1949–50 Northern Rugby Football League season

The 1949–50 Rugby Football League season was the 55th season of rugby league football. First placed Wigan successfully defended a challenge from second placed Huddersfield in the play-off final to claim the Rugby Football League Championship. The Challenge Cup winners were Warrington who beat Widnes 19-0 in the final.[1] Wigan won the Lancashire League, and Huddersfield won the Yorkshire League. Wigan beat Leigh 20–7 to win the Lancashire Cup, and Bradford beat Huddersfield 11–4 to win the Yorkshire Cup. Crowds peaked in 1949-50 with a record 69.8 million paying to watch rugby league matches.[2]

1949–50 Rugby Football League season
LeagueNorthern Rugby Football League
Champions Wigan
League Leaders Wigan
Top point-scorer(s) Harold Palin 290
Top try-scorer(s) Brian Nordgren 57

Championship

This season the Rugby Football League Championship was determined by a final.

Team Pld W D L Pts
1Wigan36311463
2Huddersfield36281757
3Swinton36254754
4Halifax362501150
5Salford362421050
6Leigh362411149
7St. Helens362321148
8Leeds362401248
9Dewsbury362301346
10Workington Town362211345
11Warrington362201444
12Castleford362001640
13Keighley362001640
14Wakefield Trinity361901738
15Hunslet361811737
16Widnes361641636
17Belle Vue Rangers361621834
18Oldham361541734
19Hull361531833
20Barrow361412129
21Bradford361412129
22Hull Kingston Rovers361412129
23Whitehaven361142126
24Batley361002620
25Featherstone Rovers36922520
26Bramley36612913
27Rochdale Hornets36522912
28York36603012
29Liverpool Stanley3640328

Play-offs

The top four finishing teams entered a play-off series which culminated in a final between Wigan and Huddersfield, but not before Wigan had to re-play and defeat Halifax, with whom they drew in their first play-off match. Wigan won the final, claiming their seventh Rugby Football League Championship.

Semifinals / semi-final reply Championship final
      
1
4 		Wigan
Halifax 		5
5
1
4 		Wigan
Halifax 		18
2
Wigan 20
Huddersfield 2
2 Huddersfield 9
3 Swinton 0

Challenge Cup
Main article: 1949–50 Challenge Cup

Warrington beat Widnes 19-0 in the final played at Wembley in front of a crowd of 94,249. This was Warrington’s third Cup final win in nine Final appearances. In the match Albert Naughton, at centre for Warrington opposed his older brother Johnny, who was in the Widnes second row.[3] This was the second successive Final that the losing side had failed to score.[4] The Warrington scrum-half Gerry Helme won the Lance Todd Trophy for man-of-the-match.

Yorkshire Cup
Main article: 1949 Yorkshire Cup
First round Second round Semifinals Final
            
Hull Kingston Rovers 10
Bramley 16
Bramley 5
Keighley 4
Keighley 60
Yorkshire Amateurs 10
Bramley 6
Bradford 8
York 22
Bradford 53
Bradford 13
Castleford 6
Castleford 25
Hull 21
Bradford 11
Huddersfield 4
Hunslet 7
Dewsbury 29
Dewsbury 12
Batley 5
Batley 17
Halifax 9
Dewsbury 2
Huddersfield 7
Huddersfield 29
Leeds 13
Huddersfield 20
Wakefield Trinity 12
Wakefield Trinity 31
Featherstone Rovers 14

References
  1. "1949-50 Season summary". Retrieved 2009-08-08.
  2. Jon Henderson (2007). Best of British: Hendo's sporting heroes. UK: Yellow Jersey Press. p. 85. ISBN 9780224082488.
  3. news.bbc.co.uk (11 May 2004). "Cup final facts". BBC Sport. UK: BBC. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  4. "RFL All Time Records". Archived from the original on 2009-04-03. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
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