When I saw a post on social media by our editor, Nathan, regarding our 2025 Betfred Super League season predictions, I thought eh up, here we go again as we entered what is a remarkably busy period for us accredited rugby league journalists.

What I’m not going to do with this article is predict exactly what position each team will finish in the 2025 Super League table, but try and give an idea of roughly where I think each of the 12 teams may finish in the table and give an opinion on which teams are most likely to be in the vicinity when the silverware is handed out.

First of all, of course, I’m going to focus on the two local teams we have in Super League, Hull FC and Hull KR.

In recent years, it has been the Robins who have been flying high in this divided city, reaching Wembley and the top 4 in their first season under Willie Peters and placing 2^nd and reaching the Grand Final last year, and it is true to say that they are bringing in some exciting talent for the new season, not the least of which is Jared Waerea-Hargreaves who has arrived from NRL side Sydney Roosters.

Apart from him, Michael McIlorum and Tom Davies have been high profile captures from Catalans Dragons among others, as they look to go just one step further than last season and secure their first major trophy in 40 years.

On the other side of the river, in West Hull, the MKM Stadium outfit have welcomed no fewer than nine new players, plus a new coach and a returning Assistant Coach, as well as new owners in Andrew Thirkill and David Hood OBE, although that isn’t where the new revolution stops for the side who only avoided finishing bottom of Super League by the skin of their teeth in 2024.

The exciting additions in the playing squad for the Black & Whites include NRL legend Jordan Rapana, along with former Leigh captain John Asiata and former Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel Zak Hardaker, although as a Hull FC reporter for an independent local newspaper, having seen some of pre-season training, I would suggest keeping an eye on former Wigan Challenge Cup winner Cade Cust in the coming season, he certainly looks like he has a point to prove since his inconsistent time at Salford.

I believe that Rovers will again finish above the Airlie Birds, to the tune that they will make the playoffs, and FC won’t.

Having said that, John Cartwright’s team certainly have an agenda all of their own to set a few records straight, right from game number one, when they travel to Catalans Dragons and, with the background to it, their fourth game of the new season, which sees Leigh Leopards visit the MKM Stadium, definitely has the rubber stamp of a desire for revenge, definitely in certain quarters.

While the Black & Whites have been handed a very tough opening few games, the same cannot be said for the team from Craven Park, with many expecting them to win most, if not all their early games and, with Rovers clearly being a side that thrives on sheer confidence, that early opening could be invaluable for them and could start them on the path towards something bigger, however, without the likes of Ryan Hall and Matt Parcell, who have been such important figures in their recent successes, whether they are weaker than last season remains to be seen, but only time will tell and, with the vast amounts spent on signing some of the very best they can gather, I do firmly believe in what one Rovers fan has recently told me, that the coach himself could well be under tremendous pressure, if he doesn’t secure silverware, sooner, rather than later.

Looking at the rest of Super League, I believe it’s fair to say that Warrington Wolves, Leigh Leopards and St. Helens have all strengthened where they needed to, with the arrival of Lee Briers at the Totally Wicked Stadium as assistant to head coach Paul Wellens being a particularly masterful stroke that should see the former champions attack suddenly start to breathe new fire.

Many of Leigh’s Challenge Cup winning squad from 2023 have now moved on to join the exciting developments at Hull FC, but having signed new players to replace them, with some excellent talent arriving from the NRL, I’m also expecting them to be very much in the mix for the top 4 and the Challenge Cup.

The one team I haven’t mentioned from those upper echelons yet of course, are Wigan Warriors, who created history once again in 2024 by winning all four trophies available to them, a feat that had never been achieved before last season.

Wigan have the luxury of being absolutely confident with their current squad, to the point that they have made no major signings and, once again I do expect them to retain their title as Super League champions in the Old Trafford showpiece in October, apart from anything else.

Breaking this down as much as I can, I would suggest the top three places in Super League to be fought out between Wigan, Warrington, St. Helens, Leigh and Rovers, I believe it to be too close to call between them all, obviously five doesn’t go into three, but I simply cannot separate them at this juncture, hence why I’m not saying what place they will all finish in.

Below those five, I expect Salford Red Devils, Leeds Rhinos and Catalans Dragons to be fighting it out for a playoff place and, indeed I think any of them could be capable of breaking the equilibrium between the five who I expect to be in the playoffs, barring Wigan.

The two teams who could also challenge these three, will be Hull FC and, Huddersfield Giants depending on how each of them starts the season, especially against each other in round three and build early confidence, although the Giants could be quite susceptible under rookie coach Luke Robinson, or indeed they could be supremely confident considering his stature within the club.

Finally, I think it will be local rivals Castleford Tigers and newly promoted Wakefield Trinity who will be battling it out not to finish bottom, although obviously neither of them can be relegated with their IMG A grade as things stand.

In the case of the Tigers, they have a brand-new rookie coach in Danny McGuire, while Trinity are coached by former Tigers coach Daryl Powell.

Both have spent money where they needed to in their playing ranks, Judah Rimbu looks like a very shrewd bit of business by the team from The Jungle, with Powell having gone out and brought in several players, but seemingly taking some gambles on players such as former Cas man Jake Trueman and Cam Scott from Hull FC, both of which are known to have suffered from more than their fair share of injuries, but both still at least having time on their side in their careers, and if they can be kept fit, then Trinity will have a dangerous edge, especially with Powell’s known liking for attacking rugby.

I believe the Challenge Cup is also very much up for grabs this year, with a good eight to ten clubs capable of claiming it, having won it, or come mightily close in recent years so, I’m going to leave it to you readers to debate and decide who could be successful at Wembley, with us all, not having to just suggest upon the usual suspects, but I am going to say that possibly Warrington could be that team, however I do genuinely believe that it really does look like a season when literally anything could happen, and it probably will.

Written by Ian Judson (site contributor & Hull FC fan)

Editor’s note: I will also be producing some predictions for the coming season in the next week, so look out for that as a companion piece to Ian’s predictions.