EARNING promotion to Super League from the Championship is no easy feat considering the length of the season and the necessity of being at the top of your game when it matters most.
Over the years, there have been brilliant second tier sides that have earned their place in the top flight, with the newly-rebranded Leigh Leopards one of those, having cast aside all competitors in 2022.
However, which are the best sides to ever and never earn promotion in terms of points accrued?
All of these sids below finished top of the second tier in their respective years, but not all earned promotion.
Salford Reds – 1996 – Won 18, Lost 2
Hull Sharks – 1997 – Won 18, Drawn 1, Lost 1
Wakefield Trinity – 1998 – Won 22, Drawn 1, Lost 7
Dewsbury Rams – 1999 – Won 21, Drawn 2, Lost 5 (Hunslet won play-off final but weren’t accepted into Super League due to not meeting stadium requirements)
Dewsbury Rams – 2000 – Won 21, Drawn, Lost 5 (Dewsbury not accepted into Super League due to not meeting stadium requirements)
Leigh Centurions – 2001 – Won 26, Lost 2 (Widnes Vikings won play-off final after winning 21 games, drawing one and losing six)
Huddersfield Giants – 2002 – Won 26, Drawn 1
Salford City Reds – 2003 – Won 14, Drawn 2, Lost 2
Leigh Centurions – 2004 – Won 14, Lost 4
Whitehaven – 2005 – Won 16, Lost 2 (Castleford Tigers promoted after winning play-off final. The Tigers won 15 and lost three in the second tier, finishing second)
Hull KR – 2006 – Won 16, Lost 2
Castleford Tigers – 2007 – Won 17, Lost 1
Salford City Reds – 2008 – Won 12, Drawn 3, Lost 3
Barrow Raiders – 2009 – Won 13, Lost 7
Featherstone Rovers – 2010 – Won 18, Lost 2
Featherstone Rovers – 2011 – Won 18, Drawn 1, Lost 1
Featherstone Rovers – 2012 – Won 15, Drawn 1, Lost 2
Featherstone Rovers – 2013 – Won 22, Lost 4
Leigh Centurions – 2014 – Won 25, Lost 1
Leigh Centurions – 2015 – Won 21, Drawn 1, Lost 1
Leigh Centurions – 2016 – Won 21, Drawn 1, Lost 1
Hull KR – 2017 – Won 19, Drawn 1, Lost 3
Toronto Wolfpack – 2018 – Won 20, Drawn 1, Lost 2
Toronto Wolfpack – 2019 – Won 21, Lost 1 (Toronto lost to London Broncos in Million Pound Game after the Broncos won 16 games, drawn one and lost six, finishing second)
Toulouse Olympique – 2021 – Won 14
Leigh Centurions – 2022 – Won 26, Lost 1
