The season was crucial for the Crusaders, as to fulfill their aim of applying for a Super League licence for the 2009 season,[55] the team would have to be playing in the National League One in 2008, and thus had to be promoted this season.[56][57] Leighton Samuel brought in his solicitor, David Thompson, as chief executive of the club to oversee the application for Super League. In January both Jace Van Dijk and John Dixon finished second in the National League Two Player of the Year and National League Two Coach of the Year categories respectively at the TotalRL Fan Awards.[58] Just before the start of the season it was announced that Welsh former player Jonathan Davies had been appointed Honorary President of the club,[59] and that he would be attending matches throughout the year.[60] The club also announced that they were moving their training ground to the RAF's St Athan base,[61] beating off competition from Cardiff City who also wanted to use the facilities;[62] and that Frenchman Thibault Giroud had been appointed as new fitness coach.[63]
Like last year, Celtic Crusaders' first match of the new season was a Northern Rail Cup game.[64] This year they were drawn in a group with two strong National League One clubs, Widnes and Leigh, and with London Skolars. Widnes came to a snow-hit Brewery Field on 9 February and won 6–56.[65] It was the first ever match played under the new points system for the National Leagues and Northern Rail Cup where teams would gain 3 points for a win, 2 for a draw and 1 for a defeat by less than 12 points.[60] Crusaders earned two good victories against London Skolars,[66][67] but it was the match in between these two that caused the most surprise. In the shock of the round Crusaders went to Leigh and won 22–26 in front of a crowd of 1,637, despite being 18–4 down at half-time.[68] In the return fixture Leigh were again narrowly defeated, this time the match finishing 22–14.[69]
The squad's second match of the season, after Widnes, was not a Northern Rail Cup fixture but a match against the 2006 NRL champions Brisbane Broncos.[73][74] The Broncos used the match to prepare for their World Club Challenge meeting with St Helens.[75][76] This Bulmers Original Cider Challenge match attracted significant attention from the South Wales media and drew a record crowd of 2,041. Crusaders lost 6–32, with Grant Epton got Crusaders' sole try on the night.[77][78][79][80]
Eastmoor Dragons were drawn against Crusaders in Round 3 of the Challenge Cup. The amateur team were beaten 50–10 at Brewery Field despite Crusaders being reduced to eleven players after Geraint Davies and Terry Martin were both sent out after 65 minutes.[82] Just like last year Crusaders were drawn against Rochdale Hornets and for the third time were knocked out of a cup competition by them, this time losing 20–16 at Spotland.[83]
In the second year in the National League Two competition, Crusaders finished first with 60 points and were promoted.[84] The campaign got off to a good start, an 18–42 away win against London Skolars on the Good Friday[85] was backed up by a 68–0 win against Blackpool in front of an Easter Monday crowd of 2,805.[86][87] In late April the club broke their margin of victory and points scored in one match records due to an 82–4 win over Swinton. The points scored in one match record was later broken again in the season after an 84–10 thrashing of Hunslet on 11 August.[88] The club suffered just one defeat at home all season against Oldham on 4 May. It was the first ever National League Two match to be shown live on Sky Sports, and was also broadcast live on BBC Radio Wales;[89] celebrating 100 years of rugby league in Wales as Oldham were the first visitors to the Principality back in September 1907 when they recorded a 25–6 win over Merthyr Tydfil.
Progress was made off the pitch too. David Thompson announced that he had negotiated a deal between the Crusaders, Sky TV, the RFL, and S4C whereby Sky would surrender its rugby league exclusivity allowing S4C to televise live Crusader games. S4C commissioned Y Clwb Rygbi 13 programme in June, firstly covering the Crusaders versus Barrow match live[107][108] and then continuing to broadcast nine matches overall in 2007 and 2008.[109][110] In August the foundations were laid for an academy side for the 2008 season with the best players from the Welsh Conference league being picked for the team.[111] Housebuilder Redrow Homes renewed their shirt sponsorship deal[112] whilst a new branding of the club's logo, badge and jersey was announced on 3 December promoting a more progressive and modern image. After achieving promotion the team were nominated for the BBC Wales Sports Team of the Year award, but lost out to the New Saints
Despite the fact that the licensing process would determine which clubs would enter the newly expanded Super League,[115] the Crusaders were still eager to make their mark in their new division and win the league title.[116] A new team called the Crusaders Colts were set up to play in the Conference National division and provide a route for young Welsh players to get into the main Crusaders team.[117] They were coached by Dan Clements[118] and eventually came second in the league table, winning 15 out of 18 matches and beating Bramley Buffaloes 26–4 in the Grand Final.[119] The club welcomed the news in February that the BBC were going to show their highlights programme The Super League Show across Wales throughout the forthcoming season.[120]
After a 28–6 pre-season friendly win against Harlequins RL,[121] the Crusaders played their first match against the Sheffield Eagles and won 12–22. In a group which also featured Doncaster and London Skolars, the Crusaders finished top of the league, winning four out of five games, with a 14–18 loss against London being their only defeat. The home game against Doncaster was due to be played on 15 March but was cancelled due to waterlogged pitch and after some consideration the Rugby Football League announced that the game was not replayed because whatever the result it would not change the league table and thus affect any qualifying issues.[122] The Crusaders also made it through to the Challenge Cup fourth round again, being drawn against Moscow Locomotive in a repeat fixture of the third round from 2006. This time the Russians were beaten 58–10, despite the match being 10–10 at one point.[123]
The National League One campaign got off to a great start with 14–12 victory over Dewsbury in front of a crowd of 1,618.[124] However, in their second match a strong Sheffield Eagles team finished 25–6 winners at the Don Valley Stadium, breaking the Crusaders record of not having lost an away match since June 2007. The team bounced back with a 26–18 win over Halifax, who were at the time top of the league table, but again the team were unable to string together two wins together as a trip to Whitehaven ended in a 44–16 defeat. Halifax again provided the opposition in the first stage of the knockout rounds of the Championship Cup, after the Crusaders qualification from the group stages. The Crusaders started the match well with a try from Anthony Blackwood and controlled much of the game at the Shay. Two late tries by Halifax were not enough as the Crusaders progressed to the quarter final and a match against Widnes.[125] In what was expected to be a fiercely competitive and close match, the Championship Cup holders were left shocked as the Crusaders ran riot resulting in a 50–18 final scoreline with seven different players all going over for tries. The semi-final was played on 14 June against the Salford City Reds travelling down to Brewery Field for the first time after being relegated from Super League the previous year. The Salford City Reds scored the first try and after 40 minutes had earned a 10–18 lead, which was quickly extended to 10–24 after the break. Two tries from the Crusaders were not enough as the Salford City Reds scored two tries in the final two minutes to comfortably win 20–36 and secure a place in the final against Doncaster.[126]
In the league though Crusaders built on their impressive start notching up six wins in seven games in the months of May and June. This included a narrow 14–16 victory away at Widnes, a 56–28 win over Batley and a crucial win over Featherstone Rovers on 2 May. A club record crowd of 6,152, including top Rugby League Football officials, watched Crusaders earn their fourth win in a row against Rovers as Jordan James, Anthony Blackwood, Damien Quinn and Tony Duggan scored tries to seal a 28–18 win. The only defeat in that period came against the Salford City Reds who snatched a 24–22 win at the Willows, Salford. However things turned bad for the Welshmen as all three of their matches in July ended in defeat. Featherstone avenged their Brewery Field defeat as they won 42–30 at Post Office Road, Whitehaven became the only club to do the double over the Crusaders during the season as the match at Brewery Field ended 22–26, and the Crusaders were also on the wrong end of a 30–22 scoreline against Batley, who were eventually to be relegated. The last four matches, all played in August, were critical for the Crusaders chances of being in the Grand Final, and stringing four wins together against the Sheffield Eagles, the Leigh Centurions, Halifax and the Salford City Reds earned the team second place in the league and a great chance to do just that. Crusaders were matched in the qualifying play-off against first placed Salford City Reds, who had secured their superior league position in a 10–20 victory over the team in the last match of the regular season. Crusaders therefore went into the match underdogs but came out storming with eight tries resulting in an 18–44 win and a place in the Grand Final at the Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington. Having lost the qualifying play-off match the Salford City Reds did not make the same mistake twice in the elimination play-off and once again would be Crusaders opponents for the fifth and final time this season. In the match, the Salford City Reds scored the first two tries, before Anthony Blackwood narrowed their lead as the team went into half-time losing 6–10. A resurgence occurred though as Crusaders scored three tries in the second half, but a Salford City Reds try and a late goal pushed the match into extra-time. By this time the Crusaders had run out of steam and the Salford City Reds scored three tries over the extra-time period to win the match 18–36.[128]
On 22 July the Rugby League Football granted the Celtic Crusaders a three-year licence from 2009 allowing the team to compete in Super League Europe, in what was the biggest event for the club since inception. Joining the Crusaders were the Salford City Reds and the original twelve teams of Super League which expanded the league to 14 teams. Controversially Widnes, Leigh, Halifax, Toulouse and Featherstone Rovers were the clubs who were not awarded a licence. The Crusaders were awarded a 'C' grade licence after varying factors such as stadium, finance, marketing, location, player strength and junior production were taken into account. With this result the club became only the third non-English side to participate in the league and the first side from Wales. For the rest of the season the club prepared for their top-flight debut, signing a new sponsorship deal with Brains Beer,[129] and in November the team embarked a three-week training camp in Queensland.[130] However it wasn't just the licence that propelled the Crusaders forward in 2008, the Super League trophy was brought to Bridgend and Cardiff in April with fans getting the chance to see it at shopping centres and schools,[131] rugby league was introduced to Pembrokeshire for the first time,[132] and just like in previous seasons various Crusaders players picked up individual awards and honours.
