The 2010 Super League season consisted of two stages. The regular season was played over 27 round-robin fixtures, in which each of the fourteen teams involved in the competition played each other once at home and once away, as well as their Magic Weekend fixtures played over the May Daybank holiday. In Super League XV, a win was worth two points in the table, a draw worth one point apiece, and a loss yielded no points.
The league leaders at the end of the regular season received the League Leaders' Shield, but the Championship will be decided through the second stage of the season—the play-offs. The top eight teams in the table contested to play in the 2010 Super League Grand Final, the winners of which are crowned Super League XV Champions.
Source: superleague.co.uk.
Classification: 1st on competition points; 2nd on match points difference.
Competition points: for win = 2; for draw = 1; for loss = 0.
Progression table[]
Numbers highlighted in green indicate that the team finished the round inside the top 8
Numbers highlighted in blue indicates the team finished first on the ladder in that round
Numbers highlighted in red indicates the team finished last place on the ladder in that round
Super League has used a play-off system since Super League III in 1998. When introduced, 5 teams qualified for the play-offs, which was subsequently expanded to 6 teams in 2002. The 2010 season will follow the same format as the 2009 season.[11]
Following the final round of matches, all eight play-off teams will be decided. The winning team from week one with the highest League placing will be allowed to select their opponents for week three.[11]
Except this choosing opportunity, the new format follows the play-off system of the Australian Football League.
Week 1. Qualifying/Elimination play-offs: Fixtures decided by regular reason finishing positions. Higher ranked teams play lower ranked teams. Higher ranked teams receive home ground advantage.
Week 2. Preliminary semi-finals: Fixtures decided by regular season finishing positions. Higher ranked teams play lower ranked teams. Higher ranked teams receive home ground advantage.
Week 3. Qualifying semi-finals: Winners of Qualifying play-offs play winners of Qualifying semi-finals. Fixtures decided by Club Call. Winners of Qualifying play-offs receive home ground advantage.
St Helens as highest ranked qualifying final winner chose their semi-final opponents from the winners of the Preliminary Semi-Finals, picking Huddersfield Giants. This was St Helens' final game at Knowsley Road before moving to Halton Stadium in 2011, and to New St Helens Stadium in 2012
Leeds, the second highest ranked Qualifying Final winner, faced the other Preliminary Semi-Final winner, Wigan Warriors
A.^ Rearranged fixture to allow Harlequins RL to play their friendly fixture against Melbourne Storm, which coincided with round 3
B.^ Rearranged fixture to allow Leeds Rhinos to play their 2010 World Club Challenge fixture against Melbourne Storm, which coincided with round 4