Super League 2019 fixtures: Wigan Warriors start with St Helens derby
- Published
Wigan beat Warrington in Super League Grand Final
Grand Final winners Wigan Warriors will start the 2019 Super League season with a trip to rivals St Helens.
Saints, who finished top of the regular season table in 2018, will host the Warriors on Thursday, 31 January.
On 1 February Catalans travel to Castleford, Huddersfield host Salford and Hull FC visit city rivals Hull KR.
Warrington, beaten in the Grand Final and Challenge Cup final in 2018, host Leeds on 2 February and promoted London start at home to Wakefield a day later.
The Broncos secured a return to Super League by beating Toronto Wolfpack in the Million Pound Game in October.
The second round of fixtures sees new Wigan coach Adrian Lam come up against Australian compatriot David Furner, who has been appointed Leeds head coach, on Friday, 8 February.
A new season, a new structure
This is the first season since the Super 8s format, which saw the league split after 23 games, was scrapped after four years. The team finishing bottom will be relegated to the Championship and replaced by the winner of the second tier's Grand Final.
The new system will see the 12 Super League teams play one another home and away, plus six additional fixtures and the Magic Weekend, which will be held on the weekend of 25-26 May with the venue to be announced next week.
A five-team play-off series will then culminate in a Grand Final to crown the Super League champions at Old Trafford on Saturday, 12 October.
Opening fixtures
Thursday, 31 January
St Helens v Wigan Warriors (19:45 GMT)
Friday, 1 February
Castleford Tigers v Catalans Dragons (19:45 GMT)
Huddersfield Giants v Salford Red Devils (19:45 GMT)
Hull KR v Hull FC (19:45 GMT)
Saturday, 2 February
Warrington Wolves v Leeds Rhinos (17:00 GMT)
Sunday, 3 February
London Broncos v Wakefield Trinity (15:00 GMT)