Rugby League Free Bets
Rugby League originated in 1895 when rugby split into two codes, the other being Rugby Union, after a dispute over payment to players. It is predominantly played in the north of England, certain regions of France, New Zealand, Australia, and also the Pacific Islands.
How to get hold of your Rugby League Free Bets
Making use of your free Rugby League bet couldn’t be simpler. Begin by picking out which of the sign-up offers you most like the look of, then register for a new sports betting account with that bookmaker by clicking on a link or banner that you see on FREEbets.org.uk and entering your details.
Once you have registered you’ll need to make an initial deposit (unless your chosen free bet offer states that no deposit is required) and place a bet. Once your initial bet has been placed and settled, your Rugby League free bet will be released. Then in order to utilise your free bet tokens simply place a bet in the same manner as you would normally, but select the ‘free bet’ icon before confirming.
Rugby League free bets can be used on whatever market you wish and with a little bit of help from us a FREEbets.org.uk below you can make the most of your stake.
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2019 Super League table
- St Helens 52
- Wigan Warriors 36
- Salford Red Devils 34
- Warrington Wolves 32
- Castleford Tigers 30
- Hull FC 30
- Catalans Dragons 26
- Leeds Rhinos 24
- Wakefield Trinity 22
- Huddersfield Giants 22
- Hull KR 20
- London Broncos 20
It has been an absolute dominant season from St Helens in Super League XXIV. The Saints lost just three matches over the regular season, with second place Wigan Warriors losing 11 and finishing 16 points behind the leaders.
The Saints did not stall or falter in the play-offs, with two more comfortable wins, taking them to the championship - their seventh league title. St Helens hammered Wigan Warrirors 40-10 in the semi-finals before seeing off Salford 23-6 in the Grand Final.
There is much excitement about the 2020 season already, with the arrival in Super League of Toronto Wolfpack. The Canadian side have been promoted from the Championship and will bring a serious threat to their first season in the top flight. Coached by Brian McDermott, they boast new signing Sonny Bill Williams in their ranks, along with experienced additions, Brad Singleton and James Cunningham.
The Canadians are a long way from favourites to win the Grand Final in 2020, but are certainly expected to claim some scalps over the season.
The 25th season of Super League will get underway on 30 January when Wigan Warriors take on Warrington Wolves.
Rugby League World Cup betting
The next Rugby League World Cup does not roll around until 2021 when it will be hosted in England (Canada and United States hosting the following tournament in 2025). However, it is tough to see any other winner than Australia, even this far out from a ball being kicked. The Aussies have won eight of the last nine World Cups since 1975, with New Zealand’s triumph in 2008 the only break in their stranglehold on the sport.
England finished runners-up in 2017 and with home advantage in 2021, they will be hopeful of causing an upset, but whether they are confident of doing so, is yet to be seen.
What are the differences to Rugby Union?
Rugby League differs from its Union counterpart in a number of ways, mostly aimed at placing a greater emphasis on creating free flowing and faster action. The most crucial differences are the following;
Number of Players: In Rugby League there are only 13 players in contrast to Union where there are 15.
The breakdown: In Rugby League once a tackle is called play is stopped and the breakdown is uncontested.
Sets of Six: In Rugby League the team in possession of the ball has six tackles, or sets, in order to advance up the pitch or score a try. The referee shouts out what number the tackle count is at and usually on the fifth tackle a team will kick for territory or keep the ball alive as long as possible to score a try. If a sixth tackle is made the ball changes hands and the defending team is given possession.
Scrums: Scrums in Rugby League are almost always uncontested.
How are Rugby League points scored?
There are a number of methods of scoring points in rugby league;
Try – A try is worth 4 points and is awarded when a player places the ball on the try line or past the try line in the in goal area (the area between the try line and the dead ball line). The player must be in control of the ball and there must be sufficient downward pressure for the try to be valid.
Conversion – Once a try is scored the team can that convert the try for an extra 2 points by kicking the ball over the bar and between the two upright posts. The position of where the goal is taken from is dependent on where the try was scored.
Penalty – A team can opt to choose for another set of six tackles when a penalty is awarded but they can also choose to kick a penalty goal for an extra two points if they are within a suitable distance of the goal posts. Again, like a conversion, the kick must go over the bar and between the two upright posts.
Drop Goal - A drop goal is worth 1 point and is awarded when a player makes a successful drop kick from open play between the posts. It is mostly used towards the end of a match when teams are drawing or when a team leads by a try and wants to ensure the other team would then need two tries to win.
One extra thing to do...
Make sure you're not a professional rugby league player before you bet! In 2004, St Helens duo Sean Long and Martin Gleeson were fined and banned after being found guilty of betting on their own game with Bradford Bulls. St Helens squad, having already competed in three more high-intensity matches than all the other Super League teams, were struggling to cope and coach Ian Millward was worried about his players becoming fatigued and losing form so he rested eleven first choice players for the clash with defending Super League champions Bradford, effectively playing his reserves and accepting certain defeat.
Knowing that St Helens were set to field a weakened side, Long and Gleeson placed bets on Bradford to win. Gleeson bet £1,000 that Bradford would win by a margin greater than eight points, whilst Long placed a bet of similar value on the Bulls' victory.
True to form, Bradford won 54-8. Long was one of the players left out of the squad but Gleeson was selected by Millward, and actually scored the first try in the game.
They were each fined £7,500 and ordered to pay £2,205 costs. Long was handed a three-month and Gleeson a four-month suspension. A few weeks after receiving the suspension, Gleeson signed for Warrington Wolves for a fee reported at £200,000.