Super League’s 30th season gets under way on Thursday evening, with the biggest opening-night crowd in the competition’s history anticipated to watch the reigning champions, Wigan Warriors, take on their local rivals, Leigh Leopards. Matt Peet’s side completed an historic quadruple last year and have all the hallmarks of a side that could sweep aside all comers again.
Will Wigan dominate 2025 just like they did in 2024? Can the likes of Warrington, Hull KR and Leeds put up a credible challenge? And who is in a struggle to avoid finishing bottom? Here is the Guardian’s team-by-team guide to the new season.
Castleford Tigers
It is a fresh start for Castleford in 2025 with the legendary Leeds Rhinos half-back Danny McGuire taking the reins in his first head-coaching role, but he has inherited a tough situation in West Yorkshire. The Tigers struggled throughout 2024 and, while they have added some new recruits, their Challenge Cup defeat against the Championship side Bradford on Sunday underlined this may be another season of struggle.
Coach Danny McGuire Captain Sam Wood Key player Judah Rimbu Last season 10th Prediction 11th
Catalans Dragons
Few clubs are as intriguing as the Dragons going into 2025. They have undergone a recruitment overhaul with big names including the Sydney Roosters star Luke Keary heading to the south of France. But with such a big turnover of players it is difficult to predict how Catalans will perform. Expect them to start slow and improve, but the battle for the top six is so tight that any sluggish opening could be costly.
Coach Steve McNamara Captain Benjamin Garcia Key player Luke Keary Last season 7th Prediction 8th
Huddersfield Giants
There are a cluster of teams at the bottom end trying to avoid the wooden spoon and Huddersfield look destined to be one of them. They are desperately lacking in the half-back department and are already struggling with injuries. Luke Robinson’s first full year as head coach could be a chastening one and any big change to their IMG score could put them in danger of relegation by the end of the year too.
Coach Luke Robinson Captain Leroy Cudjoe Key player Tom Burgess Last season 9th Prediction 12th
Hull FC
It has been a bruising few years for Hull, culminating in an 11th-place finish last season. That is unacceptable for a club the size of the Black and Whites, and the Australian John Cartwright has been assigned the hefty task of restoring them to the upper echelons of Super League. They will improve in 2025 – how could they not – but this will be a long-term rebuild.
Coach John Cartwright Captain Aidan Sezer Key player Aidan Sezer Last season 11th Prediction 10th
Hull KR
It was a season to remember for the Robins in 2024, though it ended in familiar fashion: still without a major trophy since 1985. That run has to end at some point. Could it be this year? Perhaps. They have not sat around idly, recruiting the NRL superstar Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and the England winger Tom Davies, among others. Willie Peters’s side will be right in the mix again but can they get over the line in a big game?
Coach Willie Peters Captain Elliot Minchella Key player Mikey Lewis Last season 2nd and Grand Final runners-up Prediction 3rd
Leeds Rhinos
Another year, another failure to make the playoffs for Leeds Rhinos in 2024. But Brad Arthur’s first full season as Leeds coach will probably lead to a change in that regard, with Arthur already making his mark in West Yorkshire after taking over midway through last year. Their legendary winger Ryan Hall returns for a second spell at Headingley – and this feels like a Rhinos squad capable of pushing themselves back in the conversation when it comes to trophies in 2025.
Coach Brad Arthur Co-captains Cameron Smith and Ash Handley Key player Brodie Croft Last season 8th Prediction 5th
Leigh Leopards
Leigh are now a bona fide top-end Super League club – and the recruitment they have done for 2025 suggests that theme will continue. Mainstays of their recent success such as John Asiata and Tom Amone have left but the Leopards have dragged down the average age of their squad and look primed to compete again. Watch out for the full-back David Armstrong, signed from the NRL club Newcastle. He could light up the Super League.
Coach Adrian Lam Captain Leadership group Key player David Armstrong Last season 5th Prediction 4th
Salford Red Devils
Having survived a winter of financial turmoil when it seemed certain their squad would be broken up, Salford have new owners and renewed optimism about what they can achieve. They strengthened a squad that finished fourth last year and are certainly going to be in the conversation for the playoffs again. But the competition around them is tough, and any test of their squad’s limited depth could be important.
Coach Paul Rowley Captain Kallum Watkins Key player Marc Sneyd Last season 4th Prediction 6th
St Helens
The Saints came within a whisker of missing out on the playoffs for the first time in Super League history last year. The early signs suggest they might be embroiled in a similar fight in 2025. It is tight in the middle of the table, with Paul Wellens’s side in a five-way battle for three spots in the top six. Tristan Sailor, son of the legendary Wendell, headlines their new recruits. But they will need to start well to alleviate pressure from their head coach.
Coach Paul Wellens Captain Jonny Lomax Key player Tristan Sailor Last season 6th Prediction 7th
Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield return to Super League after a solitary year in the Championship when they swept the board, winning all three trophies on offer. They return with a revamped, modernised Belle Vue, an A grade from IMG and a different force to the club who were relegated in 2023. They quietly fancy their chances of making the playoffs; and it cannot be ruled out completely. They certainly will not be in any battle for the wooden spoon, but a top six spot might be a stretch too far.
Coach Daryl Powell Captain Mike McMeeken Key player Jake Trueman Last season Championship Grand Final winners Prediction 9th
Warrington Wolves
Sam Burgess’s first season in charge at Warrington was hugely encouraging. A Challenge Cup final and a playoff semi-final resembled real progress; but, like Hull KR, success for them will now be defined by winning a trophy. They have the tools to do so, and could easily be Wigan’s closest challengers. The form of the England captain George Williams, arguably Super League’s best player, will be key.
Coach Sam Burgess Captain George Williams Key player George Williams Last season 3rd Prediction 2nd
Wigan Warriors
Can anyone stop the all-conquering champions in 2025? The easy answer would be no. Matt Peet’s side won a historic grand slam last year, becoming only the fifth side in rugby league history to win every trophy on offer in a single season. Worryingly for their rivals, there appears to be no weaknesses in their game, and the smart money would be on a third successive Super League crowd for a Wigan side who are Super League’s elite force at present.
Coach Matt Peet Captain Liam Farrell Key player Bevan French Last season 1st and Grand Final winners Prediction 1st and Grand Final winners
