Friday, 30 June 2017

UK Top Teams : 1981-1990

This is part of a series where top results are scored and tallied up. The Championship is the top 4 teams, scored 6-3-2-1. Then the Premiership again top 4 sides, 6-4-2-2. Challenge Cup finalists, 4-2. League Cup 4-2, Lancashire & Yorkshire Cups 3-1.

A break down of competitions shows who were the big hitters in this decade.

The League: Wigan 24 points, Hull KR 18, Widnes 16.
Finals: Widnes 30, Hull KR 20, St Helens and Hull FC 18 each.
Challenge Cup: Wigan 27 points, Widnes 15 and Hull FC 12.
Lancashire/Yorkshire Cups: Wigan 14 / Castleford/Hull FC 10 each.
League Cup: Wigan 20 points and daylight second.

In the previous decade, St Helens Leeds and Widnes were best. For the 1980's after a slow start it was all Wigan. Widnes was well behind, while the two Hull sides were 3rd and 4th most successful. Saints and Warrington made up the top six.

In the World Club Challenge with Australia, Wigan won the first to be held this decade. In 1987, they defeated Manly 8-2 in a tryless encounter at Central Park, Wigan. In the other match in this period, Widnes overcame Canberra 30-18 after trailing 0-12 early on. The Match was played at Old Trafford, Manchester. These results are not incorporated in the points chart below.

The Hull sides were strong early on but faded as the decade progressed. Widnes started and finished well but stalled in the middle. From 1985 to 1990, the Wigan team was almost unstoppable, winning two league titles, two grand finals, four Challenge Cups, four Lancashire Cups and four League Cups. They were the cup specialists. Could they maintain that through the next decade. We shall see.

For the first in the series, simply click here.
For the next in the series, just click here.

Rk Club / Year Tot 90 89 88 87 86 85 84 83 82 81
1 Wigan Warriors 97 18 16 11 19 12 11 3 6
1
2 Widnes Vikings 67 8 14 12


9 6 12 6
3 Hull FC 59
5
1
8 8 16 17 4
4 Hull KR 57



8 15 12 5 5 12
5 St Helens RFC 44
5 11 8 2 12 2 2
2
6 Warrington Wolves 42 6
3 8 8
2 3 2 10
7 Leeds Rhinos 28 5 5 2
2 3 4 4
3
8 Castleford Tigers 24
1 1 4 7
6
3 2
9 Halifax RLFC 23 2
3 8 10




10 Bradford Bulls 22 8
6



1 1 6
11 Leigh Centurions 9







9
12 Featherstone Rov 9 1 2




6

13 Barrow Raiders 5





3

2
14 Oldham Roughyeds 2 1

1





15 Wakefield Trinity 1








1
16 Salford Red Devils 1
1









490 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49 49

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