Super League 2019 review - Your team's highlights and lowlights - PART 1 (Castleford - Leeds)

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As 2019 draws to a close, and the decade for that matter, it is time to look back on the season that was. We started the Super League season on 31 January 2019 in freezing temperatures, with orange balls and snow. At a time when the ‘shot-clock’ was a novelty and the story of the year was unwritten.

Another season has passed us by, and it is time to reflect on each Super League teams highlight and lowlight of the last 12 months

Castleford

Highlight: It’s fair to say Castleford had an up and down year. They won their first four games before fading and eventually securing a play off place, with a critical win against Hull FC in the penultimate round of the season.

Nobody expected much for Castleford in the play-offs, so their opening round victory against Warrington was a big shock. They defended valiantly and a flawless kicking performance, both field and place kicks, from Peter Mata’utai saw Castleford advance to week 2 of the play offs.

Given their significant injury problems in 2019, this represented a solid season for Daryl Powell’s men.


Lowlight: Ironically, the following week was Castleford’s lowlight. After an impressive display against Warrington, they looked a pale shadow of that against Salford in week 2 of the play offs, only threatening to score on a couple of occasions. A 22-0 away defeat in front of a large away following is not the way you want a season to end.

Catalans
Highlight: This one is obvious isn’t it? Catalans made history in 2019, taking a game to Nou Camp in Barcelona and attracted a Super League record crowd of 31,555. Often, Catalans falter on the big occasion. Not this time. A supreme second half performance saw them defeat Wigan by 33-16 to crown what had been a glorious 9 months for French rugby league.


Lowlight: Catalans were one of several sides battling for a play off spot as the season drew to a close. They had a favourable run of fixtures compared to other sides yet performed an abject surrender. Their final five results of the season say it all:

Leeds 48 – 8 Catalans
Catalans 4 – 17 London
Catalans 6 – 24 Hull KR
Wigan 46 – 12 Catalans
Huddersfield 24 – 22 Catalans

Huddersfield

Highlight: Huddersfield had a shocker of a season, only securing their Super League status on the final day. A rare highlight for them was a thumping 53-point victory over Hull FC at Magic Weekend.


Lowlight: An August blip which featured consecutive nillings at home at the hands of Leeds and Castleford, sandwiched in between a heavy defeat away at Salford. At this point, Huddersfield’s survival prospects hung by a thread, eventually saved by two wins in their final three matches.

 Hull FC

 Highlight: You never know what you’re going to get with Hull FC. Rocks or diamonds. The diamond that shone brightest in their 2019 season was a 10-50 win away at Catalans. It was not just the size of the victory that was special, there were two tries that will live long in the memory. A glorious team effort rounded off by Josh Griffin in the first half and a 100m run 
from Ratu Naulogo.

Lowlight: Whilst Hull FC suffered inexplicably heavy defeats to Warrington, St Helens and Huddersfield in 2019, it was their end of season that was a lowlight. Losing their final four games to Salford, Huddersfield, Castleford and St Helens ultimately cost them a play-off place.

 Hull KR

 Highlight: It probably says something about Hull KR’s season when their highlight came in the very first game. Jimmy Keinhorst scoring with the final act of the game to snatch victory from their cross-city rivals Hull FC.


Lowlight: Hull KR lost their penultimate game of the season to a relegation rival and then lost in their final game to Salford. This happened in 2016 and in 2019. In 2016, that was enough to see them relegated. In 2019, they earned a reprieve, as a London defeat saw them survive.

 The lowlight of 2019 has to be conceding a 77th minute try to London in the penultimate game, which meant that they went from a position of guaranteeing Super League survival to being in a four-way final day battle to stay up in an instant.

 Leeds

Highlight: Whilst Leeds endured a torrid season, they hit form when it mattered, winning four of their final six games to extinguish the possibility of an unthinkable relegation. Perhaps the end of season.

Lowlight: A home defeat to a Danny McGuire inspired Hull KR in July, followed up by a narrow home defeat against Hull FC left Leeds in real relegation danger. Of course, the improved form noted above saved Leeds’ skins.

 Don't forget to read part 2 of our review, looking back at the remaining team's seasons!

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