# 2003 Rugby League National Leagues

The 2003 National Leagues (known as the LHF National Leagues due to sponsorship) are the second, third and fourth divisions of rugby league played in Britain.
National Leagues One and Two were made up of the 18 clubs that competed in the Northern Ford Premiership during the previous season, plus the London Skolars and the York City Knights. National League Three consisted of ten additional teams from the amateur leagues. There was no automatic promotion and relegation with National League Two, but the RFL hoped to introduce this in the future.

## National League One

National League One was won by Salford City Reds, and won promotion to the Super League after defeating runners-up the Leigh Centurions in the play-off final. The Dewsbury Rams were relegated to National Two.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Salford City Reds (P) | 18 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 443 | 438 | +5 | 30 | Semi-final |
| 2 | Leigh Centurions | 18 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 702 | 309 | +393 | 30 | Semi-final |
| 3 | Rochdale Hornets | 18 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 647 | 477 | +170 | 26 | Elimination Semi-final |
| 4 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 18 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 401 | 373 | +28 | 20 | Elimination Semi-final |
| 5 | Oldham | 18 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 404 | 500 | −96 | 16 | Elimination Semi-final |
| 6 | Whitehaven | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 683 | 398 | +285 | 15 | Elimination Semi-final |
| 7 | Featherstone Rovers | 18 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 387 | 478 | −91 | 14 | |
| 8 | Doncaster Dragons | 18 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 429 | 632 | −203 | 13 | |
| 9 | Batley Bulldogs | 18 | 5 | 1 | 12 | 366 | 543 | −177 | 11 | |
| 10 | Dewsbury Rams (R) | 18 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 284 | 751 | −467 | 5 | Relegated to National League Two |

### Playoffs

| Elimination play-offs | Elimination play-offs | Elimination play-offs | Qualifying/Elimination semifinal | Qualifying/Elimination semifinal | Qualifying/Elimination semifinal | Elimination final | Elimination final | Elimination final | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final |
| | | | The Willows | The Willows | The Willows | | | | Halton Stadium | Halton Stadium | Halton Stadium |
| | | | 1 | Salford | 26 | | | | Salford | 31 |
| | | | 2 | Leigh Centurions | 18 | Leigh Sports Village | Leigh Sports Village | Leigh Sports Village | Leigh Centurions | Leigh Centurions | 14 |
| Spotland | Spotland | Spotland | 2 | Leigh Centurions | 18 | Leigh Sports Village | Leigh Sports Village | Leigh Sports Village | Leigh Centurions | Leigh Centurions | 14 |
| Spotland | Spotland | Spotland | | | | Leigh Centurions | 42 | | | |
| 3 | Rochdale | 40 | | | | Leigh Centurions | 42 | | | |
| 3 | Rochdale | 40 | Spotland | Spotland | Spotland | Hull KR | Hull KR | | 12 | | |
| 6 | Whitehaven | 38 | Spotland | Spotland | Spotland | Hull KR | Hull KR | | 12 | | |
| 6 | Whitehaven | 38 | Rochdale | Rochdale | 26 | | | | | | |
| Craven Park | Craven Park | Craven Park | Rochdale | Rochdale | 26 | | | | | | |
| Craven Park | Craven Park | Craven Park | Hull KR | Hull KR | 30 | | | | | | |
| 4 | Hull KR | 38 | Hull KR | Hull KR | 30 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Oldham | 24 | | | | | | | | | |

#### Grand Final

* 5 October 2003
| Salford City Reds | 31 – 14 | Leigh Centurions |
| Tries: Hunte (2), Beverley, Littler Goals: Charles (6), Blakeley Drop goals: Blakeley | | Tries: Richardson, Halliwell, Swann Goals: Turley |
* Halton Stadium, Widnes Attendance: 9,186 Referee: Richard Silverwood

## National League Two

National League Two was won by the Sheffield Eagles, but lost to the Keighley Cougars in the play-off final.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Sheffield Eagles | 18 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 644 | 326 | +318 | 26 | Semi-final |
| 2 | Chorley Lynx | 18 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 584 | 362 | +222 | 26 | Semi-final |
| 3 | Keighley Cougars (P) | 18 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 488 | 340 | +148 | 26 | Elimination Semi-final |
| 4 | York City Knights | 18 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 576 | 381 | +195 | 23 | Elimination Semi-final |
| 5 | Barrow Raiders | 18 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 546 | 419 | +127 | 22 | Elimination Semi-final |
| 6 | Hunslet Hawks | 18 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 513 | 425 | +88 | 21 | Elimination Semi-final |
| 7 | Swinton Lions | 18 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 445 | 426 | +19 | 17 | |
| 8 | Workington Town | 18 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 393 | 558 | −165 | 9 | |
| 9 | Gateshead Thunder | 18 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 365 | 663 | −298 | 7 | |
| 10 | London Skolars | 18 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 222 | 876 | −654 | 3 | |

### Playoffs

| Elimination play-offs | Elimination play-offs | Elimination play-offs | Qualifying/Elimination semifinal | Qualifying/Elimination semifinal | Qualifying/Elimination semifinal | Elimination final | Elimination final | Elimination final | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final |
| | | | Don Valley Stadium | Don Valley Stadium | Don Valley Stadium | | | | Halton Stadium | Halton Stadium | Halton Stadium |
| | | | 1 | Sheffield | 31 | | | | Keighley | 13 |
| | | | 2 | Chorley | 14 | Bloomfield Road | Bloomfield Road | Bloomfield Road | Sheffield | Sheffield | 11 |
| Cougar Park | Cougar Park | Cougar Park | 2 | Chorley | 14 | Bloomfield Road | Bloomfield Road | Bloomfield Road | Sheffield | Sheffield | 11 |
| Cougar Park | Cougar Park | Cougar Park | | | | Chorley | 12 | | | |
| 3 | Keighley | 25 | | | | Chorley | 12 | | | |
| 3 | Keighley | 25 | Cougar Park | Cougar Park | Cougar Park | Keighley | Keighley | | 45 | | |
| 6 | Hunslet | 12 | Cougar Park | Cougar Park | Cougar Park | Keighley | Keighley | | 45 | | |
| 6 | Hunslet | 12 | Keighley | Keighley | 35 | | | | | | |
| Bootham Crescent | Bootham Crescent | Bootham Crescent | Keighley | Keighley | 35 | | | | | | |
| Bootham Crescent | Bootham Crescent | Bootham Crescent | Barrow | Barrow | 26 | | | | | | |
| 4 | York | 30 | Barrow | Barrow | 26 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Barrow | 50 | | | | | | | | | |

#### Grand Final

* 5 October 2003
| Keighley Cougars | 13 – 11 | Sheffield Eagles |
| Tries: M. Foster, Robinson Goals: Ashton (2) Drop goals: Firth | | Tries: O'Reilly Goals: G. Brown (3) Drop goals: Reilly |
* Halton Stadium, Widnes Attendance: 9,186 Referee: Peter Taberner

## National League Three

National League Three was won by Bradford Dudley Hill, with the play-offs being won by the Woolston Rovers (Warrington).

### Table

| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | Pts for | Pts agst | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Bradford Dudley Hill | 14 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 545 | 178 | 26 | Qualifying Semi Final |
| 2 | Teesside Steelers | 14 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 343 | 273 | 21 | Qualifying Semi Final |
| 3 | Woolston Rovers (Warrington) | 14 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 480 | 244 | 19 | Elimination Play-off |
| 4 | St Albans Centurions | 14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 410 | 284 | 18 | Elimination Play-off |
| 5 | Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks | 14 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 395 | 246 | 15 | Elimination Play-off |
| 6 | Underbank Rangers | 14 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 412 | 396 | 14 | Elimination Play-off |
| 7 | South London Storm | 14 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 274 | 362 | 12 |
| 8 | Coventry Bears | 14 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 273 | 385 | 9 |
| 9 | Manchester Knights | 14 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 228 | 584 | 6 |
| 10 | Hemel Stags | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 160 | 568 | 0 |

### Playoffs

| Elimination play-offs | Elimination play-offs | Elimination play-offs | Qualifying/Elimination semifinal | Qualifying/Elimination semifinal | Qualifying/Elimination semifinal | Elimination final | Elimination final | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final |
| | | | | | | | | Halton Stadium | Halton Stadium | Halton Stadium |
| | | | 1 | Bradford Dudley Hill | 8 | | | Woolston Rovers (Warrington) | 42 |
| | | | 2 | Teesside Steelers | 10 | | | Teesside Steelers | Teesside Steelers | 6 |
| | | | | | | Bradford Dudley Hill | 12 | | |
| 3 | Woolston Rovers (Warrington) | 18 | | | | Bradford Dudley Hill | 12 | | |
| 3 | Woolston Rovers (Warrington) | 18 | | | | Woolston Rovers (Warrington) | Woolston Rovers (Warrington) | 34 | | |
| 6 | Underbank Rangers | 10 | | | | Woolston Rovers (Warrington) | Woolston Rovers (Warrington) | 34 | | |
| 6 | Underbank Rangers | 10 | Woolston Rovers (Warrington) | Woolston Rovers (Warrington) | 24 | | | | | |
| | | | St Albans Centurions | St Albans Centurions | 10 | | | | | |
| 4 | St Albans Centurions | 20 | St Albans Centurions | St Albans Centurions | 10 | | | | | |
| 5 | Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks | 8 | | | | | | | | |