Stats
- Champions
- Wigan
- Wooden Spoon
- Wakefield
- Top Tryscorer
- Ellery Hanley (44)
- Top Pointscorer
- Paul Loughlin (250)
- No. Of Teams
- 16
- No. Of Games
- 240
- No. Of Players
- 550
- No. Of Tries
- 1,605
- No. Of Goals
- 1,416
- No. Of F.Goals
- 90
- Total Attendance
- 1,162,218
- Average Crowd
- 4,843
- Average Crowd (Reg. Season)
- Highest Crowd
- 21,214
- Highest Crowd (Reg. Season)
- Lowest Crowd
- 1,123
- Mean Scoreline
- 27-12
- Median Scoreline
- 25-12
- Highest Scoreline
- 70-10
- Lowest Scoreline
- 6-4
- Highest Team Score
- Wigan (72-6)
- Average PPG
- 46.25
Barrow's coach changed from Ivor Kelland to Dennis Jackson in February 1987. Featherstone Rovers' coach changed from George Pieniazek to Paul Daley sometime during November 1986. Leeds' coach changed from Peter Fox to Maurice Bamford in December 1986. Leigh's coach changed from Tommy Dickens to Billy Benyon in December 1986. Wakefield Trinity's coach changed from Tony Dean to Trevor Bailey in December 1986.
Ladder
| Home | Away | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | P | W | L | D | F | A | PD | P | W | L | D | F | A | PD | P | W| L | D | F | A | Pts | F/A% | FPG | APG | | |
| 1. | Wigan | 15 | 14 | 1 | - | 563 | 88 | 475 | 15 | 14 | 1 | - | 378 | 105 | 273 | 30 | 28 | 2 | - | 941 | 193 | 56 | 488% | 31.37 | 6.43 |
| 2. | St Helens | 15 | 12 | 3 | - | 485 | 225 | 260 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 350 | 240 | 110 | 30 | 20 | 9 | 1 | 835 | 465 | 41 | 180% | 27.83 | 15.50 |
| 3. | Warrington | 15 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 393 | 209 | 184 | 15 | 8 | 7 | - | 335 | 255 | 80 | 30 | 20 | 9 | 1 | 728 | 464 | 41 | 157% | 24.27 | 15.47 |
| 4. | Castleford | 15 | 11 | 4 | - | 385 | 196 | 189 | 15 | 9 | 6 | - | 246 | 233 | 13 | 30 | 20 | 10 | - | 631 | 429 | 40 | 147% | 21.03 | 14.30 |
| 5. | Halifax | 15 | 11 | 4 | - | 333 | 195 | 138 | 15 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 220 | 292 | -72 | 30 | 17 | 12 | 1 | 553 | 487 | 35 | 114% | 18.43 | 16.23 |
| 6. | Hull KR | 15 | 12 | 3 | - | 272 | 190 | 82 | 15 | 4 | 11 | - | 174 | 341 | -167 | 30 | 16 | 14 | - | 446 | 531 | 32 | 84% | 14.87 | 17.70 |
| 7. | Bradford N. | 15 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 285 | 204 | 81 | 15 | 6 | 9 | - | 270 | 346 | -76 | 30 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 555 | 550 | 31 | 101% | 18.50 | 18.33 |
| 8. | Widnes | 15 | 10 | 5 | - | 378 | 228 | 150 | 15 | 4 | 11 | - | 220 | 385 | -165 | 30 | 14 | 16 | - | 598 | 613 | 28 | 98% | 19.93 | 20.43 |
| 9. | Salford | 15 | 8 | 7 | - | 285 | 313 | -28 | 15 | 6 | 9 | - | 224 | 343 | -119 | 30 | 14 | 16 | - | 509 | 656 | 28 | 78% | 16.97 | 21.87 |
| 10. | Leigh | 15 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 267 | 235 | 32 | 15 | 6 | 9 | - | 282 | 375 | -93 | 30 | 13 | 16 | 1 | 549 | 610 | 27 | 90% | 18.30 | 20.33 |
| 11. | Hull | 15 | 10 | 5 | - | 310 | 280 | 30 | 15 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 228 | 370 | -142 | 30 | 13 | 16 | 1 | 538 | 650 | 27 | 83% | 17.93 | 21.67 |
| 12. | Leeds | 15 | 8 | 7 | - | 350 | 279 | 71 | 15 | 5 | 10 | - | 215 | 292 | -77 | 30 | 13 | 17 | - | 565 | 571 | 26 | 99% | 18.83 | 19.03 |
| 13. | Oldham | 15 | 10 | 5 | - | 298 | 299 | -1 | 15 | 3 | 12 | - | 256 | 380 | -124 | 30 | 13 | 17 | - | 554 | 679 | 26 | 82% | 18.47 | 22.63 |
| 14. | Featherstone R. | 15 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 316 | 309 | 7 | 15 | 1 | 14 | - | 182 | 467 | -285 | 30 | 8 | 21 | 1 | 498 | 776 | 17 | 64% | 16.60 | 25.87 |
| 15. | Barrow | 15 | 6 | 9 | - | 257 | 271 | -14 | 15 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 199 | 454 | -255 | 30 | 7 | 21 | 2 | 456 | 725 | 16 | 63% | 15.20 | 24.17 |
| 16. | Wakefield T. | 15 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 203 | 441 | -238 | 15 | 1 | 14 | - | 183 | 502 | -319 | 30 | 4 | 25 | 1 | 386 | 943 | 9 | 41% | 12.87 | 31.43 |