The 1969–70 Northern Rugby Football League season was the 75th season of rugby league football in Britain.
Rule change Tactical substitutions were now allowed to occur after half time during a game, they had been permitted before half time since 1964.
Season summary Leeds had ended the regular season as league leaders for the fourth successive season. St. Helens won their fifth Rugby Football League Championship when they beat Leeds 24-12 in the final. Frank Myler was awarded the Harry Sunderland Trophy as man-of-the-match.
The Challenge Cup winners were Castleford who beat Wigan 7-2 in the final.
Wigan won the Lancashire League, and Leeds won the Yorkshire League. This was the last season in which the Lancashire League and Yorkshire League titles were awarded, as the competitions were abolished following a vote on fixture reform during the season.
Championship
TeamPldWDLPts1Leeds343004602Castleford342518513St. Helens3423110474Wigan3423011465Hull Kingston Rovers3422210466Salford3422111457Leigh3421310458Featherstone Rovers3422111459Swinton34204104410Widnes34212114411Hull34202124212Bradford Northern34190153813Whitehaven34182143814Warrington34172153615Huddersfield34171163516Halifax34160183217Batley34151183118Bramley34141192919Barrow34141192920Rochdale Hornets34133182921Wakefield Trinity34132192822Dewsbury34131202723Hunslet34131202724Workington Town34122202625Keighley34130212626York34111222327Doncaster3470271428Huyton3453261329Oldham3460281230Blackpool Borough34602812
Champions Play-offs
Play-offs
Final
St HelensNumberLeeds Teams Frank Barrow1John HolmesLes Jones2Alan SmithBilly Benyon3Syd HynesJohn Walsh4Ron CowanEric Prescott5John AtkinsonFrank Myler6Mick ShoebottomJeff Heaton7Barry Seabourne (c)Albert Halsall8John BurkeBill Sayer9Tony CrosbyCliff Watson (c)10Albert EyreJohn Mantle11Graham EcclesEric Chisnall12Bill RamseyKel Coslett13Ray BattenSubsAlan Whittle14John LangleyGraham Rees15David Hick (for Ramsey)Cliff EvansCoachDerek Turner
Challenge Cup
Castleford beat Wigan 7-2 in the final played at Wembley in front of a crowd of 95,255.
This was Castleford’s third Cup Final win in three Final appearances and their second in successive years. It was also the lowest winning score in a Challenge Cup Final at Wembley.
County cups
Swinton beat Leigh 11–2 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Hull F.C. beat Featherstone Rovers 12–9 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.
BBC2 Floodlit Trophy
The BBC2 Floodlit Trophy winners were Leigh who beat Wigan 11-6 in the final.
References
Sources
1969-70 Rugby Football League season at wigan.rlfans.com The Challenge Cup at The Rugby Football League website