League Leaders' Shield
 Wigan player Jake Bibby holding the League Leaders' Shield and wearing the associated medal, 2020 | |
| Country |  England France |
|---|---|
| Presented by | Super League |
| History | |
| First award | 2002[1] |
| Most wins |  St. Helens(9 titles) |
| Most recent | 2024 Wigan Warriors(5th title) |
The League Leaders' Shield[2] is a trophy awarded to the team finishing the season top of Super League in the sport of rugby league football. This regular portion of the season precedes the playoffs for the eventual Super League Grand Final. The trophy was first awarded in Super League VII in 2002.[1]
St Helens won the first shield in 2002, and have since won the shield on a total of 9 occasions.
Wigan Warriors become only the 2nd team (along with St Helens), to retain the shield.
History
[edit]From 1907 until 1973 the Championship was awarded to the team winning a top-four play-off (excluding the 2 seasons 1962–63 and 1963–64, when the championship was awarded to the top-placed team). From 1907 to 1962 no prize was awarded to the team finishing top. From 1965 to 1973 a 'League Leaders' Trophy' was introduced to reward the team finishing top. In 1996, Super League was formed but continued to use the league to decide the champions until 1998, when they adopted a play-off structure for the championship. Between 1998 and 2001 no trophy was awarded for coming top of the league in the regular season, and it would not be until the 2002 season when the League Leaders' Shield was first awarded.
From 2015 to 2017, League Leaders' Shield winners would participate in the short lived World Club Series. 2015 also saw the prize money increase from £50,000 to £100,000.
In 2016, the League Leaders were awarded medals for the first time.
Shield winners
[edit]| Year | League leaders | Pts | Runners up | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | St. Helens(C)
|
46 |  Bradford Bulls
|
46 |
| 2003 | Bradford Bulls(C)
|
44 |  Leeds Rhinos
|
41 |
| 2004 | Leeds Rhinos(C)
|
50 | Bradford Bulls
|
41 |
| 2005 | St. Helens
|
47 | Leeds Rhinos
|
44 |
| 2006 | St. Helens(C)
|
48 |  Hull F.C.
|
40 |
| 2007 | St. Helens
|
38 | Leeds Rhinos
|
37 |
| 2008 | St. Helens
|
43 | Leeds Rhinos
|
42 |
| 2009 | Leeds Rhinos(C)
|
42 | St Helens
|
38 |
| 2010 | Wigan Warriors(C)
|
44 | St Helens
|
40 |
| 2011 |  Warrington Wolves
|
44 | Wigan Warriors
|
43 |
| 2012 | Wigan Warriors
|
42 | Warrington Wolves
|
41 |
| 2013 |  Huddersfield Giants
|
42 | Warrington Wolves
|
41 |
| 2014 | St. Helens(C)
|
38 | Wigan Warriors
|
37 |
| 2015 | Leeds Rhinos(C)
|
41 | Wigan Warriors
|
41 |
| 2016 | Warrington Wolves
|
43 | Wigan Warriors
|
42 |
| 2017 |  Castleford Tigers
|
50 | Leeds Rhinos
|
40 |
| 2018 | St. Helens
|
42 | Wigan Warriors
|
32 |
| 2019 | St. Helens(C)
|
52 | Wigan Warriors
|
36 |
| 2020 | Wigan Warriors
|
76.47a | St. Helens
|
70.59a |
| 2021 |  Catalans Dragons
|
82.61a | St. Helens
|
76.19a |
| 2022 | St. Helens(C)
|
42 | Wigan Warriors
|
38 |
| 2023 | Wigan Warriors(C)
|
40 | Catalans Dragons
|
40 |
| 2024 | Wigan Warriors(C)
|
44 |  Hull KR
|
42 |
- a: Shield winners decided by win percentage rather than points
(C) - Team also won the Grand Final to be crowned champions.
Winners
[edit]| Club | Wins | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| St. Helens |
9 | 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2022 |
| Wigan Warriors |
5 | 2010, 2012, 2020, 2023, 2024 |
| Leeds Rhinos |
3 | 2004, 2009, 2015 |
| Warrington Wolves |
2 | 2011, 2016 |
| Bradford Bulls |
1 | 2003 |
| Huddersfield Giants |
1 | 2013 |
| Castleford Tigers |
1 | 2017 |
| Catalans Dragons |
1 | 2021 |
The Treble
[edit]| Club | Wins | Winning years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 1991–92, 1993–94, 1994–95, 2024 | |
| 2 | 2 | 1912–13, 1914–15 | |
| 2 | 2 | 1965–66, 2006 | |
| 4 | 1 | 1927–28 | |
| 4 | 1 | 2003 | |
| 4 | 1 | 2015 |
The Quadruple
[edit]| Club | Wins | Winning years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 1993–94, 2024 | |
| 2 | 1 | 2003 | |
| 2 | 1 | 2006 |
See also
[edit]
- List of British rugby league champions
- List of British rugby league league leaders
- Championship Leaders' Shield
- Super League Grand Final
- Minor premiership - Australian equivalent
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Saints secure 2022 League Leaders Shield". Betfred Super League. August 29, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
- ^ Wilson, Andy (July 16, 2009). "Battle for Super League play-offs can pull in the fans". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 1, 2009. Retrieved July 12, 2010.