2000 Super League season

Tetley's Bitter Super League was the official name for the year 2000's Super League championship season, the 106th season of top-level professional rugby league football in Britain, and the fifth championship run by the Super League. The season culminated in the Grand Final between St Helens R.F.C. and Wigan Warriors, which St Helens won, claiming their second consecutive Championship.

Super League V
LeagueSuper League
Duration28 Rounds
Teams12
Highest attendance17,428
Wigan Warriors vs St. Helens (9 July)
Lowest attendance2,040
London Broncos vs Salford City Reds (12 Aug)
Attendance1,245,720
(average 7,415)
Broadcast partnersSky Sports
2000 Season
ChampionsSt. Helens
3rd Super League title
10th British title
League LeadersWigan Warriors
Man of SteelEngland Sean Long
Top point-scorer(s)England Sean Long (352)
Top try-scorer(s)England Sean Long
England Tommy Martyn (22)

Table

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Super League V
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts Qualification
1   Wigan Warriors (L) 28 24 1 3 960 405 +555 49 Semi Final
2   St Helens (C) 28 23 0 5 988 627 +361 46 Qualifying Semi Final
3   Bradford Bulls 28 20 3 5 1004 408 +596 43
4   Leeds Rhinos 28 17 0 11 692 626 +66 34 Elimination Semi Final
5   Castleford Tigers 28 17 0 11 585 571 +14 34
6   Warrington Wolves 28 13 0 15 735 817 −82 26
7   Hull F.C. 28 12 1 15 630 681 −51 25
8   Halifax Blue Sox 28 11 1 16 664 703 −39 23
9   Salford City Reds 28 10 0 18 542 910 −368 20
10   Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 28 8 0 20 557 771 −214 16
11   London Broncos 28 6 0 22 456 770 −314 12
12   Huddersfield-Sheffield Giants 28 4 0 24 502 1026 −524 8
Source: Rugby League Project
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Points difference; 3) Number of points scored;
(C) Champions; (L) League Leaders

Play-offs

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Wide to West

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St Helens, who finished second in the regular season table, hosted Bradford Bulls for the qualifying play-off in week one of the play-offs. One of Super League's most well known tries was scored in the final seconds of the match.[1] Bradford led the game 11–10 into the final minute when, deep in the St Helens half with the match seemingly lost, St Helens were awarded a penalty. The try scored on the second tackle by Chris Joynt became known as "Wide to West" due to the phrase being used in live commentary by Eddie Hemmings. St Helens won 16–11.

Eddie Hemmings and Mike Stephenson commentated for Sky Sports:[2]

Hemmings
It's gonna be the match for Bradford.
Stephenson
He's given a penalty.
Hemmings
Oh, he has.
Stephenson
He'd called held there. They're still not out of it. Oh, they've taken a short one, they know they've only got ten seconds. Will they get this play-the-ball in? They're holding him down.
Crowd
[counting down until the end of match] 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Hemmings
Sculthorpe wants to get on with it, Bradford: counting down.
Stephenson
Kick and chase now?
Hemmings
This is the last play. Long... kicks it wide to Iro. Iro to Hall. Hall is trapped. Back it goes to Hoppe. Over the shoulder to Hall. There is Jonkers. Here is Long, and Long fancies it. Long fancies it. It's wide to West. It's wide to West. Dwayne West. Inside to Joynt. Joynt. JOYNT. JOYNT! OH! OH! FANTASTIC!
Stephenson
I wouldn't believe it!
Hemmings
They've won it, they've won it, they've won it. Chris Joynt; Chris Joynt has won it. It is unbelievable here, it is, frankly, unbelievable. Chris Joynt has won the match for St Helens.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Wilson, Andy (31 December 2009). "Rugby league in the noughties". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
  2. ^ Commentators: Eddie Hemmings, Mike Stephenson (2000-09-22). "Sky Sports: Super League play-offs - St Helens vs Bradford Bulls". Season 2000. St. Helens, United Kingdom. Sky Sports. Sky Sports 1. {{cite episode}}: Missing or empty |series= (help)
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