Rugby League 2010

Check out the highs and lows of the last 12 months in rugby league and share your opinions...

Rob Lancaster takes a look back at the last 12 months...

The Warriors reigned supreme in the engage Super League, Warrington confirmed themselves as cup kings with another magical day out at Wembley and the Kiwis once again upset the Kangaroos in their own back yard. Check out skysports.com's highs and lows of the 2010 campaign and share your thoughts on the rugby league year using the feedback box below...

Team of the Season - Wigan

There is little doubt that Wigan deserve this accolade after being crowned Super League champions for the first time since the very first Grand Final back in 1998. They had been on the cusp of a trip to Old Trafford under Brian Noble in recent years but the arrival of Michael Maguire turned them into champions. The foundation for their success was laid during a tough pre-season and although there was the odd wobble, most notably a home play-off loss to Leeds that made their route to the final much tougher than it needed to be, they easily saw off St Helens at the home of Manchester United to scoop the title. "This is all about winning," said Warriors chairman Ian Lenagan when he appointed Maguire. Even he can't have believed that success would come so soon into the Australian's time at the DW Stadium.

Player of the Season - Pat Richards

It seems only right that someone from Wigan gets the honour. Sam Tomkins took the switch from stand-off to full-back in his stride, the move making him an even more dangerous runner as he had more time and space in which to operate. Thomas Leuluai also flourished as both a half-back and a hooker (though more on him later) and Sean O'Loughlin was an inspirational leader, even if he wasn't the official captain every week. However Pat Richards was rightly crowned Man of Steel for a quite stunning campaign in which he scored 29 tries and booted 136 goals to equal Andy Farrell's regular-season record of 388 points. The Ireland international may not have finished with a flourish, suffering a serious injury in the Warriors' Grand Final win, but he was a key component of their title-winning squad. Honourable mentions also go to Warrington duo Adrian Morley and Michael Monaghan, who excelled for the Wire, Leeds skipper Kevin Sinfield and also St Helens' Tony Puletua.

Young Player - Jamie Foster

With so many contenders for the crown, the signs for the future of this great sport look promising in Britain. Wigan's Sam Tomkins lifted the trophy again at the Super League awards dinner (so he can sit this one out), while Liam Farrell quietly impressed in the Warriors' pack. An injury crisis at Leeds gave forward Chris Clarkson a chance in the first team and he didn't let (now ex) boss Brian McClennan down, while another Rhino, full-back Ben Jones-Bishop, shone whilst on loan at Harlequins. However it is a Saint who comes out on top, the latest starlet to come out of the Knowsley Road academy being Jamie Foster, a fleet-footed goal-kicking back who did so well that he was chosen ahead of Ade Gardner on the wing for the Grand Final.

Moment of the Season - Cunningham's try against Castleford

In the final league game to be played at Knowsley Road, it seemed only fitting that Keiron Cunningham - the man who has a statue of himself in the town centre - should score the final try at the famous old venue before it becomes houses. Castleford looked set to spoil St Helens' big night when they scored three tries in the final 10 minutes to take the lead. But the home side fought back to make sure they would finish the regular season in second place, Cunningham crowning the win with a trademark score that saw him bull-doze his way to the try-line from close range. Tom Briscoe's match-saving tackle on fellow England international in the Hull derby comes a very, very close second.

Lowlight - Crusaders' points deduction/licence renewals

The 2010 season was a superb one for Crusaders... on the pitch. The Welsh club began the year in a new home in Wrexham, with a new logo and a new squad under the leadership of Brian Noble. It speaks volumes for the coaching ability of Noble that he was able to pull together a group of players, many of whom arrived at various stages of the season, and still make the play-offs. However, their achievements have since been overshadowed by the move into administration in November due to "inherited debt", meaning they will start 2011 on -4 points. It had been thought that they could lose their place in the top flight, and some will suggest they were given favourable treatment because of the desire of the RFL to have a Welsh team in Super League.

Best Performance - Leeds show Warrior spirit

For Rhinos fans 2010 was a year to forget. For the first time in four years they failed to make the Grand Final while they also suffered a miserable day out at Wembley, going down to an on-song Warrington in the Challenge Cup final. However there were still some highlights for Leeds, the most notable of which was a stunning triumph over minor premiers Wigan in the opening round of the play-offs. A drop-goal from inspirational captain Kevin Sinfield clinched a thrilling 27-26 result at the DW Stadium having at one stage found themselves 12-0 down. Victory came at a cost, however, as Danny McGuire was lost to a serious injury. The Warriors got their revenge less than a fortnight later too, beating Leeds at Headingley to officially end the reign of the defending champions.

Year to remember - Thomas Leuluai/Stuart Fielden

A joint award for two of Wigan's star men. Leuluai was named man of the match for his display in the Grand Final playing at half-back, then headed Down Under to help New Zealand win the Four Nations whilst being utilised as a hooker. Whatever position he is asked to play, the Kiwi is always a danger around the play-the-ball area and has become a key cog for both club and country. Fielden should be nicknamed 'Lazarus' after a sensational comeback year. Signed for a world-record fee by the Warriors, the forward had looked a shadow of his former self ever since he was knocked out by Willie Mason. However the former Bradford Bull has enjoyed a renaissance since the arrival of Michael Maguire at Wigan, his performances in the pack resulting in an international recall. That £450,000 fee now seems like money well spent.

Year to forget - Australian rugby league

It has been a difficult 12 months Down Under. The trouble started with Melbourne Storm admitting they had committed serious and systematic breaches of the salary cap for the last five years. The result of their confession was the loss of their 2007 and 2009 titles, a record fine in excess of $1 million Australian dollars and an inability to earn a single point in the 2010 campaign. The NRL also had a number of issues with player indescretions, none more public than the obscene photo of Joel Monaghan (we've all seen it by now, haven't we?) that resulted in him resigning from the Canberra Raiders and fleeing to Super League. As if that hadn't been enough, the Kangaroos then failed in a final for the second successive time against New Zealand, meaning the Kiwis lifted the Four Nations title on Australian soil.

Gone but not forgotten

Terry Newton
A former Great Britain hooker who played for Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield and Wigan in Super League, Newton was found hanged at a house in Orrell. He had had his contract terminated by the Wildcats in February after being suspended for two years for a positive drug test for human growth hormone. Newton played in four Grand Finals during his career and won 15 international caps. The 31-year-old took over a pub in the Wigan area with his father-in-law following his suspension and had spoken of his eagerness to work with the Rugby Football League to rid the game of drugs cheats. A minute's silence was held in his honour before the Grand Final. Keiron Cunningham
Cunningham - a modern-day legend - finally decided to hang up his boots at the end of 2010 having made nearly 500 appearances for Saints and a one-club man throughout his career. The hooker was one of a very select group to have played in every season of Super League and has been immortalised not only with a statue in the town centre but also with the new housing estate on the site of Knowsley Road being named after him. A superb passer who was always a danger close to the try-line, Cunningham represented Great Britain and Wales at international level. Super League certainly won't be the same without him. Garry Purdham
A forward who had appeared for Whitehaven and Workington during his playing career, Purdham - the brother of England international Rob - tragically hit the headlines in June when he was one of 12 people killed by Derrick Bird in Cumbria. Purdham, who had only recently returned to action with his old amateur club, Egremont Rangers, was working in a field on his father's farm near Gosforth when he was shot dead. In his memory, England took on Cumbria at Whitehaven in the first Garry Purdham Testimonial before the Four Nations. Rob Purdham, who had played alongside his brother at Whitehaven, captained the Cumbria side.