• Mon. Dec 23rd, 2024

Super League 2024 review: Biggest moments from across the season as Wigan Warriors solidified their domination | Rugby League News

Byadmin

Dec 23, 2024


As the year comes to an end, we take a look back at the biggest, best and most emotional moments from the 2024 Super League season…

February

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Highlights of World Club Challenge between Wigan Warriors and Penrith Panthers.

The 2024 season started with the most monumental of victories for Super League. In February, Jake Wardle’s converted try was the difference as Wigan Warriors snatched a dramatic 16-12 victory over Penrith Panthers to win the World Club Challenge.

The win saw Wigan crowned club world champions for a fifth time and kept the Panthers waiting for their first win in the contest after losing to St Helens on home soil after a golden point dropgoal from Lewis Dodd a year earlier.

“Tonight, off the field and on the field, is the culmination of a lot of hard work and we have to do it again and again now,” said Warriors head coach Matt Peet.

“It’s not just about winning trophies, but packing this place out and standing for something.”

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St Helens beat Penrith Panthers to win the World Club Challenge in dramatic fashion with an extra-time golden point winning dropgoal!

March

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Highlights of the Super League match between St Helens and Wigan Warriors.

It can’t be a season review without it! The Good Friday derby between St Helens and Wigan delivered as it always does in March, the rival teams separate by eight miles and one big hill going toe-to-toe once again.

It was a big win for St Helens as they ended Wigan Warriors’ 15-match winning run with a drama-filled 12-4, Wigan’s Liam Byrne seeing red for a high shot on Mark Percival.

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Liam Byrne receives red for a high tackle on Mark Percival after it was checked by the video ref.

“When these games are close and when they are nail-biting like that, there is no better spectacle,” said St Helens head coach Paul Wellens.

“You have to withstand pressure at times and I thought we did that really well, and ultimately came on strong at the end.”

April

In April, we saw one of Super League’s most decorated coaches leave Hull FC after 18 months in charge. Yes, on April 11, Hull FC parted ways with head coach Tony Smith by mutual consent after a poor start to the Super League season.

At the time the black and whites were sat second bottom in the table and this was ultimately where they would finish the regular season.

“I want to wish the club and all of the players well for the future,” said Smith in a statement issued by the club.

“It is disappointing not to see the job through which was always going to be a challenging project – and I was relishing the opportunity to see it through.

“I wish everyone at the club the best for the future.”

May

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Highlights of the Super League match between London Broncos and Hull FC.

In May, London Broncos recorded their first win of the Super League season with a 34-18 home victory over Hull FC.

The Broncos had secured a shock promotion to Super League after going on a shock run from fifth in the Championship to beat Toulouse Olympique to promotion.

The Broncos were pointless up until this point in the season but they ended their drought by running in six tries against the struggling black and whites.

June

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Leeds Rhinos gathered to remember their inspirational number seven and gave Rob Burrow the fitting tribute he deserved.

“In a world full of adversity, you must dare to dream.” That is what Rob Burrow CBE did in a career with a highlight reel not many can top. Ahead of Leeds Rhinos vs Leigh Leopards in June, his boyhood club and Sky Sports paid tribute to the “little warrior” who left a gigantic mark.

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The Burrow family and Leeds Rhinos players came together on the pitch after the game to watch a tribute to the inspirational number seven.

On Global MND Awareness Day, a packed-out Headingley Stadium was pulsing with emotion as family, friends, and fans alike came together to celebrate Leeds’ greatest ever No 7, who raised millions for the disease he battled valiantly since his diagnosis in 2019.

Sky Sports Rugby League’s Jamie Jones-Buchanan described the moment as Burrow’s “brothers and sisters” bringing the tribute into the “inner sanctum” and that they did, with his wife Lindsey Burrow, his parents Irene and Geoff Burrow, plus 80 of his former team-mates coming from as far as Australia and New Zealand to celebrate his legacy.

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Team-mate and close friend Kevin Sinfield sends a special message to the Leeds fans gathered to pay tribute to Rob Burrow.

July

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Highlights of the Super League match between Leeds Rhinos and London Broncos.

As the Broncos continued to improve, July marked a heartbreaking but sensational match between the London outfit and Leeds Rhinos.

For the first of two, YES TWO, times in the season, the Broncos were beaten by Leeds in golden point extra time.

The drama!

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London Broncos’ director of rugby Mike Eccles reflects on his side’s dramatic Golden Point defeat at Leeds Rhinos.

August

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London Broncos full-back Josh Rourke goes over for the first try of Magic Weekend.

In August, Super League went on the road once again for two days of bumper Magic Weekend action at Elland Road in Leeds.

Rugby League fans packed the stands as Wigan faced Saints in an always fiery derby, London picked up another big win against Hull, and Leigh Leopards dominated Salford Red Devils.

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Josh Warrington was in the stands as tempers flared between Warrington Wolves and Leeds Rhinos at Ellland Road, with the two-time world featherweight champion getting rather excited as the action unfolded.

September

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George Williams sent Warrington Wolves through to the Super League play-off semi-finals with a superb drop goal against St Helens.

There were lots of highlights in September but our highlight has to be when George Williams was the hero for Warrington Wolves with a golden-point drop goal as they completed a stunning comeback to beat St Helens 23-22 in the Betfred Super League play-off eliminator.

Having had one drop goal attempt charged down in spectacular fashion by Morgan Knowles, Williams did not waste his second opportunity four minutes into the extra period to put Sam Burgess’ side 80 minutes away from a place in the Grand Final.

The Wolves, who had been victim of many a last-gasp victory from the Saints over the years, finally got their revenge.

October

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Take a look at some exclusive footage as Wigan Warriors players, staff and fans celebrate their Super League Grand Final victory over Hull KR at Old Trafford.

In October, the quadruple was confirmed and Wigan Warriors cemented their legacy with a 9-2 victory over Hull KR in the Grand Final.

Wigan wrote their name into the history books once again, their star player Bevan French picking up the inaugural Rob Burrow award as player of the match, his solo effort in the first half the difference between the two sides.

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Wigan Warriors’ Bevan French scored the only try in the 2024 Grand Final against Hull KR, which closely resembled Rob Burrow’s Grand Final try for Leeds Rhinos against St Helens back in 2011.

The victory for the Warriors means they won the World Club Challenge, League Leaders’ Shield, Challenge Cup and Grand Final in the space of a calendar year, something that hasn’t been done since 1998.

2025 Super League – key dates and what to look out for

March 1: Wigan Warriors vs Warrington Wolves in Las Vegas
April 17-19: Round 8 – Rivals Round
May 3-4: Magic Round (St James’ Park, Newcastle)
July 24: August 31 – Round 20 – split round across two weekends
September 4-7: Round 25 – Rivals Round fixtures reversed
September 18-21: Round 27 – last round of regular season (dates and times tbc)
September 26-27: Elimination Play-Offs
October 3-4: Semi-Finals
Saturday October 11: Grand Final (Old Trafford)

Sky Sports will again show every game of the Super League live this season – including two matches in each round exclusively live, with the remaining four matches each week shown on Sky Sports+



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