Super League III
League	Super League
Duration	23 Rounds
Teams	12
Highest attendance	19,188 Bradford Bulls vs Leeds Rhinos (12 April)
Lowest attendance	2,014 London Broncos vs Huddersfield Giants (23 Aug)
Broadcast partners	Sky Sports
1998 Season
Champions	Wigan Warriors 1st Super League title 18th British title
League Leaders	Wigan Warriors
Man of Steel	Iestyn Harris
Top point-scorer(s)	Iestyn Harris (255)
Top try-scorer(s)	Anthony Sullivan (20)
New franchise
Awarded to	Gateshead Thunder
Promotion and relegation
Promoted from Division One	Hull Sharks Huddersfield Giants
← 1997 1999 →

JJB Sports Super League III was the official name for the year 1998's Super League championship season, the 104th season of top-level professional rugby league football in Britain, and the third season played in summer.

The League format changed in 1998, with a playoff series being used to determine the Super League Champions for th first time since the 1972–73 season.

The team which finished on the top of the table were, from this season, awarded the League Leaders' Shield, with the inaugural honours going to Wigan. Huddersfield Giants, the league's bottom club was saved from relegation in 1998 due to the expansion of the league to fourteen teams in Super League IV. The season culminated in the grand final between Leeds Rhinos and Wigan Warriors, which Wigan won, claiming the 1998 Championship.

Teams

	Team	Stadium	Capacity	City/Area
	Bradford Bulls	Odsal	27,000	Bradford, West Yorkshire
	Castleford Tigers	Wheldon Road	11,750	Castleford, West Yorkshire
	Halifax Blue Sox	Thrum Hall	9,832	Halifax, West Yorkshire
	Huddersfield Giants	Galpharm Stadium	24,500	Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
	Hull Sharks	The Boulevard	10,500	Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
	Leeds Rhinos	Headingley	21,500	Leeds, West Yorkshire
	London Broncos	The Valley	27,000	Charlton, Greater London
	Salford Reds	The Willows	11,363	Salford, Greater Manchester
	Sheffield Eagles	Don Valley Stadium	25,000	Sheffield, South Yorkshire
	St Helens	Knowsley Road	17,500	St Helens, Mersyside
	Warrington Wolves	Wilderspool	9,200	Warrington, Cheshire
	Wigan Warriors	Central Park	18,000	Wigan, Greater Manchester

Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	Pts	Qualification
1	Wigan Warriors (L, C)	23	21	0	2	762	222	+540	42	Semi Final
2	Leeds Rhinos	23	19	0	4	662	369	+293	38	Qualifying Semi Final
3	Halifax Blue Sox	23	18	0	5	658	390	+268	36
4	St Helens	23	14	1	8	673	459	+214	29	Elimination Semi Final
5	Bradford Bulls	23	12	0	11	498	450	+48	24
6	Castleford Tigers	23	10	1	12	446	522	−76	21
7	London Broncos	23	10	0	13	415	476	−61	20
8	Sheffield Eagles	23	8	2	13	495	541	−46	18
9	Hull Sharks	23	8	0	15	431	574	−143	16
10	Warrington Wolves	23	7	1	15	411	645	−234	15
11	Salford Reds	23	6	1	16	319	575	−256	13
12	Huddersfield Giants	23	2	0	21	288	825	−537	4

Play-offs

The top five clubs at the end of the 23-round regular season entered the play-offs to decide the championship.

The format was to have an elimination play off between the fourth and fifth teams (the fourth team gaining home advantage) and then have a qualifying play-off between the second and third placed teams (the second placed team gaining home advantage). The winner of the qualifier would play the team finishing first in the first semi final whilst the losing team got a second chance and played against the winner of the eliminating play off between fourth and fifth. The winner of the qualifying semi final would progress to the final of the Super League championship and the losing side would get another chance and play against the winning side of the elimination semi final.

	Qualifying play-off 4 October 1998					Qualifying semi-final 11 October 1998					Preliminary final					Grand Final 24 October 1998
						1	Wigan Warriors	17								Wigan Warriors		10
							Leeds Rhinos	4								Leeds Rhinos		4
	2	Leeds Rhinos	13								Leeds Rhinos		44
	3	Halifax Blue Sox	6			Elimination semi-final 9 October 1998					St. Helens		16
						Halifax Blue Sox		30
	4	St. Helens	46			St. Helens		37
	5	Bradford Bulls	24

Grand final

24 October 1998

Wigan Warriors	10–4	Leeds Rhinos
Tries: Robinson Goals: Farrell (3)	Report	Tries: Blackmore

Old Trafford, Manchester Attendance: 43,533[1] Referee: Russell Smith (Castleford)