The first round of Super League is in the books and it’s fair to say it brought plenty of drama.
Leigh Leopards got us going as they recorded a 1-0 golden point win over Wigan Warriors in a contest that was enthralling from start to finish. Hull KR needed golden point to overcome Castleford Tigers at Craven Park, too, with a Mikey Lewis drop goal giving them a 19-18 win, while Hull FC overcame the odds to win 24-4 at Catalans Dragons.
Wakefield Trinity stunned Leeds Rhinos at Headingley, before St Helens recorded the most one-sided result in Super League history as they beat Salford Red Devils 82-0. Warrington Wolves wrapped up the round with a 20-12 win over Huddersfield Giants.
Here’s our team of round one.
Full back: Max Jowitt (Wakefield Trinity)
Jowitt was one of the stars of Wakefield’s Championship season last year and he has carried that form back up into Super League with the full-back bagging two tries at Headingley. He only kicked one of his three conversions, but he’ll have been delighted with his return to the top flight.
Wing: Joe Burgess (Hull KR)
A hat-trick for the winger on his new edge. His efforts spared Rovers blushes at Craven Park as they struggled to overcome Castleford Tigers, who according to Jon Wilkin, have the worst squad in Super League.
Centre: Tesi Niu (Leigh Leopards)
A superb debut from the big centre. He was a thorn in the side of Wigan all night in the opening clash of the round and over the course of the 80 minutes he made 185 metres over 24 carries, according to the official stats. He also made six tackle busts and a clean break.
Centre: Harry Robertson (St Helens)
In at centre for the first time in Super League, Robertson enjoyed himself against the young Red Devils. He got over the line on two occasions while also claiming a try assist.
Wing: Lewis Martin (Hull FC)
Hull were asked to dig deep at the Stade Gilbert Brutus and Martin was instrumental in making the hard yards. He made 180 metres in 27 carries against Catalans and picked up the assist to Cade Cust’s first try.
Stand-off: Tristan Sailor (St Helens)
With four tries and two assists, Sailor was the star of round one. Questions will rightly be asked about the quality of opposition but he certainly enjoyed himself against the Red Devils. He’ll be the man to stop when St Helens take on Castleford Tigers on Saturday.
Scrum-half: Aidan Sezer (Hull FC)
A captain’s performance on his Hull FC bow, Sezer recorded two assists in the south of France and made Catalans pay for their errors on a regular basis. He kicked well in general play and converted all four tries.
Prop: George Delaney (St Helens)
One try and 146 metres made for the prop who started the game on the bench. He recently penned a new deal with St Helens and he marked it in the right fashion.
Hooker: Edwin Ipape ( Leigh Leopards)
Ipape’s stats don’t jump off the page but he certainly passed the eye test on Thursday night, changing the game when he came on the field and making a real statement.
Prop: Luke Thompson (Wigan Warriors)
Thompson may have been on the losing side at the Brick Community Stadium, but he ran himself to water on the night. He had a huge stint on the field, making a staggering 57 tackles in defence, while he also made 86 metres.
Second-row: Joe Greenwood (Huddersfield Giants)
Again, Greenwood was on the losing team over the weekend, but his efforts at back-row were notable. He had a hand in both tries, scored the latter, made 36 tackles and 99 metres, including two clean breaks.
Second-row: Curtis Sironen (St Helens)
Sironen didn’t need to be at his best against Salford, but he still managed to come away with a try and an assist to his name in the 82-0 win.
Loose-forward: Morgan Knowles (St Helens)
Knowles’ efforts were instrumental in the victory over Salford with the loose forward making 131 metres, 18 tackles and touching down for two tries.
