# 1922–23 Northern Rugby Football League season

The 1922–23 Rugby Football League season was the 28th season of rugby league football.

## Season summary

Pre-season the Northern Rugby Football Union decided to drop the 'Union' in favour of 'League' and the first annual conference of the League is held at Keswick.
Hull Kingston Rovers moved from their Craven Street ground to Craven Park at the eastern end of Holderness Road this season. Their first game against Wakefield Trinity on 2 September ended in a 3-0 defeat.
Wigan Highfield joined the League.
Hull Kingston Rovers won their first ever Championship when they defeated Huddersfield 15-5 in the play-off final.
Hull F.C. had finished the regular season as the league leaders and were the first in that position not to contend a play-off final.
The Challenge Cup was won by Leeds when they defeated Hull F.C. 28-3 in the final.
Wigan won the Lancashire League, and Hull F.C. won the Yorkshire League. Wigan beat Leigh 20–2 to win the Lancashire Cup, and York beat Batley 5–0 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.

## Championship

| | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | Pts | Pct |
| 1 | Hull | 36 | 30 | 0 | 6 | 587 | 304 | 60 | 83.33 |
| 2 | Huddersfield | 34 | 26 | 0 | 8 | 644 | 279 | 52 | 76.47 |
| 3 | Swinton | 36 | 27 | 0 | 9 | 467 | 240 | 54 | 75 |
| 4 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 36 | 26 | 1 | 9 | 597 | 231 | 53 | 73.61 |
| 5 | Wigan | 36 | 25 | 2 | 9 | 721 | 262 | 52 | 72.22 |
| 6 | Leigh | 32 | 22 | 0 | 10 | 378 | 281 | 44 | 68.75 |
| 7 | Oldham | 36 | 24 | 0 | 12 | 389 | 236 | 48 | 66.66 |
| 8 | Leeds | 38 | 24 | 2 | 12 | 502 | 297 | 50 | 65.78 |
| 9 | Rochdale Hornets | 36 | 22 | 0 | 14 | 389 | 355 | 44 | 61.11 |
| 10 | York | 34 | 17 | 5 | 12 | 254 | 252 | 39 | 57.35 |
| 11 | St Helens Recs | 36 | 19 | 0 | 17 | 319 | 292 | 38 | 52.77 |
| 12 | Featherstone Rovers | 34 | 17 | 1 | 16 | 413 | 368 | 35 | 51.47 |
| 13 | Wakefield Trinity | 36 | 17 | 2 | 17 | 349 | 306 | 36 | 50 |
| 14 | Batley | 36 | 16 | 2 | 18 | 347 | 372 | 34 | 47.22 |
| 15 | Warrington | 36 | 17 | 0 | 19 | 348 | 410 | 34 | 47.22 |
| 16 | Barrow | 36 | 16 | 0 | 20 | 339 | 444 | 32 | 44.44 |
| 17 | Salford | 36 | 14 | 2 | 20 | 263 | 421 | 30 | 41.66 |
| 18 | Hunslet | 38 | 14 | 2 | 22 | 316 | 371 | 30 | 39.47 |
| 19 | St Helens | 34 | 13 | 0 | 21 | 364 | 427 | 26 | 38.23 |
| 20 | Halifax | 38 | 14 | 1 | 23 | 272 | 442 | 29 | 38.15 |
| 21 | Dewsbury | 36 | 12 | 3 | 21 | 337 | 440 | 27 | 37.5 |
| 22 | Widnes | 34 | 11 | 1 | 22 | 195 | 350 | 23 | 33.82 |
| 23 | Keighley | 38 | 12 | 1 | 25 | 236 | 449 | 25 | 32.89 |
| 24 | Broughton Rangers | 32 | 10 | 1 | 21 | 230 | 319 | 21 | 32.81 |
| 25 | Wigan Highfield | 32 | 7 | 1 | 24 | 208 | 432 | 15 | 23.43 |
| 26 | Bradford Northern | 34 | 6 | 1 | 27 | 180 | 676 | 13 | 19.11 |
| 27 | Bramley | 36 | 5 | 2 | 29 | 184 | 572 | 12 | 16.66 |

## Championship play-off

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Championship final | Championship final | Championship final |
| 1 | Hull | 2 | | | |
| 4 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 16 | | | |
| 4 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 16 | Hull Kingston Rovers | Hull Kingston Rovers | 15 |
| | | | Huddersfield | Huddersfield | 5 |
| 2 | Huddersfield | 16 | Huddersfield | Huddersfield | 5 |
| 3 | Swinton | 5 | | | |

## Challenge Cup

Leeds defeat Hull F.C. 28-3 in the final at Belle Vue, Wakefield to win their second Challenge Cup in their second appearance.
Leeds: 28
Leeds Tries: Syd Walmsley, Harold Buck, Billy Bowen, Joe Brittain, Davies, Ashton
Leeds Goals: Joe Thompson 5
Hull FC: 3
Hull FC Tries: Jimmy Kennedy
Half-time: 10-0
Attendance: 29,335 (at Belle Vue, Wakefield)