From bottom to the top, Super League's end of term report

The regular Super League season is over and the play-offs are around for the corner for the top six. Twenty seven rounds of matches have been completed, watched by an aggregate of 1,674,809 spectators. The 10,338 average crowd per match was a record, beating last year's 10,264 figure, and so it's time for the teacher's report and grades, starting at the bottom with this year's sprogs Castleford and moving up to the top with class swots and head boys St Helens.

12TH, Castleford, 15 pts: Class jokers bringing in Dwain Chambers. Struggled badly in the top stream at times. Promising work at home against St Helens and Leeds. Can and must pull socks up next term. Grade D

11TH, Hull, 17 pts: A disrupted year. Missed a lot of class time through illness and injury. Enjoyed school trip to Wembley. Need to catch up Hull KR. I know you can do far better in 2009. Grade C minus

10TH, Huddersfield, 21 pts: Sloppy work at times. The capability is there. Maybe you'll realise it with a new broom when school resumes in February. Keep trying. Grade C

9TH, Harlequins, 22 pts: You veer from great work to dreadful work. Lots of promise but must concentrate more. Remember the three F's - focus, focus, focus. Grade C

8TH, Wakefield, 22 pts: Reasonably good progress, even if you didn't attain the levels you set yourself. Fell away in the last eight weeks of term after very encouraging start. Don't give up. Grade B minus

7TH, Hull KR, 23 pts: Steady and generally solid progress in your second year in main school but capable of better. Lost your way in the summer term and suffered from disruption in class. Look for continuing improvement next year. Grade B

6TH, Warrington, 28 pts: You have the brains and brawn but when will you use them ? Capable of reaching top of the class but you continually flatter only to deceive. Maybe you'll redeem yourself in the coming few weeks, maybe. Grade C minus

5TH, Bradford, 28pts: A hard year, I know. You were drowning at times, but good to see those old winning instincts re-emerging at examination time. Don't let yourself down. Grade B minus

4TH, Wigan, 29 pts: An infuriating up and down year and when you were bad you were pretty bad, but you've at least given yourself a chance. It's up to you to take it. Work hard and you can reach whatever your goal is. Grade B minus

3RD, Catalans, 34 pts: Surpassed yourself this year and surprised and delighted all your teachers. Time to concentrate. Don't let all that great work slip now.  Grade B plus

2ND, Leeds, 42 pts: Deservedly top of the class until the end of June with some excellent, diligent work. A summer blip but you're back on track to repeating your 2007 honours. Grade A

1ST, St Helens, 43 pts: A couple of quiet months, then straight As from April. You've set the standard. Enjoy the rest in Madrid this week. You'll need it for one last big push. Grade A plus

Comments

[Mark Billington]

Anyone who wants to see poor RL reporting need go not further than the Telegraph there blog is just there to have a Union fella rip the back out of RL. You should have read there Wembley Review it was the closest thing to a piece of class war writing that I'd seen in a long time

[Wildcat]

I'd give Irvine an A plus. This blog is the most original thing I've had the pleasure to read about rugby league. It's meant to be tongue in cheek, a bit waspish and revelatory. You compare it with the general dross out there. It's a pleasure to read and I'm just glad to see The Times is committed to such a venture. I'm also looking forward to Irvine's book of this blog. Keep up the good work and ignore the doom and dirge merchants, who have nothing better to do than sling mud, basically because they're thick.

[Fully]

To the poster who responded to me:

At what point did I say I was entirely satisfied with the points achieved. Last season would have seen us stay up with that total, and we were only two wins away from our 19 points in 2006 - a record points tally for a relegated side.

Not only have we continued with a squad from NL1, we've also brought through a lot of youngsters - some of which haven't played Super League at all, so we've taken time to adapt.

Our form over the second half of the season would have seen us finish in the play-offs. Hence if you read my post again, I said potential is there. A grade C reflects the overall success of our season.

I'm sure Chris will confirm how negative I was in January, when I was a) worried we wouldn't get a stadium, b) Worried we wouldn't get a franchise - and c) Struggle to get over 12 points.

[Simon, Harrogate]

yep, an 'A' for Mr Irvine from this reader too - thus far a refreshing and original take on RL, cheers

[A Goldthorpe]

See Mr Spencer is not game for a laugh. Unlike him, I very much enjoy Christopher Irvine's excellent and comprehensive coverage of rugby league both in The Times and here on this blog. I've been reading his reports in the newspaper for more years than I can remember. He must be in his 60s.

[R Spencer]

The gradings and comments are about as good as all the rugby reports i have read from this guy CRAP he should stick with the other code they go well together.

[Numptyboy]

With a name like that Mike Hunt, I'm surprised you didn't get two out of ten for spelling!

[Mike hunt]

I agree with Rhinos grading great start dodgy middle good ending they can do it!

[harry Sunderland]

eee alreet

naw then lets face it t'tigers wor awfull slight improvement neart end but needs detention to be a real threat.

see thee

[Come on Aussie]

Hey Fully, glad you think Castleford did well getting 15 points - enough for them to have been relegated in any other year. They finished bottom, last, so glad you thinking they're doing well. God you lot are so easily pleased. That's why we'll win the world cup.

[everyone thinks...]

Leeds E
The rich kid in class. People pretend to like them but only because they share their sweets, wait until everyone grows, then they will be the ones everyone avoids

[Come on Aussie]

Ive been watcing your piffling league on Fox and your marks are way out.
St Helens B
Leeds B
Catalans C
Wigan D
Bradford D
Warrington E
Wakefield E
Huddersfield E
Harlequins E
Hull KR D+
Hull E-
Castleford FAIL

[Fully]

Bit harsh on Cas there. Our form of the second half of the season improved more, and we picked up more points. 15 points is not a poor tally by any means.

Think it should read more like:
"Took time to adapt to higher level of education, but started making progression throughout second half of the year. Need more work, but potential is there. Grade C+"

[Sam Wigan]

B minus for Wigan? We've been absolutely shambolic at times this season, C minus at best IMO. In teh 13 years I've had a season ticket I've never seen us play such boring rugby and look so clueless in attack. The fact that we've finished 4th makes me quite worried about the standard of RL in the UK

[Nosey P]

Are you snitching on us Numptyboy ? If so, we're going to batter you in the playground.

[Numptyboy]

I'm sure I saw Cas smoking behind the bike sheds.