What if every Super League game finished at halftime in 2021

A lot can happen in 40 minutes of rugby league. After all, look at what Catalans were able to manage in just five minutes at the Magic Weekend overturning a 30-12 deficit to take the game to Golden Point and secure the League Leaders’ Shield.

A half of rugby can change a season for the better or for the worse and Super League could’ve been drastically different in 2021 had games finished at halftime last season.

Inspired by the NRL version created by zerotackle, we’ve gone through every result in last year’s Super League and looked at what the scores were like at halftime to put together a Super League table based on the first 40 minutes of games last season.

Of course, we’ve excluded games where teams were awarded 24-0 victories when their opponents were unable to field a team hence some sides may have played less games in our table than they did in the Super League itself.

But without any further ado, let’s address who the winners and the losers of the first 40 minutes of rugby were in 2021.

The biggest change created in this scenario is a much more intriguing battle for survival. An opening day win over Wigan backed up by a draw with the Warriors later in the season and even a draw with St Helens and a victory over Catalans would’ve given Leigh a real chance of survival in this fun scenario.

They’d have still finished 12th but just one league point behind Salford having played the same number of games.

There’s also radical changes at the top with St Helens taking the League Leaders’ Shield losing just four first halves all season two of which were against Warrington who, like St Helens, won 14 first halves in 2021 and would finish second in the this league table with a points percentage of 69.

Leeds also won 14 first halves last year but were behind at the break a further 10 times meaning they finish fourth just below Catalans in third proving the Dragons were perhaps much more fiery in the second 40 last year than they were in the first.

The biggest losers in this scenario are Wigan who remarkably drop down to ninth with a points percentage of just 40. They’re joined outside the play-offs by Hull KR in eighth whilst Wakefield again find themselves outside the top six but much closer to finals football with a 52.1% points percentage.

All of this means Castleford and Hull FC find themselves squeezing into the top six unlike in real life meaning the second halves of games were costly for both whilst Huddersfield’s season changes very little with the Giants in 10th.

Here’s the table in full:

Pos	Team	W	D	L	PD	PTS	PTS %
1	St Helens	14	2	4	151	30	75.0
2	Warrington	14	1	6	72	29	69.0
3	Catalans	13	1	9	96	27	58.7
4	Leeds	14	0	10	94	28	58.3
5	Castleford	12	0	9	1	24	57.1
6	Hull FC	10	3	8	1	23	54.8
7	Wakefield	11	3	10	16	25	52.1
8	Hull KR	9	1	10	-9	19	47.5
9	Wigan	8	4	13	-47	20	40.0
10	Huddersfield	9	0	14	-112	18	39.1
11	Salford	5	1	16	-125	11	25.0
12	Leigh	4	2	16	-206	10	22.7

In this scenario, Catalans would host Hull FC in week one of the play-offs whilst Castleford journeyed over to Headingley with a semi-final clash with St Helens likely waiting the victor assuming Catalans defeated Hull FC and played Warrington in the other semi-final.

If you’re interested, here’s every halftime score from the 2021 Betfred Super League season.

Round One

St Helens 13-0 Salford
Leigh 18-4 Wigan
Wakefield 16-22 Leeds
Catalans 18-4 Hull KR
Hull FC 12-0 Huddersfield
Castleford 14-4 Warrington

Round Two

Wigan 6-6 Wakefield
St Helens 10-0 Hull KR
Warrington 22-0 Leigh
Leeds 4-12 Castleford
Salford 0-14 Hull FC
Huddersfield 6-20 Catalans

Round Three

Leeds 0-8 Wigan
Hull KR 18-4 Huddersfield
St Helens 0-0 Wakefield
Castleford 34-0 Leigh
Catalans 20-0 Salford
Hull FC 2-2 Warrington

Round Four

Huddersfield 0-12 St Helens
Wigan 12-6 Castleford
Hull FC 8-6 Wakefield
Salford 6-8 Leigh
Hull KR 16-6 Leeds
Catalans 8-12 Warrington

Round Five

Wigan 10-8 Hull FC
Salford 12-14 Castleford
Wakefield 12-20 Catalans
Leigh 6-6 St Helens
Warrington 12-18 Hull KR
Huddersfield 6-4 Leeds

Round Six

Leeds 6-10 Wakefield
Warrington 0-20 Huddersfield
Leigh 16-16 Wigan
Hull FC 4-4 Catalans
St Helens 6-0 Salford
Castleford 20-12 Hull KR

Round Seven

Catalans 8-2 St Helens
Warrington 16-10 Castleford
Salford 14-10 Wigan
Leeds 8-18 Hull FC
Wakefield 16-0 Hull KR
Leigh 6-10 Huddersfield

Round Eight

Salford 12-26 Warrington
St Helens 22-4 Hull FC
Castleford 6-32 Leeds
Catalans 16-0 Wigan
Wakefield 34-0 Huddersfield
Hull KR 18-12 Leigh

Round Nine

Castleford 6-12 Hull FC
Warrington 14-6 Wakefield
Hull KR 16-4 Salford
Leigh 18-12 Catalans
Huddersfield 0-6 Wigan

Round Ten

Wakefield 6-10 Castleford
St Helens 2-6 Warrington
Wigan 0-6 Hull KR
Huddersfield 2-8 Salford
Leigh 6-34 Hull FC
Catalans 2-18 Leeds

Round Eleven

Warrington 14-0 Leigh
Wakefield 12-0 Wigan
Castleford 0-8 Catalans
Hull FC 0-10 Huddersfield
Salford 8-22 Leeds

Round Twelve

Wigan 6-18 Warrington
Leeds 24-6 Leigh
Huddersfield 0-20 Catalans
Salford 12-12 Wakefield

Round Thirteen

Wakefield 12-8 Leigh
St Helens 18-0 Wigan
Warrington 6-20 Leeds

Round Fourteen

Wakefield 10-22 St Helens
Leeds 18-8 Catalans
Castleford 6-22 Salford
Wigan 6-12 Huddersfield

Round Fifteen

Huddersfield 22-16 Hull FC
Wigan 9-0 Wakefield
Leeds 20-0 Salford
Catalans 12-26 Hull KR

Round Sixteen

Warrington 12-8 Wigan
Hull FC 6-4 Leeds
Catalans 20-12 Wakefield

Round Seventeen

Leeds 18-12 Warrington
Wigan 28-6 Leigh
Hull KR 4-8 Catalans
Hull FC 6-16 St Helens
Castleford 6-18 Huddersfield

Round Eighteen

Wigan 4-6 Salford
Leeds 6-14 Castleford
St Helens 20-6 Catalans
Leigh 10-18 Hull KR
Huddersfield 10-18 Wakefield

Round Nineteen

St Helens 4-6 Castleford
Leigh 6-10 Leeds
Hull KR 14-14 Wigan
Salford 0-8 Huddersfield
Catalans 10-14 Hull FC
Wakefield 12-0 Warrington

Round Twenty

Leeds 10-4 Huddersfield
Wigan 2-12 St Helens
Castleford 19-6 Wakefield
Hull FC 16-10 Hull KR
Leigh 14-10 Salford

Round Twenty-One

Wigan 0-6 Leeds
St Helens 12-6 Leigh
Hull KR 10-12 Wakefield
Hull FC 6-13 Castleford
Huddersfield 0-14 Warrington
Salford 6-22 Catalans

Round Twenty-Two

Warrington 14-10 St Helens
Huddersfield 22-12 Hull KR
Catalans 40-0 Leigh
Castleford 0-6 Wigan
Wakefield 6-12 Leeds
Salford 12-8 Hull FC

Round Twenty-Three

Castleford 16-12 Salford
St Helens 18-6 Catalans
Leeds 14-16 Hull FC
Huddersfield 6-14 Wakefield
Wigan 6-10 Warrington
Leigh 6-10 Hull KR

Round Twenty-Four

St Helens 28-6 Leeds
Hull KR 12-13 Castleford
Catalans 18-12 Huddersfield
Warrington 16-12 Salford
Hull FC 0-0 Wigan
Leigh 10-18 Wakefield

Round Twenty-Five

Castleford 0-26 Warrington
Wigan 6-0 Catalans
Wakefield 28-0 Hull FC
Salford 10-14 St Helens
Leeds 24-6 Hull KR
Huddersfield 22-12 Leigh