GOING back in time since 1996, there have been some really good teams to grace Super League and some really poor teams.
Just one team has finished a regular Super League season with zero points – and that honour fell to Halifax in 2003 after having their only win chalked off for salary cap breaches.
They are not the only ones to have been cast aside with relative ease, though, as here are some of the lowest points tallies in Super League history.
Halifax RLFC – 2003 – 0 points
Halifax have the ignominy of being the only Super League side to ever finish a season with a zero points tally – and that happened in 2003. The West Yorkshire club, led by former player Tony Anderson, did actually win a game and it came in round one against London Broncos in a 26-22 victory. However, those two points accrued were later deducted for salary cap breaches and Halifax failed to win another game all year. In fact, they shipped 1,227 points from 28 games with Anderson getting sacked the following season in April 2004.
London Broncos – 2014 – 2 points
Despite 2014 being London Broncos’ 19th season in Super League, it was their worst. With just one victory to their name – following an incredible home win over Challenge Cup winners Leeds Rhinos – the Broncos were relegated with ease. The capital club conceded 1,237 points with head coach Tony Rea replaced by Joey Grima midway through the 2014 season. Even though Bradford Bulls received a six-point deduction for going into administration, they still finished eight points in front of London.
Huddersfield Giants – 1998 – 4 points
Now a relatively stable Super League club, there was once a time when Huddersfield Giants were yo-yoing between the top flight and the second tier. The Giants earned promotion from the second division in 1997, but just a year later Huddersfield finished bottom with just two victories with the likes of Garry Schofield, Phil Veivers and even Malcolm Reilly taking charge at different points during the season. One saving grace for the West Yorkshire club was the fact that there was no relegation in 1998 due to an expansion of Super League to 14 teams.
Leigh Centurions – 2021 – 4 points
It’s been a rocky road through the summer era for the now-named Leigh Leopards, but the 2021 Super League season saw the then Centurions amass four points with just two wins from 22 games. The less amount of fixtures was down to the Covid-19 pandemic and the after-effects but head coach John Duffy could do little to stop Leigh from being relegated at the end of the 2021 season. Adrian Lam took over the reins in November 2021 and the rest, they say, is history.
Workington Town – 1996 – 5 points
Yes, Workington Town were once in Super League if only for a season. And it was the inaugural year of the summer era, with Town finishing bottom with just five points to their name. Town shipped a total of 1,021 points as head coach Ross O’Reilly took the reins from Widnes legend Kurt Sorensen in March 1996. Unfortunately for the Cumbrian club, they were relegated the following year from Division One as debts mounted and crowds dwindled.
Leigh Centurions – 2005 – 5 points
Second time to appear on this list, Leigh were promoted to Super League at the end of 2004, and the Centurions – as they were called in 2005 – won just two games and drew another to finish rock bottom of the top flight. In doing so, Leigh conceded 1,210 points as head coach Darren Abram resigned in August 2005 after a disagreement with the board, who felt unable to offer him the full-time contract he wanted for 2006 if the club were not in Super League. Tommy Martyn and Heath Cruckshank both tried to steady the ship before Tony Benson was appointed head coach in September 2005. Leigh’s relegation from Super League had been all but confirmed at the time of his appointment.
Celtic Crusaders – 2009 – 6 points
Ah yes, the infamous Welsh experiment. Celtic Crusaders were given a franchise for the 2009 Super League season, and it’s fair to say that the first year went belly up. Coach John Dixon could only inspire three wins with the club violating visa regulations and six Australian players – Jace Van Dijk, Tony Duggan and Damien Quinn, who all joined the club in 2006, as well as Darren Mapp, Mark Dalle Cort, Josh Hannay – who all joined the club in 2007 – were banned from entering the country for ten years. The Welsh side would change their name to Crusaders RL for 2010 with Brian Noble as their head coach.
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