1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season

Rugby league season

1977–78 Northern Rugby Football League season

League| Northern Rugby Football League
Champions|  Widnes
Premiership|  Bradford
Man of Steel Award|  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

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

[edit]

In June 1977, the International Rugby League Board imposed a four-year ban on international transfers. The ban was primarily put in place as a response to the growing number of English players being recruited by Australian clubs.[1]

The 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 FC, 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.[2]

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

## League Tables

[edit]

### First Division Championship

[edit]

|  | Team  | Pld  | W  | D  | L  | PF  | PA  | Pts

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1 | Widnes | 30 | 24 | 2 | 4 | 613 | 241 | 50
2 | Bradford Northern | 29 | 21 | 2 | 6 | 500 | 291 | 44
3 | St. Helens | 30 | 22 | 1 | 7 | 678 | 384 | 45
4 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 30 | 16 | 3 | 11 | 495 | 419 | 35
5 | Wigan | 30 | 17 | 1 | 12 | 482 | 435 | 35
6 | Salford | 30 | 16 | 0 | 14 | 470 | 446 | 32
7 | Featherstone Rovers | 29 | 15 | 2 | 12 | 443 | 452 | 32
8 | Leeds | 30 | 15 | 1 | 14 | 512 | 460 | 31
9 | Warrington | 30 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 561 | 367 | 30
10 | Castleford | 30 | 13 | 2 | 15 | 515 | 583 | 28
11 | Workington Town | 30 | 11 | 4 | 15 | 406 | 519 | 26
12 | Wakefield Trinity | 30 | 12 | 1 | 17 | 393 | 450 | 25
13 | Hull | 30 | 10 | 3 | 17 | 358 | 480 | 23
14 | New Hunslet | 30 | 11 | 0 | 19 | 318 | 518 | 22
15 | Bramley | 30 | 5 | 4 | 21 | 281 | 608 | 14
16 | Dewsbury | 30 | 2 | 2 | 26 | 207 | 589 | 6

### Second Division Championship

[edit]

|  | Team  | Pld  | W  | D  | L  | PF  | PA  | Pts

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1 | Leigh | 26 | 21 | 0 | 5 | 538 | 231 | 42
2 | Barrow | 26 | 21 | 0 | 5 | 521 | 234 | 42
3 | Rochdale Hornets | 26 | 21 | 0 | 5 | 437 | 200 | 42
4 | Huddersfield | 26 | 18 | 0 | 8 | 502 | 324 | 36
5 | York | 26 | 16 | 2 | 8 | 447 | 286 | 34
6 | Oldham | 26 | 17 | 0 | 9 | 419 | 325 | 34
7 | Keighley | 26 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 357 | 337 | 25
8 | Swinton | 26 | 11 | 1 | 14 | 369 | 385 | 23
9 | Whitehaven | 26 | 10 | 2 | 14 | 277 | 326 | 22
10 | Huyton | 26 | 9 | 2 | 15 | 250 | 352 | 20
11 | Doncaster | 26 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 304 | 528 | 18
12 | Batley | 26 | 5 | 1 | 20 | 233 | 496 | 11
13 | Blackpool Borough | 26 | 5 | 1 | 20 | 262 | 543 | 11
14 | Halifax | 26 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 182 | 531 | 4
| Champions  |  | Play-offs  |  | Promoted  |  | Relegated

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## Challenge Cup

[edit]

Main article: 1977–78 Challenge Cup

Leeds beat St Helens 14-12 in the final played 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.[3]

## League Cup

[edit]

Main article: 1977–78 League Cup (rugby league)

## Premiership

[edit]

Main article: 1977–78 Rugby League Premiership

## Statistics

[edit]

The following are the top points scorers in the 1977–78 season.[4]

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

[edit]

1. ^ "Ban on rugby league transfers". Reading Evening Post. 24 June 1977. p. 26 - via British Newspaper Archive.
2. ^ "1977–78 Season summary". Archived from the original on 2009-08-26. Retrieved 2009-08-08.
3. ^ "RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 2009-04-03. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
4. ^ Fletcher, Raymond; Howes, David (27 March 1997). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1997. London: Headline. pp. 163–7\. ISBN 978-0-7472-7764-4.163-7&rft.pub=Headline&rft.date=1997-03-27&rft.isbn=978-0-7472-7764-4&rft.aulast=Fletcher&rft.aufirst=Raymond&rft.au=Howes,+David&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:1977–78+Northern+Rugby+Football+League+season" class="Z3988">

## Sources

[edit]

* 1977–78 Rugby Football League season at wigan.rlfans.com
* The Challenge Cup at The Rugby Football League website

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