1975–76 Northern Rugby Football League season

The 1975–76 Rugby Football League season was the 81st season of rugby league football. The Championship was won by Salford and the Challenge Cup winners were St. Helens who beat Widnes 20-5 in the final. The Rugby League Premiership Trophy winners were also St. Helens who beat Salford 15-2 in the final.

The 1975–76 Players No.6 Trophy Winners were Widnes who beat Hull F.C. 19-13 in the final. The BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Winners were St. Helens who beat Dewsbury 22-2 in the final. Widnes beat Salford 16–7 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Leeds beat Hull Kingston Rovers 15–11 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.

Championship
Salford won their sixth, and to date last, Championship. Dewsbury, Keighley, Huddersfield and Swinton were demoted to the Second Division.

Challenge Cup
In the Challenge Cup final played at Wembley in front of a crowd of 89,982 St. Helens defeated Widnes 20-5. This was St Helens’ fifth Cup Final win in eight Final appearances.

Referee: Ron Moore (Wakefield)

St Helens 20
 * 1) Geoff Pimblett (3 goals, 2 drop goal)
 * 2) Les Jones
 * 3) Eddie Cunningham (1 try)
 * 4) Derek Noonan
 * 5) Roy Mathias
 * 6) Billy Benyon
 * 7) Jeff Heaton (1 try)
 * 8) John Mantle
 * 9) Tony Karalius
 * 10) Kel Coslett
 * 11) George Nicholls
 * 12) Eric Chisnall
 * 13) David Hull
 * Sub. Peter Glynn (2 tries) on for Billy Benyon
 * Sub. Mel James on for John Mantle
 * Coach: Eric Ashton

Widnes 5 The winner of the Lance Todd Trophy was St. Helens, Geoff Pimblett.
 * 1) Ray Dutton (2 goals)
 * 2) Alan Prescott
 * 3) Eric Hughes
 * 4) Derek 'Mick' George
 * 5) David Jenkins
 * 6) David Eckersley
 * 7) Reg Bowden
 * 8) Nick Nelson
 * 9) Keith Elwell (1 drop goal)
 * 10) John Wood
 * 11) John Foran
 * 12) Mick Adams
 * 13) Doug Laughton
 * Sub. Dennis O'Neill on for Alan Prescott
 * Sub. Barry Sheridan on for John Foran
 * Coach:

Premiership
In 1975–76 season the RFL introduced the Premiership Trophy competition. It was played at the end of the season with the top 8 in the league qualifying to play each other in a simple 1st versus 8th, 2nd versus 7th, 3rd versus 6th, and 4th versus 5th system. The final was played on a neutral venue. The competition was played until 1997 when it was scrapped.

This was the second end of season Premiership Play-off Final and was played in front of a crowd of 18,082 at Station Road, Swinton between the number four seeds, St Helens, and the number one seeds, Salford.

Referee: M.J.Naughton (Widnes)

St Helens - 15
 * 1) Geoff Pimblett (3 goals)
 * 2) Les Jones
 * 3) Peter Glynn (1 try)
 * 4) Derek Noonan
 * 5) Roy Mathias
 * 6) Billy Benyon
 * 7) Jeff Heaton
 * 8) John Mantle
 * 9) Tony Karalius (1 try)
 * 10) Mel James
 * 11) George Nicholls
 * 12) Eric Chisnall (1 try)
 * 13) Kel Coslett
 * Substitute: Kenneth "Ken" Gwilliam on for Jeff Heaton

Salford - 2 St Helens second-row forward, George Nicholls, was the winner of the Harry Sunderland Trophy as Man of the Match.
 * 1) David Watkins (2 drop goals)
 * 2) Keith Fielding
 * 3) Maurice Richards
 * 4) Chris Hesketh
 * 5) Graham
 * 6) Butler
 * 7) Steve Nash
 * 8) Mike Coulman
 * 9) Raistrick
 * 10) William Sheffield
 * 11) Knighton
 * 12) Colin Dixon
 * 13) Eric Prescott
 * Substitute: Sam Turnbull for Knighton

Second Division Championship
2nd Division Champions were Barrow, and they, Rochdale Hornets, Workington Town and Leigh were promoted to the First Division.