Hull FC remain top of Super League card table following Ligi Sao’s second dismissal in 2024
Hull FC's Ligi Sao is sent off by referee Liam Moore during their Round 1 clash with rivals Hull KR at the MKM Stadium
After Ligi Sao’s second dismissal of the campaign, Hull FC comfortably remain top of the Super League card table in 2024, shown the most of any club in the top flight so far this season.
Six-time Samoa international Sao was shown a red card 17 minutes into Hull’s 24-16 defeat against Catalans Dragons on Saturday evening.
By then, the Dragons themselves had already seen a man sent off, with Tariq Sims dismissed nine minutes in by referee Liam Rush for a swinging arm on Ed Chamberlain, the same offence which latterly cost Sao his place on the field at the Stade Gilbert Brutus.
Sao has now been sent off twice this season in Super League having seen red on the opening night of the campaign back in February at home against rivals Hull KR. On that occasion, his dismissal was for a kick out on Robins hooker Matt Parcell in a tackle.
And after 19 rounds, FC have now had a total of four red cards as well as seeing players sin-binned 13 times. Combine those, and they’ve received 17 cards this term – the most of any Super League club.
CARDTRACKER: Every yellow and red card shown in Super League this season
A round-by-round breakdown of the cards shown in Super League in 2024
Sao’s red card in Perpignan was the last of nine cards shown across the five games in Round 19. The first seven were yellows, with Sims and the Airlie Birds forward both seeing red, as detailed above.
The overall card tally in Super League this season now stands at 105, shown in the space of 113 matches. That’s 18 full rounds worth of six games, and five that have been played out to date in Round 2 back in February.
The disparity there comes from a clash between Wigan Warriors and neighbours Leigh Leopards which needed rescheduling due to the Cherry and Whites’ involvement in the World Club Challenge.
Now rescheduled, the remaining Round 2 clash between those two sides will take place on Tuesday, August 6.
Below, we’ve broken down the cards dished out so far this season in Super League round-by-round:
Round 1 – 13 (9Y, 4R)
Round 2* – 8 (7Y, 1R)
Round 3 – 11 (11Y, 0R)
Round 4 – 5 (4Y, 1R)
Round 5 – 2 (2Y, 0R)
Round 6 – 5 (4Y, 1R)
Round 7 – 6 (6Y, 0R)
Round 8 – 5 (4Y, 1R)
Round 9 – 0 (0Y, 0R)
Round 10 – 4 (3Y, 1R)
Round 11 – 5 (3Y, 2R)
Round 12 – 6 (6Y, 0R)
Round 13 – 2 (1Y, 1R)
Round 14 – 3 (2Y, 1R)
Round 15 – 2 (2Y, 0R)
Round 16 – 3 (3Y, 0R)
Round 17 – 10 (9Y, 1R)
Round 18 – 6 (5Y, 1R)
Round 19 – 9 (7Y, 2R)
*Round 2 had one game less due to the rescheduled clash between Wigan and Leigh, as already mentioned
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Hull FC remain top of Super League card table following Ligi Sao’s second dismissal in 2024
Two thirds (8/12) of the clubs in Super League this season have now had a man sent off at least once, with the four clubs that haven’t had to contend with a red card yet as follows: Hull KR, Leeds Rhinos, Leigh Leopards and London Broncos.
But despite being in that list, Leigh are actually 2nd in the overall Super League card table, owing to the fact that they’ve had 12 yellow cards so far this season despite having played a game less than all of the other clubs bar Wigan.
19 rounds in, only Hull FC have picked up more yellow cards (13) than the Leopards in 2024, with every one of the 12 clubs in the top flight having seen at least three players cautioned.
Castleford Tigers are bottom for yellow cards with three, and two of those came in Round 19 away against Salford Red Devils as both Liam Horne and Sylvester Namo were shown yellow by referee Chris Kendall.
And in terms of the overall card tally, it’s bottom club London who actually boast the cleanest record. As we’ve noted above, they’re yet to have anyone sent off, and have only received four yellow cards.
That overall tally of four cards is the lowest of any club in Super League after 19 rounds.
Below is a full run down of the Super League card tables for this year as of the time of writing on July 28.
We have broken it down into yellow cards, red cards and then produced an overall table for your perusal, which is the determining factor.
Where clubs are locked for yellow/red cards alone, we’ve ordered them alphabetically.
But when it comes to the overall tally, they’re split by the number of red cards they’ve received before we head into alphabetised ground. Obviously, the fewer reds, the better the discipline.
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Super League card table: Yellow Cards
From best record to worst:
12. Castleford Tigers – 3
11. London Broncos – 4
10. Catalans Dragons – 5
= St Helens – 5
8. Huddersfield Giants – 6
7. Hull KR – 7
= Leeds Rhinos – 7
= Wigan Warriors – 7
4. Warrington Wolves – 9
3. Salford Red Devils – 10
2. Leigh Leopards – 12
1. Hull FC – 13
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Super League card table: Red Cards
From best record to worst:
12. Hull KR – 0
= Leeds Rhinos – 0
= Leigh Leopards – 0
= London Broncos – 0
8. Salford Red Devils – 1
= Warrington Wolves – 1
6. Castleford Tigers – 2
= Catalans Dragons – 2
= St Helens – 2
= Wigan Warriors – 2
2. Huddersfield Giants – 3
1. Hull FC – 4
Super League card table: Overall
From least cards to most:
12. London Broncos – 4 (4Y, 0R)
11. Castleford Tigers – 5 (3Y, 2R)
10. Hull KR – 7 (7Y, 0R)
= Leeds Rhinos – 7 (7Y, 0R)
8. Catalans Dragons – 7 (5Y, 2R)
= St Helens – 7 (5Y, 2R)
6. Wigan Warriors – 9 (7Y, 2R)
5. Huddersfield Giants – 9 (6Y, 3R)
4. Warrington Wolves – 10 (9Y, 1R)
3. Salford Red Devils – 11 (10Y, 1R)
2. Leigh Leopards – 12 (12Y, 0R)
1. Hull FC – 17 (13Y, 4R)
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