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Super League III
Super League III
League	Super League
Duration	23 Rounds
Teams	12
Highest attendance	19,188; Bradford Bulls vs Leeds Rhinos (12 April)
Lowest attendance	2,014; London Broncos vs Huddersfield Giants (23 Aug)
Broadcast partners	Sky Sports
1998 Season
Champions	Wigan Warriors; 1st Super League title; 18th British title
League Leaders	Wigan Warriors
Man of Steel	Iestyn Harris
Top point-scorer(s)	Iestyn Harris (255)
Top try-scorer(s)	Anthony Sullivan (20)
New franchise
Awarded to	Gateshead Thunder
Promotion and relegation
Promoted from Division One	Hull Sharks; Huddersfield Giants
	← 1997 1999 →

JJB Sports Super League III was the official name for the year 1998's Super League championship season, the 104th season of top-level professional rugby league football in Britain, and the third season played in summer.

The League format changed in 1998, with a playoff series being used to determine the Super League Champions for th first time since the 1972–73 season.

The team which finished on the top of the table were, from this season, awarded the League Leaders' Shield, with the inaugural honours going to Wigan. Huddersfield Giants, the league's bottom club was saved from relegation in 1998 due to the expansion of the league to fourteen teams in Super League IV. The season culminated in the grand final between Leeds Rhinos and Wigan Warriors, which Wigan won, claiming the 1998 Championship.

Notable events

League affairs and broadcasting

The 1998 pre-season marked the departure of Rugby Football League chief executive Maurice Lindsay, who was asked to resign by RFL president Rodney Walker in early January. He was succeeded by his right-hand man, former deputy chief executive Neil Tunnicliffe.^[1] However, Lindsay immediately signed up for the position of managing director at Super League (Europe), the parent company of Super League.^[2] The deal brokered between the RFL and SLE for his transfer entailed the payment of Lindsay's salary by the RFL for two years, as well as the payment to SLE of about £500,000 previously earmarked for the defunct Paris Saint-Germain and Oldham clubs.^[3]

Lindsay's move which quickly followed by another row over which organization would represent Super League clubs in their negotiations with Sky for the sport's next television contract.^[4] The deal was eventually signed between Sky and Super League Europe, although it still required the approval of FASDA (the group representing the RFL's minor league clubs), who was offered the sum of £10.8 million by Sky in exchange for their approval.^[5] However, FASDA stalled deal in order to obtain assurances from SLE that the promotion system would be preserved, even as talks were underway with expansion teams in Gateshead and South Wales.^[6] Two weeks later, FASDA and SLE reached an agreement keeping promotion and relegation.^[7]

This paved the way for the signing of the new TV deal on 15 July.^[8] The total amount was £44 million over four years, plus a £1 million signing bonus for the Super League itself, and another £1 million to the RFL for the rights to select international matches not covered by main broadcasting contracts.^[7] With the new agreement secured, Rodney Walker, who had previously hinted at his resignation from the RFL due to recurring tensions within the organization and possible scheduling conflicts with his new job as chairman of the UK Sports Council, announced that he would likely reconsider, which he did.^[8] Meanwhile, towards the end of 1998, reports that Lindsay had started investing in betting booths at several racetracks all but confirmed the rumor that he was intent on leaving the sport of rugby league at the end of his two-year deal with SLE.^[9]

Other

Despite FASDA rejecting a proposal to officially recognize farm team agreements at the end of the previous season, player call-ups continued unabated amidst several Super League clubs' decision to shut down their reserve teams. As a result, FASDA demanded in January that the number of players concerned by such arrangements be capped to three.^[4] In July, a committee headed by technical director Joe Lydon proposed to abolish transfer fees for players above the age of twenty-four.^[10]

Teams

Legend
	Reigning Champions
	Challenge Cup Holders
	Promoted

Team	Stadium	Capacity	City/Area
Bradford Bulls	Odsal	27,000	Bradford, West Yorkshire
Castleford Tigers	Wheldon Road	11,750	Castleford, West Yorkshire
Halifax Blue Sox	Thrum Hall	9,832	Halifax, West Yorkshire
Huddersfield Giants	Galpharm Stadium	24,500	Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Hull Sharks	The Boulevard	10,500	Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
Leeds Rhinos	Headingley	21,500	Leeds, West Yorkshire
London Broncos	The Valley	27,000	Charlton, Greater London
Salford Reds	The Willows	11,363	Salford, Greater Manchester
Sheffield Eagles	Don Valley Stadium	25,000	Sheffield, South Yorkshire
St Helens	Knowsley Road	17,500	St Helens, Mersyside
Warrington Wolves	Wilderspool	9,200	Warrington, Cheshire
Wigan Warriors	Central Park	18,000	Wigan, Greater Manchester

Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	Wigan Warriors (L, C)	23	21	0	2	762	222	+540	42	Semi Final
2	Leeds Rhinos	23	19	0	4	662	369	+293	38	Qualifying Semi Final
3	Halifax Blue Sox	23	18	0	5	658	390	+268	36	Qualifying Semi Final
4	St Helens	23	14	1	8	673	459	+214	29	Elimination Semi Final
5	Bradford Bulls	23	12	0	11	498	450	+48	24	Elimination Semi Final
6	Castleford Tigers	23	10	1	12	446	522	−76	21
7	London Broncos	23	10	0	13	415	476	−61	20
8	Sheffield Eagles	23	8	2	13	495	541	−46	18
9	Hull Sharks	23	8	0	15	431	574	−143	16
10	Warrington Wolves	23	7	1	15	411	645	−234	15
11	Salford Reds	23	6	1	16	319	575	−256	13
12	Huddersfield Giants	23	2	0	21	288	825	−537	4

Source: ^{[citation needed]}
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Points difference; 3) Number of points scored;
(C) Champions; (L) League Leaders

Play-offs

The top five clubs at the end of the 23-round regular season entered the play-offs to decide the championship.

The format was to have an elimination play off between the fourth and fifth teams (the fourth team gaining home advantage) and then have a qualifying play-off between the second and third placed teams (the second placed team gaining home advantage). The winner of the qualifier would play the team finishing first in the first semi final whilst the losing team got a second chance and played against the winner of the eliminating play off between fourth and fifth. The winner of the qualifying semi final would progress to the final of the Super League championship and the losing side would get another chance and play against the winning side of the elimination semi final.


Qualifying play-off 4 October 1998			Qualifying semi-final 11 October 1998			Preliminary final		Grand Final 24 October 1998



			1	Wigan Warriors	17			Wigan Warriors	10

				Leeds Rhinos	4			Leeds Rhinos	4

2	Leeds Rhinos	13				Leeds Rhinos	44

3	Halifax Blue Sox	6	Elimination semi-final 9 October 1998			St. Helens	16



			Halifax Blue Sox		30

4	St. Helens	46	St. Helens		37

5	Bradford Bulls	24

Grand final

24 October 1998

Wigan Warriors	10–4	Leeds Rhinos
Tries: Robinson Goals: Farrell (3)	Report	Tries: Blackmore

Old Trafford, Manchester
Attendance: 43,533^[11]
Referee: Russell Smith (Castleford)

References

^ Wilson, Andy (5 July 1998). "Rugby league: Who follows Sir Rodney?". The Observer. London. p. 15 – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
^ Hadfield, Dave (9 January 1998). "Rugby League: Lindsay stirs controversy again by finding himself new position of influence". The Independent. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
^ "Lindsay's £3/4m 'transfer'". Manchester Evening News. 13 January 1998. p. 63 – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
^ ^a ^b "Goodway and McGinty return to Central Park". The Guardian. 20 January 1998. p. 23 – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
^ Wilson, Andy (24 June 1999). "Lesser lights set for £11 million pay-off in new Sky deal". The Guardian. London. p. 9 (Sport) – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
^ Kirchin, Andrew (25 June 1998). "Sky deal runs into new hitch". Liverpool Echo. p. 84 – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
^ ^a ^b Wilson, Andy (12 July 1998). "Hopes for an end to League TV row". The Observer. London. p. 8 (Sport) – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
^ ^a ^b "Super League delight as Sky deal secured". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 16 July 1998. p. 21 – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
^ Hadfield, Dave (23 December 1998). "Rugby League: Smart money on Lindsay's exit". The Independent. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
^ Kirchin, Andrew (24 June 1998). "RL transfer fees set to be axed". Liverpool Echo. p. 33 – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
^ "Wonderful Wigan add Final chapter to illustrious history". The Birmingham Post. England. 1998-10-26. Retrieved 2009-10-05.