As soon as I saw Nathan’s predictions (after I’d stopped laughing at them) I thought, hey up, it’s my turn next, so here it is, in a somewhat different format to how Nathan did his, based on last year’s template.

What I’m not going to do is tell you every signing that every club has made, obviously some will get mentioned, but those of you who have read Nathan’s predictions will have already seen all of them, so I don’t see the point in boring you all, by taking you through them all again.

I also won’t predict exact finishing places, I will put each into blocks of 3 or 4, based on roughly where I think they will finish, but I will predict the Challenge Cup winners and the Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel Award, as well as a few personal ones on various subjects to do with this season, so please enjoy!

Hull Kingston Rovers: I am starting with them because they are the current Betfred Super League Champions, and deservedly so.

The Robins certainly hit the honey pot last season, of which I’m sure Nathan and his guide dog Jackson will continue to regularly remind me over the coming months, however, I get the feeling that this season will not be an all-conquering season this time around for the men from Sewell Group Craven Park.

I think the fact that they have a World Club Challenge, plus a trip to Las Vegas and early trips to France, plus a Hull Derby could make or break their season. If, as I suspect, all that travelling, and the intensity of a derby match have a major effect on them, I can see them counted out of the League Leaders Shield race, and the Challenge Cup early.

I might be wrong, Rovers are certainly capable of surprising people, but we all saw how much Wigan struggled after their trip to Sin City last year, I got a particularly good look at them two weeks later in a Challenge Cup match, in which they had the game won by half time, before they produced a very un-Wigan like capitulation in the 2nd half, and that was just the beginning of their struggles, which ultimately left them trophieless for the first time under Matt Peet.

Wigan Warriors: The aforementioned previous champions will be smarting after their perceived failure last year, having won the lot the previous season, and they will be gunning for the Robins and probably everybody else while they’re at it.

Wigan looked very un-Wigan like on several occasions last year, with much made of the trip to Vegas, plus their well-documented injury curse, with the likes of Bevan French, Luke Thompson, Jai Field etc all missing large chunks of the season.

In the Grand Final, they could, in fact should have been in a double figures lead early, with Liam Farrell and Bevan French was ting golden try-scoring opportunities, which, if taken, would probably have seen them crowned champions again, but they didn’t, so that’s part of the reason why the Super League trophy resides in East Hull at the moment.

However, this time around, they have no trip to America, they can just go about their usual business, and it is due to that why I expect them to open up a gap at the top ahead of the champions, although there are other teams who could also cut the Robins adrift in the race for the shield.

Leeds Rhinos: They’ve done some impressive business in the off-season and, having looked something like towards the end of last season, they now look every inch the competitive team they should be under Brad Arthur.

Much, of course, will also depend on how they recover from their trip to Vegas, and of course, we shouldn’t count out just how important the two points on offer there are to both teams, with one possibly able to steal a march on the other depending on the result there, however, what happens when they return to these shores is also vitally important.

Much for Leeds will depend on the form of current Man of Steel Jake Connor, if his head coach gets the very best out of him again, he can be absolutely devastating against any team, as proved last season, but one swallow does not make a summer and I’m unconvinced that they can sustain a competitive challenge for the shield, although I’m sure they will be involved in the mix up at the end of the season.

Leigh Leopards: Unlike Nathan, I’m pretty sure Adrian Lam’s team will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season, they’ve been playoff regulars and Challenge Cup winners since their return to the big time, and I see no reason for that to change this time around.

Leigh just seem to have that happy knack of turning it on towards the business end of the season, before falling down just before the end, but can they sustain it this time?

They certainly have the players to do it, and in Lachlan Lam, they have the best player in Super League at providing try assists, although I do think they need a bit more strength in depth to deputise for him on that front, it’s never a good idea for a team to just rely almost exclusively on one player.

Having said all that, unlike Nathan, I do expect them to be in the playoffs again, and when it comes to knockout rugby league, we all know anything can happen.

St. Helens: Under new coach Paul Rowley, Saints now have a proven coach and winner, and he has the sort of resources at his disposal that he couldn’t even dream of at Salford last year.

Since his arrival, he has brought some of his former Red Devils in, including a shrewd bit of business for Nene McDonald and former Wigan man Joe Shorrocks, both of which are very-Paul Rowley type players, as well as adding former Man of Steel Jackson Hastings.

Saints, clearly are a team in transition, which probably fits very well with Rowley himself since his horrific time at the Salford Community Stadium, but I still see them competing well. Indeed, they are one of a number of teams who I could potentially see cutting the champions and the Rhinos somewhat adrift early, if the coach can get them playing the way he wants early, which is where the ex-Salford connection could come in handy.

Wakefield Trinity: They have made maybe the headline signing of the new season in NRL Grand Final winner Tyson Smoothy, on the back of what was a very successful return to the Betfred Super League for them last year.

It’s certainly fair to say that Daryl Powell hasn’t rested on his well-deserved laurels from last season and the men from the DIY Kitchens stadium will be a threat again in 2026, there can be no doubt about that.

However, there is a caveat here, which I certainly think should be referred to here (and expanded on in the next paragraph) as well as they did to nail down 6th place, which saw them qualify for the playoffs, and would do so again, they are going to be effectively trying to hold off a Hull FC team who finished 7th and who were unbeaten against them in 2025, so one would suggest, to keep hold of that playoff spot, they are probably going to have to improve on that record this year.

Hull FC: The team I report on, and not just for this publication, so please forgive me if I’m quite bullish about their chances this season.

The Airlie Birds have certainly been busy in the transfer market, with some very targeted signings and aggressive recruitment again, which will serve them well. The marked difference looking at this squad now, when compared to last year, is that there is now much-needed strength in depth, for instance last year, Hull ended up playing Centres Zak Hardaker and Ed Chamberlain in the back row for the majority of the season, due to injuries to Jordan Lane and Jed Cartwright, so a signing like Connor Bailey from York maybe won’t raise many eyebrows, but will answer that problem.

I am expecting the Black & Whites to make it into the playoffs this year, the reason being that they were unbeaten against playoff qualifiers Leigh Leopards and Wakefield Trinity last season, which shows they have it in them to beat them when they need to, but added to that, they didn’t win a single game against Leeds Rhinos, St. Helens and their nearest and dearest last season, and I believe they can definitely right that wrong this year after the lessons that were learned last year and with that added depth.

Catalans Dragons: They are the most complicated team to try and predict this year, after a horrendous season, which cost Steve McNamara his job, but one which ultimately finished on a very positive note as new coach Joel Tomkins lead them into a winning run at the end that few would have predicted.

They have also gone out and strengthened, however two of those new signings are already known to be heading back to the NRL at the end of the season, so you just wonder how much of a priority Le Dracs are for them, having already secured their return home anyway?

I do expect the Dragons to be better than last season, but with a new rookie coach, they are clearly in transition and will need time to develop again, they certainly have the building blocks in place, but of course, Rome wasn’t built in a day, having said that, a good early start could build some confidence and momentum.

Warrington Wolves: They surprised plenty by being a whole lot less competitive for the majority of the season, although they were unlucky not to take out the Challenge Cup with an excellent performance at Wembley, after they had surprised a few by beating Leigh to get there.

Getting rid of Matt Dufty could prove to be the masterstroke for the team from the Halliwell Jones Stadium, due to his disruptive antics, and bringing in Steve McNamara in the background has all the makings of a very smart bit of business.

Wire were also probably somewhat hung over from their Vegas experience last year, although I think that was overshadowed by their other struggles, for instance with the culture at the club as a whole. They are a team that certainly have the manpower to make it into the playoffs and I am particularly delighted to see them put faith in some of their younger players, particularly at fullback and in the halves, while Kelepi Tanginoa could be a very shrewd signing.

Castleford Tigers: Under new ownership, with a new director of rugby in Chris Chester, who has certainly been waving his magic wand in the transfer market, and under yet another new coach, albeit a more proven one than the unfortunate Danny McGuire who only lasted a ridiculously paltry 18 games, good luck Mr Carr, you’re probably going to need it, given the seemingly revolving head coaches door darn’t lane.

With a more competitive and settled squad, the Tigers could certainly be a force to be reckoned with, they might not make it into the playoffs, but they could flirt with it, and probably have a big say in who does, and doesn’t make it into them.

They will, of course, use their unique pitch dimensions to their advantage, and I do certainly expect it to be more awkward for teams going there to grab a win, but again, they are a team in transition with a new coach, so it just depends how long it takes them to gel.

Huddersfield Giants: If I was a Huddersfield fan, I would look away now. Their transfer business hasn’t exactly been the most inspiring and now they have lost talismanic skipper Leroy Cudjoe to retirement which will be a big miss for them (unless he does the seemingly more fashionable thing of coming out of retirement, plenty of which have done in recent years)?

When scrum half Adam Clune plays, they are a different side, the problem is he doesn’t play often enough, and they don’t have a proven, rugged half back to replace him when he is out of the side, as great at George Flanagan is, they ask, and expect far too much of him at this stage of his career.

The only thing I can say with any certainty about them is that they will struggle and they won’t make it into the playoffs, they are too much like the same side that struggled last season, they have regressed, while other teams around them have strengthened and improved, I think another long, hard season awaits, although I’m very happy to be proven wrong because I have a lot of time for Luke Robinson.

Bradford Bulls: One of the early pacesetters when Super League was born, and it’s great to see them back, if only for the fish and chips opposite the ground that still holds the record for the biggest ever attendance at a rugby league match.

They have been very active in the transfer market, making some astute signings, realising that what they had in the Championship last season was absolutely nowhere near Super League standard.

This season will be one of just consolidation, especially under a new, rookie coach, but one who can certainly instill that ‘Us against the World’ quality in his team, having been assistant to Paul Rowley at Salford last season.

Unfortunately the Bulls will struggle, but they will struggle in their own way, and every right step they make will be another marker to show that they are heading in the right, desired direction, and hopefully they will end up in a position to improve the facilities available to them as a result.

Toulouse Olympique: TOXIII are a team who might surprise the occasional team, such as they surprised a few on their way to winning the Championship Grand Final last year.

They have got Tyler Dupree in on-loan from Wigan, but I think it tells you everything you need to know when he is their main, number one signing for the season, although some of the others brought in may have it in them to also surprise a few people.

As with trips to Perpignan to play Catalans Dragons, a lot will depend on how teams react to the long trip to Toulouse, also in the South of France, so their home form is going to be vital for them to try and make themselves as competitive as possible, but, much like their promoted counterparts, consolidation really is the name of the game for Sylvain Houles’ side.

York Knights: You’ll do well to find anybody who will think of Super League new boys York as anything more than this season’s whipping boys.

However, they do have some mongrel about them, with some experienced Super League players in their ranks and in Paul Vaughan they have signed genuine grunt, with plenty of experience, who will certainly inspire the players around him.

Mark Applegarth, of course, has Super League coaching experience with Wakefield Trinity in 2023 so he certainly knows his way around it, and the fact that they are playing two teams that they played against last season in the Championship will certainly help them.

They have an excellent new stadium, which means they have been working in Super League standard facilities before making their bow, but it’s difficult to see anything other than a long hard season, although they might catch out the odd team due to their unknown qualities at this stage.

Table Prediction

Playoff teams: Wigan, Leeds, Hull KR, Hull FC, Leigh, St. Helens

Others: Castleford Tigers, Huddersfield Giants, Warrington Wolves, Catalans Dragons, Wakefield Trinity, York Knights, Bradford Bulls, Toulouse Olympique

Champions: Wigan Warriors

Challenge Cup: This is famously difficult to predict, with any of 8 to 10 teams probably capable of winning it. Last year, holders Wigan were deposed early, just two weeks after their trip to Vegas, so I believe much the same could happen to Rovers this year, unless they get an easy draw and are able to build into the competition, but with so many teams capable of winning it, that’s difficult to see.

Obviously, I would be very happy to see the oldest, most prestigious trophy in rugby league reside at the MKM Stadium for the next 12 months, but you also have to consider teams like Wigan, St. Helens, Warrington and Leigh, all of whom have won it in recent years.

With the Challenge Cup being so early in the season again (which I still think is a very bad idea) you would also look to the teams who may make a good early start to the campaign, like Wakefield Trinity or even Castleford Tigers potentially.

However, I am going to plump for Hull FC as Challenge Cup winners, for no other reason than, they are certainly one of those teams who are capable of winning it, and aided and abetted by the fact that they made a good early start to last season, so a similar start could yield a strong cup run at least, although the likes of Wigan and Leigh in particular are likely to have something to say about that.

Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel: Tyson Smoothy could be the man to take out the highest individual award this season, he is a superstar signing and likely to be very influential on his new team.

First coaching casualty of the season: I would have to say Luke Robinson, as much time as I have for him, he hasn’t been given the resources he deserves to go out and do anything about what was already a very weak squad.

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