condemn Leeds to their 2nd golden point defeat of the season at Headingley.
Game 6 (Wigan Warriors v Hull FC)
The Round 22 game between Wigan Warriors and Hull FC on 18 August 2023, finished 12–all after 80 minutes, as Jake Wardle scored a last minute try for Wigan, to send the game to extra time. The first attempt at a drop goal, came from Wigan's Harry Smith, but his effort was wide. Hull then had a chance of their own, but Sam Powell charged the kick down, and the first period ended with no scores. With less than 2 minutes of the game remaining, Harry Smith then kicked a drop goal from 45 meters out, to win the game for Wigan 13–12.
Game 7 (Salford Red Devils v Warrington Wolves)
The Round 25 game between Salford Red Devils and Warrington Wolves on 10 September 2023, finished 20–all after 80 minutes, as Marc Sneyd kicked a late penalty goal for Salford, to send the game to extra time. The only attempt at a drop goal came from Marc Sneyd, but his effort hit the post and bounced back into play. With less than 2 minutes of the first period remaining, Joe Burgess made a break for the line, before passing the ball to Sam Stone to score the winning try.
Game 8 (Leigh Leopards v Wakefield Trinity)
The Round 26 game between Leigh Leopards and Wakefield Trinity on 15 September 2023, finished 19–all after 80 minutes, as Luke Gale kicked a drop goal for Wakefield with 15 seconds of the game remaining, to send the game to extra time. Both sides attempted drop goals, but neither team could score any points during the first 5 minutes. In the 9th minute, Gareth O'Brien kicked the winning drop goal for Leigh, to win the match 20-19, and confirm Wakefield's relegation.
Table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Wigan Warriors (L, C) |
27 | 20 | 0 | 7 | 722 | 360 | +362 | 40 | Qualification to Semi-finals |
| 2 |  Catalans Dragons |
27 | 20 | 0 | 7 | 722 | 420 | +302 | 40 | |
| 3 |  St. Helens |
27 | 20 | 0 | 7 | 613 | 366 | +247 | 40 | Qualification to Eliminators |
| 4 |  Hull KR |
27 | 16 | 0 | 11 | 589 | 498 | +91 | 32 | |
| 5 |  Leigh Leopards |
27 | 16 | 0 | 11 | 585 | 508 | +77 | 32 | |
| 6 |  Warrington Wolves |
27 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 597 | 512 | +85 | 28 | |
| 7 |  Salford Red Devils |
27 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 494 | 512 | −18 | 26 | |
| 8 |  Leeds Rhinos |
27 | 12 | 0 | 15 | 535 | 534 | +1 | 24 | |
| 9 |  Huddersfield Giants |
27 | 11 | 0 | 16 | 473 | 552 | −79 | 22 | |
| 10 |  Hull FC |
27 | 10 | 0 | 17 | 476 | 654 | −178 | 20 | |
| 11 |  Castleford Tigers |
27 | 6 | 0 | 21 | 323 | 774 | −451 | 12 | |
| 12 |  Wakefield Trinity (R) |
27 | 4 | 0 | 23 | 303 | 742 | −439 | 8 | Relegation to Championship |
Play-offs
Team bracket
| Eliminators | Semi-finals | Grand Final | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Catalans
| 12 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Hull KR
| 20 | 3 | St Helens
| 6 | |||||||||
| 5 | Leigh
| 6 | 1 | Wigan
| 10 | |||||||||
| 2 | Catalans
| 2 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Wigan
| 42 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | St Helens
| 16 | 4 | Hull KR
| 12 | |||||||||
| 6 | Warrington
| 8 | ||||||||||||
Week 1: Eliminators
| 29 September 2023 20:00 BST (UTC+01) |
| Hull KR | 20–6 | Leigh Leopards |
| Try: Walker 33' Hall 38' Luckley 42' Con: Schneider  34', 39'Pen: Schneider 22', 76' | Report | Try: Charnley 57' Con: Reynolds 8' |
| Sewell Group Craven Park Referee: Jack Smith |
Week 2: Semi-finals
| 6 October 2023 20:00 BST (UTC+01) |
| Catalans Dragons | 12–6 | St Helens |
| Try: Tomkins 79' Con: Keighran 80'Pen: Keighran 29', 65', 73' | Report | Try: Hopoate 50' Con: Percival 51'Lees  72' |
| Stade Gilbert Brutus Attendance: 11,530 Referee: Chris Kendall |
Week 3: Grand Final
| 14 October 2023 18:00 BST (UTC+01) |
| Wigan Warriors | 10–2 | Catalans Dragons |
Try: Marshall  53'Con: Smith (1/1) 54' Pen: Smith (2/2) 25', 64' | Report | Try: Keighran 19' Davies 44'Pen: Keighran 36' |
| Old Trafford Attendance: 58,137 Referee: Liam Moore |
Player statistics
Top try scorers
|
Top goal scorers
- As of 11 October 2023
| Player | Club | Goals | Missed Goals | Drop Goals | Goal Percentage % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harry Smith |
Wigan Warriors |
94 | 52 | 2 | 62% |
Top points scorers
- As of 11 October 2023
| Rank | Player | Club | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harry Smith |
Wigan Warriors |
206 |
| 2 | Stefan Ratchford |
Warrington Wolves |
200 |
| 3 |  Rhyse Martin |
Leeds Rhinos |
194 |
| 4 | Adam Keighran |
Catalans Dragons |
192 |
| 5 | Marc Sneyd |
Salford Red Devils |
184 |
| 6 | Ben Reynolds |
Leigh Leopards |
170 |
| 7 | Tommy Makinson |
St Helens |
146 |
| 8 | Mark Percival |
142 | |
| 9 | Jake Clifford |
Hull FC |
124 |
| 10 | Abbas Miski |
Wigan Warriors |
112 |
End-of-season awards
The end of season awards took place on Tuesday 10 October. The winners were:[15]
- Steve Prescott Man of Steel: Bevan French ( Wigan Warriors)
- Coach of the Year: Adrian Lam ( Leigh Leopards)
- Young Player of the Year: Josh Thewlis: ( Warrington Wolves)
- Spirit of Super League Award:
- Top tackler: Luke Yates: ( Huddersfield Giants) (1,027 tackles)
- Top metre-maker: Tom Amone: ( Leigh Leopards)
(3,467 metres) - Top try scorer: Tom Johnstone: ( Catalans Dragons)
Abbas Miski ( Wigan Warriors)
(27 tries each) - Top try assists: Bevan French ( Wigan Warriors)
(30 try assists) - Top goal-kicker: Stefan Ratchford ( Warrington Wolves)
(96 goals) - Top points scorer: Stefan Ratchford ( Warrington Wolves)
(200 points)
Discipline
|
|
| Rank | Player | Club | Yellow cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Sam Lisone |
Leeds Rhinos |
3 |
| 2 |  Manu Ma'u |
Catalans Dragons |
2 |
| Ligi Sao |
Hull FC | ||
| Harry Newman |
Leeds Rhinos | ||
 Ryan Brierley |
Salford Red Devils | ||
| Deon Cross | |||
| Marc Sneyd | |||
 King Vuniyayawa | |||
| Matty Lees |
St Helens | ||
| Sione Mata'utia | |||
| Sam Kasiano |
Warrington Wolves |
Attendances
Club attendances
|
Top 10 attendances
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Broadcasting
| Round | Match | Date & Time | Broadcast method |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warrington Wolves v Leeds Rhinos | 16 February 2023, 20:00 | Sky Sports |
| Leigh Leopards v Salford Red Devils | 17 February 2023, 20:00 | ||
| Hull KR v Wigan Warriors | 18 February 2023, 13:00 | Channel 4 | |
| 2 | Salford Red Devils v Hull KR | 23 February 2023, 20:00 | Sky Sports |
| Leeds Rhinos v Hull FC | 24 February 2023, 20:00 | ||
| Castleford Tigers v St Helens | 26 February 2023, 13:00 | Channel 4 | |
| 3 | Warrington Wolves v Salford Red Devils | 2 March 2023, 19:45 | Sky Sports |
| St Helens v Leeds Rhinos | 3 March 2023, 20:00 | ||
| 4 | Wigan Warriors v Catalans Dragons | 9 March 2023, 20:00 | |
| Huddersfield Giants v Castleford Tigers | 10 March 2023, 20:00 | ||
| 5 | Castleford Tigers v Leeds Rhinos | 16 March 2023, 20:00 | |
| St Helens v Hull FC | 17 March 2023, 20:00 | ||
| 6 | Huddersfield Giants v St Helens | 23 March 2023, 20:00 | |
| Wigan Warriors v Salford Red Devils | 24 March 2023, 20:00 | ||
| Leeds Rhinos v Catalans Dragons | 25 March 2023, 13:00 | Channel 4 | |
| 7 | Leigh Leopards v Wigan Warriors | 30 March 2023, 20:00 | Sky Sports |
| Hull KR v Leeds Rhinos | 31 March 2023, 20:00 | ||
| Warrington Wolves v Hull FC | 1 April 2023, 13:00 | Channel 4 | |
| 8 (Rivals Round) | Castleford Tigers v Wakefield Trinity | 6 April 2023, 20:00 | Sky Sports |
| Hull FC v Hull KR | 7 April 2023, 12:30 | ||
| Wigan Warriors v St Helens | 7 April 2023, 15:00 | ||
| Leigh Leopards v Salford Red Devils | 8 April 2023, 14:30 | ||
| Catalans Dragons v Warrington Wolves | 8 April 2023, 16:00 | ||
| Leeds Rhinos v Huddersfield Giants | 9 April 2023, 18:00 | ||
| 9 | Salford Red Devils v Castleford Tigers | 13 April 2023, 20:00 | |
| Warrington Wolves v Wigan Warriors | 14 April 2023, 20:00 | ||
| 10 | St Helens v Warrington Wolves | 20 April 2023, 20:00 | |
| Castleford Tigers v Hull KR | 21 April 2023, 20:00 | ||
| 11 | Hull FC v Wigan Warriors | 4 May 2023, 20:00 | |
| Catalans Dragons v St Helens | 5 May 2023, 19:45 | ||
| 12 | Wakefield Trinity v Hull FC | 11 May 2023, 20:00 | |
| Wigan Warriors v Leeds Rhinos | 12 May 2023, 20:00 | ||
| St Helens v Salford Red Devils | 13 May 2023, 13:00 | Channel 4 | |
| 13 | Hull KR v Wigan Warriors | 25 May 2023, 20:00 | Sky Sports |
| Leeds Rhinos v St Helens | 26 May 2023, 20:00 | ||
| 14 (Magic Weekend) | Salford Red Devils v Hull KR | 3 June 2023, 13:30 | |
| Wigan Warriors v Catalans Dragons | 3 June 2023, 15:45 | ||
| Leeds Rhinos v Castleford Tigers | 3 June 2023, 18:00 | ||
| Wakefield Trinity v Leigh Leopards | 4 June 2023, 12:00 | ||
| St Helens v Huddersfield Giants | 4 June 2023, 14:15 | ||
| Hull FC v Warrington Wolves | 4 June 2023, 16:30 | ||
| 15 | St Helens v Wigan Warriors | 9 June 2023, 20:00 | |
| Warrington Wolves v Huddersfield Giants | 10 June 2023, 17:00 | ||
| 16 | Hull FC v St Helens | 22 June 2023, 20:00 | |
| Leeds Rhinos v Huddersfield Giants | 23 June 2023, 20:00 | ||
| 17 | Warrington Wolves v Leeds Rhinos | 29 June 2023, 20:00 | |
| Leigh Leopards v Hull KR | 30 June 2023, 20:00 | ||
| 18 | Warrington Wolves v St Helens | 7 July 2023, 20:00 | |
| Hull KR v Hull FC | 9 July 2023, 12:00 | ||
| 19 | St Helens v Catalans Dragons | 13 July 2023, 20:00 | |
| Wigan Warriors v Warrington Wolves | 14 July 2023, 20:00 | ||
| 20 | Huddersfield Giants v Hull FC | 27 July 2023, 20:00 | |
| St Helens v Leeds Rhinos | 28 July 2023, 20:00 | ||
| Wigan Warriors v Leigh Leopards | 29 July 2023, 13:00 | Channel 4 | |
| 21 | Warrington Wolves v Catalans Dragons | 4 August 2023, 20:00 | Sky Sports |
| Leeds Rhinos v Leigh Leopards | 6 August 2023, 15:00 | ||
| 22 | Wakefield Trinity v Castleford Tigers | 18 August 2023, 20:00 | |
| Leigh Leopards v Catalans Dragons | 19 August 2023, 15:00 | ||
| Leeds Rhinos v Warrington Wolves | 20 August 2023, 15:00 | OurLeague | |
| 23 | Hull KR v Leigh Leopards | 25 August 2023, 20:00 | Sky Sports |
| Catalans Dragons v Wigan Warriors | 26 August 2023, 18:00 | ||
| 24 | Wigan Warriors v Salford Red Devils | 1 September 2023, 20:00 | |
| Warrington Wolves v Castleford Tigers | 2 September 2023, 15:00 | ||
| 25 | St Helens v Leigh Leopards | 8 September 2023, 20:00 | |
| Leeds Rhinos v Wigan Warriors | 9 September 2023, 14:45 | ||
| Salford Red Devils v Warrington Wolves | 10 September 2023, 12:45 | ||
| 26 | Warrington Wolves v St Helens | 15 September 2023, 20:00 | |
| Catalans Dragons v Leeds Rhinos | 16 September 2023, 17:00 | ||
| Hull KR v Salford Red Devils | 16 September 2023, 19:30 | ||
| 27 | Leigh Leopards v Wigan Warriors | 22 September 2023, 20:00 | |
| Elim 1 | Hull KR v Leigh Leopards | 29 September 2023, 20:00 | |
| Elim 2 | St Helens v Warrington Wolves | 30 September 2023, 12:45 | Sky Sports & Channel 4 |
| Semi Final 1 | Catalans Dragons v St Helens | 6 October 2023, 20:00 | Sky Sports |
| Semi Final 2 | Wigan Warriors v Hull KR | 7 October 2023, 12:45 | Sky Sports & Channel 4 |
| Grand Final | Wigan Warriors v Catalans Dragons | 14 October 2023, 18:00 | Sky Sports |
References
- "Super League start date confirmed". superleague.co.uk. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
- "Saints create history by completing "four-peat"". rugby-league.com. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
- "The Jungle (Wheldon Road)". castlefordtigers.com.
- "Stade Gilbert Brutus". catalan dragons.com.
- "Kirklees Stadium". johnsmithsstadium.com.
- "KCOM Stadium". kcomstadium.com/.
- "Craven Park, Hull". hullkr.co.uk.
- "Headingley Rugby Stadium". therhinos.co.uk. 14 December 2016.
- "Home". Leigh Sports Village. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
- "AJ Bell Stadium". ajbellstadium.co.uk/.
- "Totally Wicked Stadium". saintsrlfc.com.
- "Belle Vue (Wakefield)". wakefieldtrinity.com.
- "Halliwell Jones Stadium". halliwelljonesstadium.co.uk/.
- "DW Stadium". dwstadium.com.
- "Bevan French named Man of Steel". superleague.co.uk. 10 October 2023.