Super League XI

Engage Super League XI was the official name for the year 2006's Super League season in the sport of rugby league in Europe. Bradford Bulls were looking to retain the title they won in Super League X.

Super League XI
LeagueSuper League
Duration28 Rounds
Teams12
Highest attendance18,358
Wigan Warriors vs St. Helens (17 April)
Lowest attendance3,046
Salford vs Harlequins (11 Aug)
Attendance1,516,342
(average 9,026)
Broadcast partners Sky Sports
2006 Season
Champions St. Helens
5th Super League title
12th English title
League Leaders St. Helens
Man of Steel Paul Wellens
Top point-scorer(s) Jamie Lyon (316)
Top try-scorer(s) Justin Murphy (25)
Promotion and relegation
Promoted from National League 1 Hull Kingston Rovers
Relegated to National League 1 Castleford

The competition kicked off the weekend after the World Club Challenge. This season saw the entry of the Catalans Dragons, who are the first French team to compete since the demise of Paris Saint-Germain at the end of Super League II.

Castleford Tigers were relegated from Super League on Saturday 16 September after finishing the regular season in 11th place (Catalans Dragons were exempt from relegation and finished 12th, therefore 11th-placed team was relegated).

In the Grand Final St. Helens beat Hull F.C. by 26–4 at Old Trafford, Manchester in front of a crowd of 72,575 which is a record for a Super League Grand Final. At half time the score stood at 10–4 for St. Helens. Saints raced ahead in the second half with several tries. This victory, in addition to their Challenge Cup win and League Leaders' Shield, meant that they had completed the league treble.

The 2006 Super League generated the highest weekly average attendance in the 11-year history of the competition. The average weekly attendance for the regular season stood at 9,026, generated by an aggregate attendance of 1,516,342 supporters. This is an increase on the 2005 season average of 8,887.

Events

The lead up to round 18 saw the shock move of Stuart Fielden from Bradford Bulls to Wigan Warriors for a Super League record fee of £450,000. Despite a 30–12 home win over Warrington Wolves, Wigan Warriors remain bottom of the league after round 18.

In the latter part of the season, following round 19, the bottom half of the league table was very close, with 6 teams able to reach the play-offs and 5 still at risk of relegation.

Wigan left the bottom of the table for the first time in three months following round 20 but were still in the relegation position as Les Catalans were exempt from relegation. Warrington ended their bad run of results by beating Huddersfield in the same round.

The next week Wigan climbed out of the relegation zone after beating Salford - their fifth consecutive win. Wakefield Trinity had a chance to put Wigan back in the drop zone but blew a 20-0 lead against Huddersfield to allow them to record a crucial victory. Elsewhere Hull's Richard Horne became the first player in 91 years to score tries in eleven straight games for the club in their victory over Warrington.

Hull's 13 match winning streak came to an end at Harlequins in round 22 but 2nd place rivals Leeds lost to leaders St Helens, who had Jamie Lyon sent off. Wigan's recent revival was halted by Warrington.

In round 23, Wakefield Trinity re-ignited the relegation battle with a win against local rivals Castleford, despite being reduced to 11 men by the end of the game. Leeds lost the battle for second place, and their third league match in a row.

The relegation battle went down to the wire as Wakefield Trinity beat Bradford while Castleford lost to Salford in the penultimate round of the season. The two clubs at risk of relegation, Wakefield Trinity and Castleford, were scheduled to meet in what had become a relegation decider in the last match of the regular season.

St Helens receive the League Leaders' Shield for a second successive year as recognition for finishing top of the competition league table for the regular season. Harlequins secured survival after beating Wigan. Salford secure a top-6 play-off spot for the first time in their history.

At the end of the regular season, Castleford were relegated as a consequence of their 29-17 defeat away to Wakefield Trinity.

Results
Main article: 2006 Super League season results

Table
Pos. Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qual.
1 St. Helens 282404939430+50948Play-off Semi Final
2 Hull F.C. 282008720578+14240
3 Leeds 281909869543+32638Play-off Elimination Finals
4 Bradford 2816210802568+23432[a]
5 Salford 2813015600539+6126
6 Warrington 2813015743721+2226
7 Harlequins RL 2811116556823−26723
8 Wigan 2812016644715−7122[b]
9 Huddersfield 2811017609753−14422
10 Wakefield Trinity 2810018591717−12620
11 Castleford 289118575968−39319Relegated to National League 1
12 Catalans Dragons[c] 288020601894−29316Exempt from Relegation

Source: Rugby League Project.
Classification: 1st on competition points; 2nd on match points difference.
Competition points: for win = 2; for draw = 1; for loss = 0.

Play-offs
  Elimination play-offs   Qualifying / Elimination semi-finals   Elimination final   Grand Final
                                 
  QSF: 29 September 2006  
1   St. Helens 12  
2   Hull 8         GF: 11 October 2006
        St. Helens 26
  EPO1: 22 September 2006     EF: 6 October 2006       Hull 4
  3   Leeds 17         Hull 19  
  6   Warrington 18   ESF: 30 September 2006       Bradford 12
      Bradford 40  
EPO2: 23 September 2006       Warrington 24
  4   Bradford 52  
  5   Salford 6
   
Key:         Losing team progressing     Winning team progressing

Grand Final
Main article: 2006 Super League Grand Final

In the Grand Final St. Helens beat Hull F.C. by 26-4 at Old Trafford, Manchester. At half time the score stood at 10-4 for St. Helens. Saints raced ahead in the second half with several tries. This victory, in addition to their Challenge Cup win and League Leaders' Shield, meant that they had completed the league treble.

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See also

References
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