Every Golden Point game in Super League since introduction in 2019
Hull KR's Brad Schneider (top left), Catalans Dragons' James Maloney (top right), Wigan Warriors' Harry Smith (bottom left) & St Helens' Jack Welsby (bottom right) score/celebrate scoring the winning point in Super League games which have gone to Golden Point
Over the weekend, we saw the first Super League game of 2024 go to Golden Point, with Leigh Leopards and Castleford Tigers unable to be separated in 80 minutes.
While Golden Point had been an option for a good few years beforehand for cup, play-off games and the like, Super League adopted it ahead of the 2019 season with the aim of adding entertainment value.
Two additional five-minute periods are played, and if either team are able to score by any means, then they take the win. If no points are scored after the 10 minutes of additional time, then the spoils are shared – though that’s a rarity.
Below is a full list of every Super League game since then to have required longer than 80 minutes, kept up to date as and when any matches need to be added.
1. Wigan Warriors 22-23 Hull FC (February 24, 2019 – Round 3)
The very first Golden Point Super League game took just three weeks to come around, with Hull getting the better of Wigan thanks to a Marc Sneyd drop goal, ending a run of 13 consecutive defeats which stretched back to June 2018.
Wigan had clawed back a 10-point deficit, and saw Zak Hardaker miss a conversion towards the end of normal time which would have won it for them.
2. Leeds Rhinos 21-20 Castleford Tigers (March 28, 2019 – Round 8)
After just one victory in their first eight games of the season, Leeds had been pegged back from 20-4 up at Headingley by Castleford, but recovered to win the game in Golden Point courtesy of Brad Dwyer’s stunning drop goal from 40 metres out.
3. Catalans Dragons 30-31 Hull FC (April 13, 2019 – Round 10)
When Sam Tomkins converted a Sam Kasiano try with less than a minute left to play at the Stade Gilbert Brutus, Catalans looked on course for a home win. But a penalty conceded direct from the resulting kick-off gave Sneyd the chance to take the game into Golden Point in the south of France as he slotted over a two-pointer from long-range.
The Oldham-born ace then won the game for the visitors with a drop goal in Golden Point, that their second success of the season after more than 80 minutes.
4. Castleford Tigers 27-26 Huddersfield Giants (June 7, 2019 – Round 17)
Lee Gaskell had scored a hat-trick for Huddersfield, but it wasn’t enough, as the Giants were beaten in the seventh minute of Golden Point by Peter Mata’utia’s drop goal for Castleford.
5. London Broncos 23-22 St Helens (June 9, 2019 – Round 17)
This was the first time that Golden Point was required in two Super League games in the same match round, with London – who would go on to be relegated – pipping Saints – who would be crowned champions – to the post in Ealing.
The Broncos twice came from behind and had looked to be winning the contest in 80 minutes before Regan Grace crossed late on to level the scores up at 22-22. Morgan Smith though kept his nerve in Golden Point to slot the winning one-pointer with a drop goal for the hosts.
6. Hull KR 27-26 Castleford Tigers (August 4, 2019 – Round 24)
London’s relegation rivals in 2019, KR, picked up what proved an invaluable two competition points courtesy of Danny McGuire’s drop goal having come from behind against Castleford at Craven Park. They had conceded a rare eight-point penalty try in this clash prior to mounting a comeback, with the winner the last-ever one-pointer kicked by McGuire in his career.
7. Salford Red Devils 17-16 Hull KR (September 13, 2019 – Round 29)
En-route to the Grand Final in 2019, Salford secured a third-place finish with a Golden Point victory at home against KR in the last regular league game of the campaign. Robins ace McGuire was sin-binned in the final game of a legendary career, with Joey Lussick’s try for the Red Devils levelling things up late on and Krisnan Inu’s drop goal ultimately winning it in Golden Point.
8. Wakefield Trinity 26-27 Hull FC (March 6, 2020 – Round 6)
After seven Golden Point games in 2019, the first of 2020 came in Round 6 as Hull edged out Wakefield at Belle Vue thanks to yet another Sneyd drop goal. FC had led 20-6 at half-time, but were pegged back, and needed more heroics from Sneyd after Max Jowitt had tried and failed with a one-point attempt for the hosts.
9. Huddersfield Giants 26-27 Leeds Rhinos (August 2, 2020 – Round 2)
Owing to the COVID-19 Pandemic, there were plenty of games either cancelled altogether in 2020 or re-arranged. This fell into the latter category, held behind closed doors at Headingley, with Luke Gale’s drop goal eventually winning it for Leeds. Team-mate Ash Handley had been sin-binned in the Round 2 clash.
10. St Helens 21-20 Hull KR (September 11, 2020 – Round 12)
The third and final Golden Point Super League game in 2020 also came behind closed doors, as Saints returned to the top of the table thanks to Theo Fages’ drop goal. Kevin Naiqama’s high tackle allowed Will Dagger to level things up with a penalty late on, and with the centre in the sin-bin, the hosts saw Lachlan Coote miss a one-point effort prior to Frenchman Fages’ success.
11. Catalans Dragons 29-28 Hull KR (March 27, 2021 – Round 1)
Catalans would go on to reach the Grand Final at the end of the 2021 season, but didn’t exactly get off to a flyer. With games still behind closed doors, they surrendered a 28-4 lead at Headingley against KR and were taken into Golden Point, but saw James Maloney’s boot come to the rescue with a drop goal which sealed victory in their opening game of the year.
12. Hull FC 14-14 Warrington Wolves (April 18, 2021 – Round 3)
History would be made a few weeks later with the first-ever draw in Super League after Golden Point. Jake Mamo scored for Warrington at the MKM Stadium against Hull in the very last play of the game to take it beyond 80 minutes, and in the 10 minutes which followed, the two sides between them missed no fewer than nine attempts at slotting a one-pointer over to win it.
13. Leeds Rhinos 15-13 Wakefield Trinity (May 14, 2021 – Round 6)
Another bit of history came at Headingley the following month as Leeds became the first team to win a Super League game in Golden Point without the winner being a drop goal. Gale had already slotted a one-pointer in normal time for the Rhinos, but so had Mason Lino for Wakefield, and the scores ended at 13-13 after 80 minutes.
Konrad Hurrell made a line-break for the hosts in Golden Point, and Trinity’s Jay Pitts was adjudged to have stripped the ball out of his hands illegally in the aftermath. A penalty was awarded, and Rhyse Martin slotted over the posts to pick up two points and win it for Leeds.
14. St Helens 30-31 Catalans Dragons (September 4, 2021 – Round 23)
Even more history here with the first Super League game at Magic Weekend to require Golden Point, and simply one of the most memorable Magic Weekend games ever. Catalans sealed the League Leaders’ Shield with this win, and Maloney was once again the hero with the all-important drop goal, but a mammoth comeback was needed to even get to that point.
Trailing 30-12 with four minutes left on the clock, Dean Whare, Gil Dudson and Sam Kasiano all somehow crossed for back-to-back-to-back tries to level things up. Even after that, the Dragons had to survive a missed drop goal attempt from Saints’ Coote before Australian Maloney stepped up to seal an unforgettable win.
15. Leeds Rhinos 25-24 Hull FC (September 4, 2021 – Round 23)
We didn’t have to wait long for the second Golden Point game at Magic Weekend, it followed straight after! Circa two hours after Catalans and Saints left the field at St James’ Park, Leeds were celebrating a victory over Hull courtesy of Kruise Leeming’s drop goal in the second period of Golden Point. They had clawed their way back from 24-14 down to take the contest past 80 minutes.
16. Warrington Wolves 20-19 Salford Red Devils (September 11, 2021 – Round 24)
The sixth and final Super League Golden Point game in 2021 came the following week as Warrington got the better of Salford. The second of George Williams’ two drop goals on the day won it for the hosts at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. Gareth Widdop’s two-pointer earlier in the contest had got Wire back on level terms and was the score which took the game into Golden Point.
17. Leeds Rhinos 20-20 Huddersfield Giants (April 14, 2022 – Round 8)
This clash at Headingley saw the second-ever draw in Super League since the introduction of Golden Point. Leeds somehow blew a 10-point lead with two minutes remaining as both Luke Yates and Innes Senior scored for Huddersfield to level things up.
Tui Lolohea’s missed conversion on the Senior’s try was the only thing which denied the Giants an improbable win, with neither of the two sides able to get a winning Golden Point in the 10 minutes of extra time.
18. Wakefield Trinity 19-18 Hull FC (June 5, 2022 – Round 14)
Jacob Miller isn’t shy of putting boot to ball for a drop goal attempt, and did so here to win it for hosts Wakefield against Hull at Belle Vue in Golden Point. Coming from behind, Trinity forced extra time thanks to late tries from Corey Hall & Gaskell.
19. Castleford Tigers 17-16 Catalans Dragons (June 26, 2022 – Round 16)
Later that same month, Castleford made home advantage count at the Jungle to pip Catalans to victory. In a game which saw momentum swing one way and then the other throughout, Danny Richardson twice missed drop goal attempts in normal time.
Josh Drinkwater, Tomkins, Jake Trueman and Richardson then missed further one-point efforts before the latter finally iced one to win it for the hosts.
20. Wakefield Trinity 12-13 St Helens (July 24, 2022 – Round 20)
Having scored one in normal time against Huddersfield the week prior, Saints ace Jack Welsby slotted over a drop goal at Belle Vue in Round 20 of the 2022 season to ensure they got the better of Wakefield. The visitors had come from 12-0 down, and since his heroics that day in the 84th minute, Welsby is yet to kick another one-pointer!
21. Catalans Dragons 32-36 Leeds Rhinos (July 30, 2022 – Round 21)
The following week, Leeds found themselves 30-6 and a man down in Perpignan following the dismissal of Matt Prior early on in the second half. But remarkably, the Rhinos fought back with Richie Myler scoring a hat-trick and Brad Dwyer also on the scoresheet.
If that wasn’t enough, in winning the Round 21 clash, they carved their names into history by becoming the first-ever team to win a Super League game in Golden Point by scoring a try as Aidan Sezer crossed the whitewash. An astonishing game.
22. Huddersfield Giants 16-14 Wakefield Trinity (September 2, 2022 – Round 27)
Another topsy-turvy contest in the last regular league game of the 2022 season saw Huddersfield beat Wakefield in Golden Point thanks to a Will Pryce penalty. The youngster had taken the game past the 80-minute mark with a penalty in normal time, with both sides missing drop goal attempts to win it before the final hooter.
But just two minutes into Golden Point, Pryce stepped up to slot the ball between the sticks when given the chance to thanks to an infringement from Trinity, sealing victory. That was the sixth and final Golden Point Super League game of 2022.
23. Salford Red Devils 14-13 Wakefield Trinity (March 19, 2023 – Round 5)
2023 was the year in which Golden Point games were the most prominent, at least to date, with eight in total across the 27 rounds of the regular season. The first of those came in Round 5 when Salford required circa five additional minutes to beat Wakefield.
Sneyd’s drop goal made the difference, that his second of the afternoon having already exchanged one-pointers with Trinity’s Lino in normal time to see the scores at 13-13 come the final hooter.
24. Hull KR 22-26 Wigan Warriors (May 25, 2023 – Round 13)
Having been beaten at Craven Park earlier in the year, Wigan got their revenge with a dramatic Golden Point success against KR. Warriors captain Liam Farrell got a hat-trick, including the try which won it after Abbas Miski had scored in the dying seconds with an acrobatic finish in the corner. Harry Smith missed the conversion, but Farrell’s Golden Point try made the difference.
25. Leeds Rhinos 12-13 St Helens (May 26, 2023 – Round 13)
Lewis Dodd had already kicked a drop goal to win the World Club Challenge for Saints a few months prior, so it was no surprise to see him do the same at Headingley in Round 13. Leeds had James McDonnell sent off towards the end of normal time, with Sione Mata’utia also sin-binned for the visitors in the 84th minute.
There were missed drop goals and even a missed penalty from Leeds’ Martin during Golden Point prior to Dodd’s successful one-pointer.
26. Wakefield Trinity 27-26 Wigan Warriors (July 7, 2023 – Round 18)
Wakefield, who would go on to be relegated, picked up a third consecutive home win courtesy of some heroics from Will Dagger against Wigan, the eventual champions. Dagger kicked a long-range last-gasp penalty to level things up at 26-26 before slotting the winning drop goal over in Golden Point, that after team-mate Jowitt had missed with an earlier attempt at a one-pointer.
27. Leeds Rhinos 18-19 Hull KR (July 14, 2023 – Round 19)
Seven days later, KR would inflict a second home defeat of the season in Golden Point extra time on Leeds thanks to a debut that Brad Schneider will never forget. The Germany international, brought over from Australia by the Robins, scored a try in normal time and would kick the winning drop goal, sparking scenes of jubilation for the visitors.
28. Wigan Warriors 13-12 Hull FC (August 18, 2023 – Round 22)
Smith’s inaccuracy with the boot looked like it may haunt Wigan in Round 22 against Hull, missing all three of his conversion attempts in normal time. But with FC down a man following Carlos Tuimavave’s sin-bin late on, the Warriors half-back stepped up in Golden Point to slot over a long-range drop goal which won the game for Matt Peet’s side.
29. Salford Red Devils 24-20 Warrington Wolves (September 10, 2023 – Round 25)
Had Salford been beaten by Warrington, the Red Devils knew that their play-off hopes were all but over. After a real arm wrestle of a contest, Golden Point was required, and in typical off-the-cuff style, Salford sprung a surprise dart forward with Sam Stone scoring a try which won it. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough as they missed out on the top six to the Wolves a couple of weeks later.
30. Leigh Leopards 20-19 Wakefield Trinity (2023 – September 15, Round 26)
Wakefield’s relegation was confirmed in cruel fashion as they thrice fought from behind at Leigh only to be beaten in Golden Point. Trailing 16-6, 18-16 and then 19-18, Gale’s drop goal late on forced the contest beyond the 80-minute mark to keep faint survival hopes alive, but Gareth O’Brien stepped up for the Leopards with a one-pointer to win it.
31. Leigh Leopards 28-28 Castleford Tigers (May 4, 2024 – Round 10)
We had to wait until Round 10 for the first Golden Point Super League game of the current season, with Leigh involved again. The Leopards were 24-10 up on the hour-mark, but Castleford fought back and Louis Senior’s second try of the game in the last minute provided Rowan Milnes with an opportunity to level the score at 28-28, which he did with the resulting conversion.
That’s how it would end up despite three efforts at a drop goal in the 10 minutes of extra time from the hosts between Matt Moylan and Lachlan Lam, just the third Super League game since the introduction of Golden Point in 2019.