1985–86 Rugby Football League season

The 1985–86 Rugby Football League season was the 91st ever season of professional rugby league football in Britain. Sixteen teams competed from August, 1985 until May, 1986 for the Slalom Lager Championship.

1985–86 Rugby Football League season
League	Slalom Lager Championship
Teams	16
Champions	Halifax
Premiership winners	Warrington
Man of Steel Award	Gavin Miller
Top try-scorer(s)	Ellery Hanley 63
Promotion and relegation
Promoted from Second Division	Leigh Barrow Wakefield Trinity
Relegated to Second Division	York Swinton Dewsbury
Second Division
Champions	Leigh
Top point-scorer(s)	Chris Johnson 400
Top try-scorer(s)	John Henderson 27

Season summary

Slalom Lager League Champions were Halifax.
Halifax finished on top of the First Division table to claim their fourth, and to date, last championship, but Warrington defeated them in the Rugby League Premiership competition.
Paul Bishop of Warrington scored a record equalling 5 drop goals in the Premiership semi-final against Wigan on 11 May 1986.

Castleford were 15-14 winners over Hull Kingston Rovers in the Silk Cut Challenge Cup.

Wigan were 11-8 winners over Hull Kingston Rovers in the final for the John Player Special Trophy.

Warrington were 38-10 winners over Halifax in the Premiership Trophy. Warrington's Australian forward Les Boyd was awarded the Harry Sunderland Trophy as man-of-the-match.

2nd Division Champions were Leigh.
Bridgend Blue Dragons and Southend Invicta dropped out of the competition. The promotion scheme was changed to 3-up 3-down.

Wigan beat Warrington 34–8 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Hull Kingston Rovers beat Castleford 22–18 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.

League Tables

Division One

Final Standings

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts
1	Halifax	30	19	6	5	499	365	+134	44
2	Wigan	30	20	3	7	776	300	+476	43
3	St. Helens	30	20	2	8	729	503	+226	42
4	Warrington	30	20	1	9	665	393	+272	41
5	Widnes	30	19	3	8	520	454	+66	41
6	Leeds	30	15	3	12	554	518	+36	33
7	Hull Kingston Rovers	30	16	1	13	507	500	+7	33
8	Hull	30	15	2	13	616	508	+108	32
9	Oldham	30	14	0	16	508	561	-53	28
10	Salford	30	14	0	16	508	561	-53	28
11	Castleford	30	12	1	17	551	585	+34	25
12	Bradford Northern	30	11	1	18	447	473	+26	23
13	Featherstone Rovers	30	9	3	18	419	616	-197	21
14	York	30	9	0	21	413	592	-179	18
15	Swinton	30	8	0	22	371	648	-277	16
16	Dewsbury	30	5	0	25	313	847	-534	10

Division Two

	Team	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Pts
1	Leigh	34	33	0	1	1156	373	66
2	Barrow	34	27	0	7	1012	398	54
3	Wakefield Trinity	34	24	1	9	680	435	49
4	Whitehaven	34	22	0	12	619	479	44
5	Rochdale Hornets	34	21	0	13	763	485	42
6	Blackpool Borough	34	20	0	14	769	570	40
7	Batley	34	18	3	13	567	450	39
8	Bramley	34	17	1	16	608	663	35
9	Fulham	34	16	1	17	679	709	33
10	Doncaster	34	16	1	17	611	650	33
11	Carlisle	34	15	2	17	585	682	32
12	Sheffield Eagles	34	14	1	19	516	617	29
13	Workington Town	34	13	0	21	684	723	26
14	Hunslet	34	11	3	20	594	795	25
15	Huddersfield Barracudas	34	8	4	22	542	841	20
16	Runcorn Highfield	34	9	2	23	489	790	20
17	Keighley	34	9	2	23	401	918	20
18	Mansfield Marksman	34	2	1	31	383	1080	5

Champions

Play-offs

Promoted

Relegated

Challenge Cup

Main article: 1985–86 Challenge Cup

The 1985-86 Silk Cut Challenge Cup Final was played by Castleford and Hull Kingston Rovers at Wembley before a crowd of 82,134. was won by Castleford defeated Hull Kingston Rovers 15-14. Castleford's scrum half back, Bob Beardmore was awarded the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match.

John Player Special Trophy

Main article: 1985–86 John Player Special Trophy

County cups

Main article: 1985–86 Lancashire Cup

Main article: 1985–86 Yorkshire Cup

Premiership

Main article: 1985–86 Rugby League Premiership

Sources

• 1985-86 Rugby Football League season at wigan.rlfans.com