UK Top Teams : 1981-1990

This is part of a series where top results are scored and tallied up. The Championship is the top 4 teams, scored 6-3-2-1. Then the Premiership again top 4 sides, 6-4-2-2. Challenge Cup finalists, 4-2. League Cup 4-2, Lancashire & Yorkshire Cups 3-1.

A break down of competitions shows who were the big hitters in this decade.

The League: Wigan 24 points, Hull KR 18, Widnes 16.
Finals: Widnes 30, Hull KR 20, St Helens and Hull FC 18 each.
Challenge Cup: Wigan 27 points, Widnes 15 and Hull FC 12.
Lancashire/Yorkshire Cups: Wigan 14 / Castleford/Hull FC 10 each.
League Cup: Wigan 20 points and daylight second.

In the previous decade, St Helens Leeds and Widnes were best. For the 1980's after a slow start it was all Wigan. Widnes was well behind, while the two Hull sides were 3rd and 4th most successful. Saints and Warrington made up the top six.

In the World Club Challenge with Australia, Wigan won the first to be held this decade. In 1987, they defeated Manly 8-2 in a tryless encounter at Central Park, Wigan. In the other match in this period, Widnes overcame Canberra 30-18 after trailing 0-12 early on. The Match was played at Old Trafford, Manchester. These results are not incorporated in the points chart below.

The Hull sides were strong early on but faded as the decade progressed. Widnes started and finished well but stalled in the middle. From 1985 to 1990, the Wigan team was almost unstoppable, winning two league titles, two grand finals, four Challenge Cups, four Lancashire Cups and four League Cups. They were the cup specialists. Could they maintain that through the next decade. We shall see.

For the first in the series, simply click here.
For the next in the series, just click here.

Rk	Club / Year	Tot	90	89	88	87	86	85	84	83	82	81
1	Wigan Warriors	97	18	16	11	19	12	11	3	6		1
2	Widnes Vikings	67	8	14	12				9	6	12	6
3	Hull FC	59		5		1		8	8	16	17	4
4	Hull KR	57					8	15	12	5	5	12
5	St Helens RFC	44		5	11	8	2	12	2	2		2
6	Warrington Wolves	42	6		3	8	8		2	3	2	10
7	Leeds Rhinos	28	5	5	2		2	3	4	4		3
8	Castleford Tigers	24		1	1	4	7		6		3	2
9	Halifax RLFC	23	2		3	8	10
10	Bradford Bulls	22	8		6					1	1	6
11	Leigh Centurions	9									9
12	Featherstone Rov	9	1	2						6
13	Barrow Raiders	5							3			2
14	Oldham Roughyeds	2	1			1
15	Wakefield Trinity	1										1
16	Salford Red Devils	1		1
		490	49	49	49	49	49	49	49	49	49	49