Ranking the Super League play-off contenders’ end-of-season win record with St Helens first and Hull KR FIFTH
Wigan Warriors, Salford Red Devils, Warrington Wolves and St Helens
The 28th edition of the Super League play-offs get underway this weekend: and for all six teams participating, there are contrasting historical records.
One side – Leigh Leopards – will be competing in just their second ever play-off series while at the other end of the scale, St Helens’ ever-present record will continue this weekend when they face Warrington Wolves.
But how do all six sides’ record in the play-offs shape up against one another? Here they are – ranked by win percentage from worst to best. Perhaps slightly unfairly, we’re starting with..
6. Leigh Leopards: 0% (0/1)
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the team with the worst record and least experience in the play-offs is Leigh Leopards – who have only made it this far once before.
That was 12 months ago, when they historic season ended with defeat at Hull KR in the opening round of the play-offs. Can Adrian Lam’s side go one further this Friday at Salford?
5. Hull KR: 30% (3/10)
This will be Hull KR’s seventh crack at a Super League play-off series – and they do have a fairly rotten record, all things considered.
Their first attempt at a run to Old Trafford in 2009 saw Rovers lose both games they played, against eventual champions Leeds Rhinos before a defeat at home to Wigan Warriors.
The following season, they did win their first play-off match in Super League, beating Hull FC – but it would be another 11 years before the Robins tasted success in the play-offs after that, with their unforgettable 19-0 win away at Warrington under Tony Smith.
They then beat Leigh last season for their third play-off win, before a heavy loss at Wigan ended their tilt at Old Trafford. Willie Peters’ side will feel they are much better prepared this time around.
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4. Warrington Wolves: 37% (10/27)
The Wire are on a run of five successive defeats in the Super League play-offs, and are without a win in the end-of-season shake-up since 2018 when they beat.. this weekend’s opponents, St Helens.
Since then they have lost play-off games against Castleford, Wigan, Hull FC, Hull KR and the Saints. Their run of 10 wins from 27 attempts in the play-offs also includes, as no Wire fan needs reminding about, four defeats in succession at Old Trafford.
This will be the Wire’s 16th attempt at a play-off campaign. Is it the one that finally ends with that elusive first league title since 1955?
3. Salford Red Devils: 42.8% (3/7)
For only the fourth time in history, Salford Red Devils are in the Super League play-offs.
They will hope for a similar run to five years ago when they shrugged off an opening-weekend loss to Wigan Warriors before beating Castleford Tigers and then returning to Wigan to knock them out to reach the Grand Final for the first time.
Their only other play-off win came two seasons ago, when they beat Huddersfield 28-0 before losing to eventual champions St Helens in the next round.
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2. Wigan Warriors: 62.7% (37/59)
The Warriors had won a Grand Final before they’d even lost a play-off game, owing to the fact that they emerged triumphant in the first play-off series of 1998, beating Leeds Rhinos in the inaugural Super League Grand Final.
They’ve only failed to reach the play-offs three times – and only one side has got to Old Trafford more times than the 12 occasions Wigan have reached Super League’s showpiece event.
There may be a slightly positive omen for whoever travels to the Warriors next weekend: in two of the last three years, Wigan have lost at the first hurdle in the play-offs, with both those defeats at home. They were also infamously beaten at home by Salford four years ago, too.
1. St Helens: 64.9% (37/57)
For the 28th season in as many attempts, the Super League play-offs will include the Saints – who have won as many games as Wigan in the end-of-season shake-up but, bizarrely, given their ever-present record, from fewer matches.
That is because the Saints have often finished higher and needed fewer games to reach Old Trafford than the Warriors, though there have been occasions in history when the Saints have had a pretty awful run in the play-offs.
From 2015 to 2018, the Saints lost at the first hurdle for four successive seasons: something they also did from 2003 to 2005 in three consecutive years. They will hope to avoid that fate this weekend.
They are, of course, bidding to reach a record-extending 16th Super League Grand Final – with no side having won more Grand Finals than the ten they have claimed in the summer era.
