1984–85 Rugby Football League season

October 2023 none May 2022 1984–85 Rugby Football League season Slalom Lager Championship First Division: 16 Second Division: 20 First Division Hull Kingston Rovers (5th title) Champions St. Helens Premiership winners ENG Ellery Hanley Man of Steel AwardsMan of Steel ENG Sean Day (362) ENG Ellery Hanley (55) Swinton Salford York Dewsbury Second Division Barrow Leigh Hunslet Workington Town Second Division Second Division Swinton Champions Salford ENG Vince Gribbin (27) Mansfield MarksmenSheffield Eagles Joined league 1983–84 Rugby Football League season 1983–84 1985–86 Rugby Football League season 1985–86 The 1984–85 Rugby Football League season was the 90th ever season of professional rugby league football in Britain. Sixteen teams played each other from August 1984 until May 1985 for the Slalom Lager Championship. Also these 16 teams plus several more competed for the Challenge Cup. Season summary Slalom Lager League Champions: Hull Kingston Rovers Silk Cut Challenge Cup Winners: Wigan (8 – 28–24 v Hull) Slalom Lager Premiership Trophy Winners: St. Helens (36–16 v Hull Kingston Rovers at Elland Road, Leeds) Harry Sunderland Trophy: Harry Pinner John Player Special Trophy Winners: Hull Kingston Rovers (12–0 v Hull F.C. at Boothferry Park, Hull) Burtonwood Brewery Lancashire County Cup Winners: St. Helens (26–18 v Wigan at Central Park, Wigan) 2nd Division Champions: Swinton Aside from retaining the Championship Hull Kingston Rovers won the John Player Special Trophy and reached the finals of both the Premiership and Yorkshire Cup, they were beaten in the Semi-Final of the Challenge Cup meaning they played in every possible game of the season bar one. On 21 October 1984 Peter Wood kicked a record-equalling five drop goals for Runcorn Highfield in a match against Batley. On 28 October, two tries by Mal Meninga inspire St. Helens, to beat Wigan 26–18, and win the Lancashire County Cup for the first time in 16 years. The 1985 Man of Steel Award went to Bradford Northern utility back, Ellery Hanley. He also became the first man to score more than 50 tries in a season since Billy Boston, and the first non-winger to reach this figure for 70 years. The increase of the Second Division to 20 teams meant that it would have taken 38 rounds to play out a full double round robin, which was considered too many matches, so a complicated fixture formula was used to reduce it to 28. For this season, Huyton relocated and were renamed Runcorn Highfield, Cardiff City Blue Dragons relocated and were renamed Bridgend Blue Dragons, and Kent Invicta relocated and were renamed were Southend Invicta, Huddersfield were renamed Huddersfield Barracudas, and Mansfield Marksman, and Sheffield Eagles joined the Second Division. As of 2025, 11th in the Second Division is the lowest position that Wakefield Trinity have ever finished. St. Helens beat Wigan 26–18 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Hull F.C. beat Hull Kingston Rovers 29–12 to win the Yorkshire County Cup. First Division main WDL HKR STH WIG LEE OLD HUL WID BRA FEA HFX WAR CAS BAR LEI HUN WOR PRE PRE PRE PRE PRE PRE PRE PRE R R R R 24 0 6 778 391 22 1 7 920 508 21 1 8 720 459 20 1 9 650 377 18 1 11 563 439 17 1 12 733 550 17 0 13 580 517 16 1 13 600 500 15 0 15 461 475 12 2 16 513 565 13 0 17 530 620 12 1 17 552 518 9 1 20 483 843 8 2 20 549 743 7 1 22 463 952 2 1 27 297 935 C R R R R Hull Kingston Rovers St Helens Wigan Leeds Oldham Hull Widnes Bradford Northern Featherstone Rovers Halifax Warrington Castleford Barrow Leigh Hunslet Workington Town 1) Points; 2) Points scored percentage (points scored divided by points conceded) yes points complete https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/championship-1984-85/summary.html Championship 1984/85 Rugby League Project 19 March 2026 2 1 0 QR yellow2 Qualification for Premiership first round red2 Relegated to Second Division Second Division main WDL SWI SAL DEW YOR CAR WHI BAT FUL MAN BLA WAK ROC HUD KEI RUN BRA SHE DON SOU BRI P P P P 24 1 3 727 343 20 3 5 787 333 21 1 6 717 430 21 1 6 539 320 18 0 10 547 437 16 3 9 496 385 17 0 11 489 402 16 1 11 521 526 15 0 13 525 398 15 0 13 486 434 12 2 14 450 459 12 2 14 436 466 12 1 15 476 476 11 1 16 462 538 12 0 16 495 567 9 2 17 439 492 8 0 20 424 582 6 2 20 353 730 4 0 24 347 690 1 0 27 258 966 CP P P P Swinton Salford York Dewsbury Carlisle Whitehaven Batley Fulham Mansfield Marksman Blackpool Borough Wakefield Trinity Rochdale Hornets Huddersfield Barracudas Runcorn Highfield Keighley Bramley Sheffield Eagles Doncaster Southend Bridgend Blue Dragons 1) Points; 2) Points scored percentage (points scored divided by points conceded) yes points complete https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/second-division-1984-85/summary.html Second Division 1984/85 Rugby League Project 19 March 2026 2 1 0 P green2 Promoted to First Division Premiership 1984–85 Rugby League Premiership 11 May 1985 St Helens (2) 36-16 Hull Kingston Rovers (1) T-Veivers, Ledger (2), Meninga (2), Ainsworth, Pinner G-Day (4) T-Fairbairn, Robinson, Laws G-Fairbairn (2) Elland Road 15,518 Stan Wall Harry Pinner References 2 Sources 1984–85 Rugby Football League season at rlhalloffame.org.uk 1984–85 Rugby Football League season at wigan.rlfans.com Great Britain Competitions 1984–1985 at hunterlink.net.au 1985 Challenge Cup Final at wigan.rlfans.com https://web.archive.org/web/20071016210443/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=445 16 October 2007 Category:1984 in English rugby league Category:1985 in English rugby league Category:Rugby Football League seasons Category:1984 in Welsh rugby league Category:1985 in Welsh rugby league