Super League VI

Tetley's Super League VI was the official name for the year 2001's Super League championship season, the 107th season of top-level professional rugby league football in Britain, and the sixth championship run by Super League. The season began on the first weekend in March and culminated after twenty-eight rounds in a six-game playoff series, involving the top 5 teams.

Super League VI
LeagueSuper League
Duration28 Rounds
Teams12[1]
Highest attendance21,073
Wigan Warriors vs St. Helens (13 April)
Lowest attendance1,800
London Broncos vs Huddersfield Giants (26 Aug)
Broadcast partners Sky Sports
2001 Season
Champions Bradford Bulls
2nd Super League title
4th English title
League Leaders Bradford Bulls
Man of Steel Paul Sculthorpe
Top point-scorer(s) Andrew Farrell (388)
Top try-scorer(s) Kris Radlinski (27)
Promotion and relegation
Promoted from National League One Widnes Vikings
Relegated to National League One Huddersfield Giants

Rule changes

  • 20 metre restarts should be allowed to happen quickly and not be delayed by referees.[2]
  • The first and second halves will now end the moment that the hooter sounds, in the past referees could use their discretion to let play continue if they felt the siren had sounded in during play.[2]

Refereeing focus

The play-the-ball was to be more strictly refereed:

  • Penalising those teams that attempt to delay or interfere with the tackled player.[2] Following a pre-season meeting with coaches the RFL's director of rugby, Greg McCallum, identified the following delaying tactics that would be monitored for:[2]
    • "Flopping" onto the player tackled or pushing them down in a "second effort".[2]
    • Straddling the tackled player.[2]
    • Pulling at the tackled player's leg as they get to their feet.[2]
    • Making contact with the ball in the tackled player's arms.[2]
    • Putting a hand on the shoulders or head of the tackled player.[2]
    • Deliberately knocking into ball-carriers at play-the-ball.[2]
  • Team-mates of tackled players should not attempt to manhandle tacklers off the player in possession.[2]
  • Attacking players must make at least an attempt to play the ball correctly with the foot.[2]
  • Players "milking" penalties would be punished.[2]

Rule deviation

  • The Rugby Football League opted to retain their existing substitution system of six changes from four available substitutes but allowing unlimited use of the blood bin.[2] This put British rugby league at odds with international interchange rules and impacted preparation for international competitions.[2]

Operational rules

  • Match commissioners were introduced by the League as a first point of contact for clubs that wish to raise and issue resulting from a match.[2] The introduction of this system follows a successful trial during the 2000 World Cup.[2]

Table

Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1 Bradford Bulls 2822151120474+64645Play-off Semi Final
2 Wigan Warriors 282215989494+49545Play-off Qualifying Final
3 Hull 282026772630+14242
4 St. Helens 281729924732+19236Play-off Elimination Final
5 Leeds Rhinos 2816111774721+5333
6 London Broncos 2813114644603+4127
7 Warrington Wolves 2811215646860-21424
8 Castleford Tigers 2810117581777-19621
9 Halifax Blue Sox 289019630819-18918
10 Salford City Reds 288020587596-36916
11 Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 288020529817-28814[a]
12 Huddersfield Giants 286121613926-31313Relegated to National League 1
Notes

^ a: Wakefield Trinity Wildcats deducted 2 points for salary cap breaches

Play-offs

Grand Final

The Grand Final, played on October 13 at Old Trafford, was won by Bradford Bulls who defeated Wigan Warriors to become champions. This was legendary Australian centre Steve Renouf's last game of top-level football before retirement.

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References

  1. "Super League Team-by-team guide". telegraph.co.uk. UK: Telegraph Media Group Limited. 1 March 2001. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  2. BBC Sport (2001-03-02). "Super League rules revamp". BBC. Retrieved 2009-05-06.
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