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Leeds v Wigan, 2003

After two-and-a-half years, the European Super League arrived in Paris in the spring of 1996.

The advent of the Super League and the switch to summer rugby was billed as the most momentous occasion since the breakaway of 1895 and the match lived up to expectations.

A wildly-enthusiastic crowd of 17,873 lapped up the razzmataz that was to become a regular feature of the new game and the opening fixture had a fairytale result, with Paris claiming a landmark victory.

French winger Freddie Banquet made history by scoring the first-ever Super League try after only 10 minutes and Arnaud Cervello touched down twice in a 30-24 win.
Unfortunately, the French venture lasted only three years, with Parisians losing interest in a side that was, in the end, comprised largely of Australian journeymen.

Bradford won their first 20 League matches in the second season of the Super League to cruise to the title but Halifax very nearly upset the apple-cart over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend.

Halifax were on course for a comfortable victory when they led 26-6 at half-time but the Bulls staged one of the most remarkable comebacks in the history of the game to keep alive their 100% record.

The score remained unchanged until the 58th minute when hooker James Lowes sparked the fightback by working forward Simon Knox over for his side's second try. Full-back Stuart Spruce then grabbed two in quick succession and, when Paul Loughlin converted another try from winger Jon Scales on 70 minutes, the scores were level.

Bradford were not finished, however, with Loughlin getting his hand to a grubber kick from Lowes to score a sensational winner.

St Helens have made a habit of pulling matches out of the fire but they brought a new meaning to the phrase cliff-hanger with their last-ditch win over Bradford in the first round of the play-offs in 2000.

The Bulls were clinging to an 11-10 lead as the seconds began to tick away but Saints demonstrated their never-say-die qualities with arguably the most exciting try in the history of Super League.

They kept the ball alive deep inside their own half after the hooter had sounded, with Sean Long amazingly kicking the ball crossfield to centre Kevin Iro.

Threequarter Dwayne West then surged downfield, beating two despairing Bradford defenders, and skipper Chris Joynt was in support to finish off the daring move in joyous fashion.

For sheer drama and controversy, the final moments of the 2002 Grand Final will live long in the memory.

Only points difference separated Bradford and St Helens at the end of the regular season and the Old Trafford decider also went right down to the wire.

Despite mistakenly having a try from Paul Deacon disallowed by the video referee, the Bulls led 18-12 early in the second half.

But Saints pulled back a try through Martin Gleeson and Sean Long added a penalty in the 64th minute to level the scores and set up a heart-stopping finish.

Deacon (twice), Long and Paul Sculthorpe all failed with drop-goal attempts before Long finally broke the deadlock with the all-important one-pointer with just seconds left on the clock.

In the most captivating of four magnificent matches between these great Roses rivals in 2003, a drop goal from Danny Tickle three minutes from the end of a pulsating clash eased Wigan into a fifth Grand Final.

The 17,264 Headingley crowd were preparing for a first-ever period of extra-time until Tickle's dramatic one-pointer settled a classic final eliminator in which Leeds played their part.

Two spectacular long-range tries from former Great Britain winger Brian Carney set the platform for a tremendous win by the Warriors, who became the first team from outside the top two to reach the Grand Final.

Wigan came from 14-4 behind to make it eight wins in a row under Mike Gregory and earn a place at Old Trafford but their play-off efforts took a heavy toll and a week later they were well beaten by Bradford.

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