The ultimate ranking of Super League’s big four derbies from worst to best with one clear winner

Super League’s bumper Rivals Round goes up a notch this weekend with the return of one of the biggest in the business: Leeds Rhinos versus Bradford Bulls.

That means there are four blockbuster derbies on the agenda this weekend – with Good Friday now having the Hull derby, Wigan versus St Helens and the aforementioned Rhinos-Bulls clash. Then on Sunday, the round finishes in style with Castleford versus Wakefield.

It has, naturally, promoted conversations about which derby is the biggest and best. To be clear, your opinion will likely be shaped on who you support and where you come from – but that hasn’t stopped us having our say.

We’ve scored each game in four different areas – crowd sizes, the atmospheres at the games, the hatred between the teams and their relatively recent history of competing in big games. Each area scores a maximum of five points for a top score of 20: can’t say fairer than that, right?

Here are the rankings – from fourth up to first..

4. Castleford Tigers v Wakefield Trinity: 14/20

Listen, all four of these derbies are crackers. Sunday’s clash between Castleford and Wakefield is a great way to round off the Easter weekend. But it just falls beneath the other three for us as it stands right now. They certainly don’t like each other – that much is clear every time they meet.

But we think the other three just have the edge..

Crowds: 3/5, Atmosphere: 4/5, Hatred: 4/5, Big game history: 3/5

3. Bradford Bulls v Leeds Rhinos: 15/20

Crowds: 4/5, Atmosphere: 4/5, Hatred: 3/5, Big game history: 4/5

The big dual-city derby returns to the Super League agenda this weekend after a 12-year absence: and Bradford versus Leeds has had some storied instalments in the past. That includes two Grand Finals and a Challenge Cup final this century, giving it a high score in the big game aspect.

The hatred probably doesn’t burn quite as strongly as the others on this list, but the atmospheres are always exceptional – Friday will be no different at Odsal. It’s not quite on the scale of the big two these days: but it may well be again in the years to come if the Bulls stay in Super League and challenge once again.

2. Hull FC v Hull KR: 18/20

Crowds: 5/5, Atmosphere: 5/5, Hatred: 5/5, Big game history: 3/5

There is no derby which has more hostility and hatred attached to it than the Hull derby. And why wouldn’t it? Two sets of supporters who share the same city, the same streets and there are undoubtedly countless families divided by their loyalties!

It is an unmissable occasion every single time it appears on the menu. It scores top marks in terms of crowds and atmosphere too, with both stadiums often always selling out in their entirety. Have they played quite as many big games in the modern era as one other derby though? Not quite: which is why it’s *just* knocked down into second place..

1. Wigan Warriors v St Helens: 19/20

Crowds: 5/5, Atmosphere: 5/5, Hatred: 4/5, Big game history: 5/5

Yes, we’re just giving top spot to the derby which always takes top billing on Good Friday, and will do so again this weekend: Wigan v St Helens.

Legend has it that the Earl of Derby allowed his family name to be originally only given to two sporting events: the famous horse race at Epsom, and the games between Wigan and St Helens. Hence why it is known as THE derby.

They have played countless big finals against one another, and while the hatred doesn’t quite reach the fever pitch levels of Hull FC v Hull KR, there is no doubting they are just as big an occasion.

For us, and again, only just, this is the biggest derby.