Super League V

Tetley's Bitter Super League was the official name for the year 2000's Super League championship season, the 106th season of top-level professional rugby league football in Britain, and the fifth championship run by Super League. The season culminated in the Grand Final between St Helens R.F.C. and Wigan Warriors, which St Helens won, claiming their second consecutive Championship.

Super League V
LeagueSuper League
Duration28 Rounds
Teams12
Highest attendance17,428
Wigan Warriors vs St. Helens (9 July)
Lowest attendance2,040
London Broncos vs Salford City Reds (12 Aug)
Attendance1,245,720
(average 7,415)
Broadcast partners Sky Sports
2000 Season
Champions St. Helens
3rd Super League title
10th English title
League Leaders Wigan Warriors
Man of Steel Sean Long
Top point-scorer(s) Sean Long (352)
Top try-scorer(s) Sean Long (22)
Tommy Martyn (22)

Table

Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Wigan Warriors 282413960405+55549Play-off Semi Final
2 St. Helens 282305988627+36146Play-off Qualifying Final
3 Bradford Bulls 2820351004408+59643
4 Leeds Rhinos 2817011692626+6634Eliminator Final
5 Castleford Tigers 2817011585571+1434
6 Warrington Wolves 2813015735817-8226
7 Hull 2812115630681-5125
8 Halifax Blue Sox 2811116664703-3923
9 Salford City Reds 2810018542910-36820
10 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 288020557771-21416
11 London Broncos 286022456770-31412
12 Huddersfield-Sheffield Giants 2840245021026-5248

Play-offs

  Qualifying / Elimination finals Semi-finals Preliminary final Grand Final
                                 
 
  1   Wigan Warriors 16  
        St. Helens 54         14 October 2000
                St. Helens 29
                Wigan Warriors 16
  2   St. Helens 16           Wigan Warriors 40  
  3   Bradford Bulls 11           Bradford Bulls 12
        Bradford Bulls 46  
        Leeds Rhinos 12
  4   Leeds Rhinos 22  
  5   Castleford Tigers 14
   
Key:           Losing team progressing       Winning team progressing

Wide to West

St Helens, who finished second in the regular season table, hosted Bradford Bulls for the qualifying play-off in week one of the play-offs. One of Super League's most well known tries was scored in the final seconds of the match.[1] Bradford led the game 11–10 into the final minute when, deep in the St Helens half with the match seemingly lost, St Helens were awarded a penalty. The try scored on the second tackle by Chris Joynt became known as "Wide to West" due to the phrase being used in live commentary by Eddie Hemmings. St Helens won 16–11.

Eddie Hemmings and Mike Stephenson commentated for Sky Sports:[2]

Hemmings
It's gonna be the match for Bradford.
Stephenson
He's given a penalty.
Hemmings
Oh, he has.
Stephenson
He'd called held there. They're still not out of it. Oh, they've taken a short one, they know they've only got ten seconds. Will they get this play-the-ball in? They're holding him down.
Crowd
[counting down until the end of match] 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Hemmings
Sculthorpe wants to get on with it, Bradford: counting down.
Stephenson
Kick and chase now?
Hemmings
This is the last play. Long... kicks it wide to Iro. Iro to Hall. Hall is trapped. Back it goes to Hoppe. Over the shoulder to Hall. There is Jonkers. Here is Long, and Long fancies it. Long fancies it. It's wide to West. It's wide to West. Dwayne West. Inside to Joynt. Joynt. JOYNT. JOYNT! OH! OH! FANTASTIC!
Stephenson
I wouldn't believe it!
Hemmings
They've won it, they've won it, they've won it. Chris Joynt; Chris Joynt has won it. It is unbelievable here, it is, frankly, unbelievable. Chris Joynt has won the match for St Helens.

See also

References

  1. Wilson, Andy (31 December 2009). "Rugby league in the noughties". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
  2. Commentators: Eddie Hemmings, Mike Stephenson (2000-09-22). "Sky Sports: Super League play-offs - St Helens vs Bradford Bulls". Season 2000. St. Helens, United Kingdom. Sky Sports. Sky Sports 1. Missing or empty |series= (help)
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