A new low: how Leeds Rhinos' 50-0 drubbing by Wigan Warriors compares to other home defeats
Leeds Rhinos are still reeling from their 50-0 Headingley hammering by Wigan Warriors, but how bad was it compared to other home setbacks?
Last Saturday’s rout was Rhinos’ biggest margin of defeat in a Super League home game, surpassing the 48-0 loss to St Helens shortly after lockdown ended three years ago.
Rhinos were beaten 74-0 by New Zealand at the end of last season and lost 58-2 to a touring Queensland side in 1983.
Bradford Northern’s tally in the 1945-46 season remains Leeds’ worst defeat at home in domestic competition, but only just. They were beaten 54-3 that afternoon.
Last Saturday was the fourth time Leeds have conceded a half-century of points at Headingley in Super League. The others were: 56-18 v Bradford Bulls on August 4, 1996; 52-12 v Castleford Tigers, May 12, 2016; 50-8 v Wigan, June 1, 2012.
Leeds’ heaviest margin of defeat in any Super League game was the infamous 66-10 derby debacle at Castleford Tigers six years ago.
The club’s five heaviest away defeats in Super League are: 68-14 at Wigan, August 9, 1996; 66-10 at Castleford, March 2, 2017, 64-24 at Halifax, August 25, 1996; 62-18 at St Helens, May 4, 1999; 62-18 at Bradford, September 15, 2001.
Rhinos have now been nilled five times in Super League, three of those being at home. The others were: 42-0 at Halifax, September 27, 1998; 34-0 at Wigan, July 21, 2017; 48-0 v St Helens, August 9, 2020, 26-0 v St Helens, April 1, 2022.
*Thanks to Ian Proctor for the stats.