# 1968–69 Northern Rugby Football League season

The 1968–69 Rugby Football League season was the 74th season of rugby league football.

## Season summary

Leeds had finished the regular season as League leaders for the third season in a row. They then won their second Championship when they beat Castleford 16-14 in the Championship Final. Bev Risman was awarded the Harry Sunderland Trophy as man-of-the-match.
The Challenge Cup winners were Castleford who beat Salford 11-6 in the final.
St. Helens won the Lancashire League, and Leeds won the Yorkshire League.

## Championship

| | Team | Pld | W | D | L | Pts |
| 1 | Leeds | 34 | 29 | 2 | 3 | 60 |
| 2 | St. Helens | 34 | 27 | 2 | 5 | 56 |
| 3 | Wigan | 34 | 25 | 2 | 7 | 52 |
| 4 | Castleford | 34 | 24 | 2 | 8 | 50 |
| 5 | Swinton | 34 | 23 | 0 | 11 | 46 |
| 6 | Salford | 34 | 19 | 5 | 10 | 43 |
| 7 | Featherstone Rovers | 34 | 21 | 1 | 12 | 43 |
| 8 | Workington Town | 34 | 21 | 0 | 13 | 42 |
| 9 | Leigh | 34 | 19 | 4 | 11 | 42 |
| 10 | Hull Kingston Rovers | 34 | 20 | 0 | 14 | 40 |
| 11 | York | 34 | 20 | 0 | 14 | 40 |
| 12 | Wakefield Trinity | 34 | 19 | 1 | 14 | 39 |
| 13 | Hull | 34 | 18 | 3 | 13 | 39 |
| 14 | Widnes | 34 | 19 | 1 | 14 | 39 |
| 15 | Keighley | 34 | 18 | 1 | 15 | 37 |
| 16 | Oldham | 34 | 18 | 0 | 16 | 36 |
| 17 | Warrington | 34 | 17 | 1 | 16 | 35 |
| 18 | Halifax | 34 | 16 | 2 | 16 | 34 |
| 19 | Bradford Northern | 34 | 16 | 0 | 18 | 32 |
| 20 | Barrow | 34 | 13 | 1 | 20 | 27 |
| 21 | Rochdale Hornets | 34 | 13 | 0 | 21 | 26 |
| 22 | Dewsbury | 34 | 12 | 1 | 21 | 25 |
| 23 | Hunslet | 34 | 11 | 0 | 23 | 22 |
| 24 | Doncaster | 34 | 11 | 0 | 23 | 22 |
| 25 | Huddersfield | 34 | 9 | 1 | 24 | 19 |
| 26 | Batley | 34 | 8 | 1 | 25 | 17 |
| 27 | Huyton | 34 | 8 | 0 | 26 | 16 |
| 28 | Bramley | 34 | 7 | 0 | 27 | 14 |
| 29 | Blackpool Borough | 34 | 7 | 0 | 27 | 14 |
| 30 | Whitehaven | 34 | 6 | 1 | 27 | 13 |
| Champions | Play-offs |

### Play-offs

| Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| Leeds | 32 | | | | |
| Oldham | 12 | | | | |
| Oldham | 12 | Leeds | 18 | | |
| | | Workington | 10 | | |
| Workington | 11 | Workington | 10 | | |
| Leigh | 9 | | | | |
| Leigh | 9 | | | Leeds | 22 |
| | | | | Salford | 12 |
| Wigan | 26 | | | Salford | 12 |
| Widnes | 10 | | | | |
| Widnes | 10 | Wigan | 21 | | |
| | | Salford | 26 | | |
| Salford | 13 | Salford | 26 | | |
| York | 7 | | | | | | |
| York | 7 | | | | | Leeds | 16 |
| | | | | | | Castleford | 14 |
| Swinton | 9 | | | | | Castleford | 14 |
| Wakefield Trinity | 5 | | | | | | |
| Wakefield Trinity | 5 | Swinton | 8 | | | | |
| | | Castleford | 50 | | | | |
| Castleford | 14 | Castleford | 50 | | | | |
| Hull | 10 | | | | | | |
| Hull | 10 | | | Castleford | 18 | | |
| | | | | St Helens | 6 |
| Featherstone Rovers | 16 | | | St Helens | 6 |
| Hull KR | 5 | | | | |
| Hull KR | 5 | Featherstone Rovers | 4 | | |
| | | St Helens | 47 | | |
| St Helens | 25 | St Helens | 47 | | |
| Keighley | 7 | | | | |

#### Final

* 24 May 1969
| Leeds | 16 – 14 | Castleford |
| Tries: Cowan, Atkinson Goals: Risman (4), Ramsey | | Tries: Hardisty, Dickinson Goals: Redfearn (3), Hardisty |
* Odsal Stadium, Bradford Attendance: 28,442 Referee: Billy Thompson (Huddersfield) Player of the Match: Bev Risman

## Challenge Cup

Castleford beat Salford 11-6 in the final played at Wembley before a crowd of 97,939. Salford were captained by David Watkins.
This was Castleford’s second Cup Final win in two Final appearances.
This is Salford’s most recent appearance in a Challenge Cup Final.

## County cups

St. Helens beat Oldham 30–2 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Leeds beat Castleford 22–11 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.

## BBC2 Floodlit Trophy

The BBC2 Floodlit Trophy winners were Wigan who beat St. Helens 7-4 in the final.