1998 season: In stats
After concluding our rewind to the 1998 season on Wigan TV this week, Club Historian Keith Sutch provides all the key stats and facts from the year the Warriors won the inaugural Super League Grand Final.
General facts
- John Monie was the Head Coach – he returned as Wigan boss in February 1998 after leaving in May 1993 following his first spell in charge
- Andy Farrell was the club captain
- 1998 was the first year the Play-Offs were re-introduced since 1972
- Wigan won the first ever Super League Grand Final – beating Leeds 10-4 at Old Trafford – Jason Robinson became the first Wigan player to score in a Grand Final – he also won the Harry Sunderland Trophy
- Six Wigan players were named in the Super League Dream Team
- Kris Radlinski
- Jason Robinson
- Gary Connolly
- Tony Mestrov
- Andy Farrell
- Robbie McCormack
- There were five ever-presents throughout the season, as Gary Conolly, Andy Farrell, Lee Gilmour, Kris Radlinski and Jason Robinson played in all 30 games in all competitions
- Wigan’s biggest win (in the league/Play-Offs) was matched in two games throughout the season – a 56-8 thumping of Warrington on 21st June and the same score line against Hull Sharks on 6th September
- In the Super League ‘On the Road’ series, Wigan beat St Helens 36-2 at Swansea City’s old football ground, Fetch Field on 26th July
Stats
League
- 23 games
- Won 21
- Drawn 0
- Lost 2
- Points For: 762
- Points Against: 222
- Points Difference: 540
- 42 points
League and Play-Offs (Qualifier and Grand Final)
- 25 games
- Won 23
- Drawn 0
- Lost 2
- Points For: 789
- Points Against: 230
- Wigan’s top try scorer was Gary Connolly and Tony Smith with 15 each
- Andy Farrell was Wigan’s top goal scorer with 121 goals (120 goals and one drop-goal)
- The top points scorer was Andy Farrell with 265 points overall
League table
- Wigan Warriors
- Leeds Rhinos
- Halifax Bluesocks
- St Helens
- Bradford Bulls
- Castleford Tigers
- London Broncos
- Sheffield Eagles
- Hull Sharks
- Warrington Wolves
- Salford Reds
- Huddersfield Giants
Wigan’s squad
- Kris Radlinski
- Jason Robinson
- Danny Moore
- Gary Connolly
- Mark Bell
- Henry Paul
- Tony Smith
- Neil Cowie
- Robbie McCormack
- Tony Mestrov
- Denis Betts
- Simon Haughton
- Andy Farrell
- Mick Cassidy
- Jon Clarke
- Terry O’Connor
- Stephen Holgate
- Lee Hansen
- Craig Murdock
- Lee Gilmour
- Andy Johnson (didn’t play a game)
- Rob Smyth
- Daryl Cardiss
- N/A
- Paul Johnson
- Neil Baynes
- Andrew Isherwood
- Rob Ball
- Wes Davies
Debutants
- Seven players made Wigan their debut in the 1998 season
- Mark Bell
- Robbie McCormack
- Danny Moore
- Tony Mestrov
- Andrew Isherwood
- Rob Ball
- Wes Davies (Billy Boston’s grandson) – scored on debut
- Denis Betts (second debut after returning to the Club from Auckland Warriors) – scored on second debut (Lee Mossop, Sam Tomkins and Joe Burgess have also scored on second debuts for Wigan)
Attendances
- Wigan’s biggest home attendance came against Halifax on 19th April as 12,841 watched the Warriors win 40-6 at Central Park – Gary Connolly scored a hat-trick (Wigan’s only hat-trick in Super League that year)
- Wigan were 3rd in Super League for the highest average home attendance with an average of just under 11,000
- 43,553 fans watched on at Old Trafford for the inaugural Super League Grand Final between Wigan and Leeds
Sunday 05 July 2020
