12th - Leigh Centurions. 11th in the league, a poor cup run and losing the promotion / relegation million pound game means an easy pick for 12th place.
11th - Catalans Dragons. The resources at this club's disposal showed how badly they got it wrong. French players were too often replaced by ordinary performing ones from elsewhere and the results just kept getting worse. They pulled together in avoiding relegation though.
10th - Widnes Vikings. Finishing last in the league but by managing to get ahead of Leigh and Les Catalans in the next phase of games helped them up two places.
9th - Warrington Wolves. Making the grand final one year and ending up scrapping for SL survival the next isn't an ideal situation to find yourself in. As it turned out relegation wasn't even on the horizon for this talented but under performing team.
8th - Huddersfield Giants. Coming 8th in the league, bundled out of the cup early, then barely firing a shot in the Super Eights wasn't stellar, but better than 2017. The squad did about as well at it could be expect to do.
7th - Wigan Warriors. At its peak some years ago, the best club in world RL. It also produces many good players. However, a salary cap has evened out the playing field. For 2017 the team didn't perform that well at all so a losing cup final was all it achieved of note.
6th - Salford Red Devils. 3rd in the league was an amazing result for a side that avoided relegation in 2016 with an escape act worthy of Houdini himself. One game away from a cup final appearance was also a good effort. Unfortunately, by season's end the team looked tired and limped home in the Super Eights.
5th - Wakefield Trinity Wild Cats. A so-so team from 2016 were a step up in 2017. The club cannot afford to spend its salary cap but recruits shrewdly and finished a creditable 5th in the league. They almost took a top four finals berth and also made the cup quarter finals as well. They turned out to be a surprise package.
4th - St Helens RFC. They had a shocker of a start to the season which included an early Challenge Cup exit. However, with a new coach they clawed their way back to respectability. 6th in the league was a good result in the end, then battling to a top four finals spot was even better. Losing out on a grand final place due to poor goal kicking and an extra time field goal (and despite playing away too) was an amazing end to a season that started so poorly.
3rd - Hull FC. A third in both the league and Super Eights along with a Challenge Cup victory was a great season for the Airlie Birds. Still, it all had a feeling of 'nearly but not quite' to me. Losing to Leeds one game away from a grand final by just two points sums up the season in many ways.
2nd - Leeds Rhinos. Last year it was in the promotion / relegation fight, this year was so much better. Second in the league (although well off the top spot) and second in the Super Eights was complimented with a cup semi final spot. Then making the grand final had the coach choking up with emotion.
1st - Castleford Tigers. This small RL mad town in Yorkshire did itself proud in 2017. It won the league by a country mile, went through the the Super Eight play offs with ease too. A quarter final cup exit was the nearest thing to a blemish in 2017. Then to somehow get past St Helens in a gripping match to make the grand final made this an epic season for the club.
Summary: The Castleford Tigers have never won the league in its ninety one year history...until 2017. Wow and they did it in style, winning by a wide margin. They were the entertainers too, playing open, exciting RL.
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