IT WAS home rule all the way as Super League enjoyed an opening-weekend attendance boom.

Crowds flocked to the six matches and the vast majority of fans went away happy after all the home teams recorded victories.

A bumper 69,499 watched the games, eclipsing the previous best aggregate of 62,274 in 1999, which was for seven matches, and the average of 11,583 topped the previous-best 10,341 last March.

The lowest crowd, 5,049 at the Willows, witnessed Salford's first game back in the big time.

Home fans were able to celebrate as the newly-promoted Reds made a winning 24-12 start against Widnes Vikings.

The early signs were ominous as Karl Harrison's men trailed 8-2 at half-time but they found their feet after the break with tries from Stuart Littler, Giants old boy Gavin Clinch and Andy Coley.

A crowd of 15,119 watched Leeds make a winning start under new coach Tony Smith, the former Giants chief, with a 58-14 home win over London Broncos.

New winger Marcus Bai claimed a hat trick of tries on his Super League debut while Rob Burrow, Keith Senior and Chev Walker all crossed twice.

Smith said: "There were some sensational tries and some entertaining passages of play but we didn't really hit our straps. We can get better than that."

Warrington began life at their new Halliwell Jones Stadium with a 34-20 win over Wakefield in front of 14,206 on Saturday.