1945–46 Northern Rugby Football League season

The 1945–46 Rugby Football League season was the 51st season of rugby league football.

1945–46 Rugby Football League season
LeagueNorthern Rugby Football League
Teams27
Champions Wigan
League Leaders Wigan
Top point-scorer(s) Jeff Bawden 239
Top try-scorer(s) Eric Batten 35

Season summary

Wigan won their fifth Championship when they defeated Huddersfield 13-4 in the play-off final. They had also finished the regular season as the league leaders.

The Challenge Cup Winners were Wakefield Trinity who defeated Wigan 13-12 in the final.

Bramley, Broughton Rangers, Hull Kingston Rovers, Liverpool Stanley, Rochdale Hornets, Salford, Swinton, Warrington and Widnes returned following the Second World War. Workington Town also entered a team for the first time.[1]

Jim Sullivan of Wigan ended his career this season as the all-time record scorer of goals with 2,867.[2]

Wigan won the Lancashire League, and Wakefield Trinity won the Yorkshire League. Widnes beat Wigan 7–3 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Bradford Northern beat Wakefield Trinity 5–2 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.

Championship
Team Pld W D L Pts
1Wigan36292558
2Huddersfield36271855
3Wakefield Trinity362601052
4Bradford Northern36243951
5Barrow362241048
6Dewsbury362301346
7Hunslet362141146
8Salford362301346
9Batley362141146
10Warrington362131245
11Castleford362201444
12Widnes361931441
13Featherstone Rovers361911639
14Halifax361901738
15Oldham361801836
16Broughton Rangers361631735
17Hull361621834
18Hull Kingston Rovers361531833
19Workington Town361502130
20St. Helens361312227
21Swinton36952223
22Keighley36922520
23Leeds36912619
24Rochdale Hornets36912619
25Bramley36902718
26Liverpool Stanley36522912
27York3641319

Play-offs
Semi-finals Championship final
      
1 Wigan 18
4 Bradford Northern 4
Wigan 13
Huddersfield 4
2 Huddersfield 8
3 Wakefield Trinity 3

The Championship Play-off Final was played at Manchester City Football Club on Sat 18 May. Wigan's scorers were:

Tries: Ashcroft 2, Cunliffe. Goals: Nordgren 2.

Challenge Cup
Main article: 1945–46 Challenge Cup

The final returned to Wembley following the end of the Second World War. Wakefield Trinity beat Wigan 13-12 in front of a crowd of 54,730. This was Wakefield Trinity’s second Challenge Cup Final win in three final appearances.[2] Their centre, Billy Stott was awarded the inaugural Lance Todd Trophy for man-of-the-match.

European Championship
Main article: 1945–46 European Rugby League Championship

The tri-nation tournament was played between November 1945 and March 1946 as single round robin games between England, France and Wales. This was the fifth Rugby League European Championship, and was won by England on points average.[3]
Match Details

DateVenueHome teamScoreAway team
24 November 1945SwanseaWales11 - 3England
23 February 1946SwintonEngland16 - 6France
24 March 1946BordeauxFrance19 - 7Wales

Sources

References
  1. "1945–46 Season summary". Retrieved 8 August 2009.
  2. "RFL All Time Records". Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 7 August 2009.
  3. Raymond Fletcher; David Howes (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996. London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 424. ISBN 0-7472-7817-2.
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