Super League Top 10: Easter Special
For a rugby league blog, it’s not too easy to find anything
to write about at the minute, with the lack of action. The Easter Weekend is
like Christmas for rugby league fans, and in the Super League era, there have
been some brilliant Easter encounters.
In the first of a series of Super League top 10 blogs, we
count down the most memorable Easter moments in the summer era! When researching
for this piece, we initially had 21 moments, but have had to narrow it down considerably!
10) Warrington
28-10 Widnes (2016)
With Castleford playing Leeds, a Hull derby and Wigan vs St
Helens all over the same weekend, under normal circumstances, the Cheshire
derby may have slipped under the radar. Not this time though!
Both sides went into this match with 100% records, with six
victories from six games to start the season. No wonder the Halliwell Jones
Stadium was sold out for the occasion!
It looked like Widnes who were going to maintain their place
at the top of the league, as they raced into 10-0 lead after 23 minutes.
However, two quickfire Warrington tries levelled it at the break.
The scoreline ended with a flattering look for Warrington
due to two late tries, but make no mistake, this game was a battle for the most
part. The end result seeing Warrington displace Widnes at the top of the
league, as part of their best start to a season since 1950.
HIGHLIGHTS:
9) Castleford
28-26 Wakefield (2019)
With Castleford leading by 28-8 after 60 minutes, you would
not have foreseen this one on the list! But when Arundel, Reynolds and Arona
scored three tries in nine minutes, the deficit was reduced to just two points!
And Wakefield had the chance to win it with just three
minutes remaining, but Ben Jones-Bishop was denied by a fantastic Peter Mata’utai
cover tackle.
Castleford hung on for victory, courtesy of an impressive
first half display, but made harder work of it than they needed to! This was a
fantastic opening to Easter 2019!
HIGHLIGHTS:
8. St Helens
41-26 Wigan (1996)
Eighth spot comes from the first-ever Super League Easter!
When Super League started, this was the vision. Big crowds, glorious sunshine,
fast-paced action. This game had it all.
It started in then-familiar style for St Helens, trailing
10-0 and then 16-4. In a back-and-forth encounter, St Helens levelled the
scores at the break.
In the second half, they kicked on, with Danny Arnold
scoring a hat-trick to take them to a 29-16 lead. Wigan, as always, roared back
to make it 29-26 in the blink of an eye. But it was St Helens day and two late
scores made the result look more comprehensive that it was.
This result turned out to be an important win for St Helens,
as they secured their first league title in 20 years.
HIGHLIGHTS (from a St Helens perspective):
7. Wigan
24-22 St Helens (2003)
Another Wigan vs St Helens clash in 2003 for number 7 on our
countdown. St Helens were overwhelming favourites, given the depleted nature of
Wigan’s squad.
If any game was evidence to prove that form and even logic
goes out of the window on derby day, then this was it. Initially, the game went
to form, with St Helens opening up a 10-point half time lead, with debutant
winger Jon Whittle being tormented by the experienced Darren Albert.
The Wigan turnaround came in the second half, led by Danny
Tickle and his flawless kicking display, which saw Wigan edge a famous victory!
You may have seen the full match replay on Sky Sports over
the weekend, but if not, YouTube carries the highlights!
HIGHLIGHTS:
6. Hull FC
22-14 Hull KR (2007)
This is the only Easter Monday game to make the top 10 (although
there were a couple more on our rather long ‘shortlist’).
Perhaps the idea was to hold the Leeds vs Bradford and St
Helens vs Wigan derbies on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, with the Hull derby
on Easter Monday, following Hull KR’s promotion.
If we are being honest, this probably wasn’t the greatest
game on this list. It was, however, a magnificent occasion. A packed-out KC
Stadium bathed in sunshine for the first top-flight meeting between the sides
in a generation.
A tight tussle was eventually settled by a Sid Domic try, in
celebrating which he managed to land a right hook on a teammate. It was Super
League’s first Hull Derby, the first of many wonderful occasions!
HIGHLIGHTS:
5. Leeds 18-18 Bradford (2013)
Reigning champions Leeds had not made the best start to the 2013 season, but still went into the West Yorkshire derby as favourites.
That perception appeared accurate when Kallum Watkins opened the scoring in the
first minute. Ryan Hall had a try disallowed in the third minute, and it looked
like it was going to be a long evening for Bradford.
Not many would have foreseen the battle that ensued. The
lead switched back and forth, with Leeds holding a six-point lead going into
the latter stages. Their attempted drop goals failed, Jamie Peacock saw a
yellow card, before Adam Sidlow snatched a last-gasp draw.
FULL MATCH:
4. St Helens
21-21 Wigan (2004)
The second draw on our list was a bad-tempered battle at
Knowsley Road. The game is best remembered for an all-in brawl, including Andy
Farrell and Paul Sculthorpe. The first-half punch up between Sean Long and
Danny Sculthorpe is less well-remembered!
What is also often forgotten is that this was a fantastic
match of rugby league. Much like the 2003 Easter meeting, Wigan went into the
game in poor form. So when St Helens opened up a 20-4 lead, Wigan would have
feared the worst.
Yet they fought back to firstly draw level and then kicked a
drop goal to give them the lead going into the last 10 minutes. Wigan couldn’t
quite hold on for back-to-back Easter wins, as Sean Long kept a calm head to
slot the equaliser. Sean Long certainly did not keep a calm head for the rest of
the weekend!
Match highlights aren’t on YouTube, but the infamous brawl
is!
3. Bradford
12-4 Leeds (2012)
Just like the 2007 Hull Derby, this match does not make the
list for being a classic encounter, but instead for being played against the
backdrop of one of Super League’s biggest ever stories!
Bradford, one of Super League’s top clubs, had hit major
financial difficulties and had launched a huge fundraising drive to save the
club. The city’s public responded with a 20,000 + crowd cramming into Odsal.
Despite being shorn of 10 first team stars and a late red
card, Mick Potter’s men scored two tries in the last 15 minutes to bring home the
victory for an emotional Odsal crowd.
HIGHLIGHTS:
2. Wigan
28-24 St Helens (2011)
Wow, wow wow. This game had it all! This was the second
meeting of the two sides in 2011, following an opening-day Magic Weekend draw
between the rivals. That was a good match. This was outstanding.
After a slow start, Wigan gained control and held a 12-point
lead at the hour mark, but the young St Helens team would not give up. Two
quick tries, including one from a young player named Tommy Makinson, who was
just breaking into the side, brought Saints level.
A Jamie Foster penalty looked to have given St Helens an
unlikely win. They had one set to defend, but their hearts were broken by a
last gasp Liam Farrell winner.
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Hull KR
20-22 Hull FC (2016)
It would take something special to beat the Wigan vs St
Helens 2011 thriller to top spot, but that it what the two Hull sides produced
in 2016.
It would be fair to say that Hull FC were abject for an hour
of that game, although Hull KR were equally as impressive in defence and
clinical in attack.
A 20-0 lead with 60 minutes gone seemed unassailable,
especially with the level of control that Hull KR exerted.
Hull FC left it late, but responded with an onslaught that
was too hot for the Robins to handle. Four tries in 15 minutes turned humiliation
for Hull FC into the greatest Easter resurrection for…well, let’s say quite
some time!
We watched the game back with our Twitter followers on
Saturday night. Check out our blog to relive the best bits!
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So, over to you! Have we missed anything out? Got something in the wrong order? Let us
know in the comments on by contacting us on Twitter!
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