Super League 2026: team-by-team guide to the new season
Hull KR are the team to beat again, tough times are ahead for promoted trio and Leeds might be back to their bestThe former Super League champions are back after a 12-year absence, and Bradford have had to rebuild their squad for a full-time return to the top flight after being a part-time operation in recent years.Most of that recruitment was done late in the day owing to promotion not being confirmed until October, meaning their first year back could be a difficult one.Coach Kurt Haggerty Captain Joe Mellor Key player Andy Ackers Last season 3rd in Championship Prediction 14thIt is a new-look Castleford in 2026, who have brought in 14 signings including a raft of talent from the NRL led by eye-catching recruits Semi Valemei, Mikaele Ravalawa and Blake Taaffe.Their new coach, Ryan Carr, is highly regarded too and while the Tigers will improve on last year’s disappointment, the playoffs looks likely to be a stretch too far this year.Coach Ryan Carr Captain Alex Mellor Key player Blake Taaffe Last season 11th Prediction 9thThe Dragons, now one of two French teams in Super League, are among a handful of clubs who will be jostling for the lower end of the playoff places.
They have the talent to do it; Toby Sexton could easily become the standout player in the competition after his move from Canterbury.But they are in a scramble with too many other teams and could just miss out on the top six.Coach Joel Tomkins Captain Ben Garcia Key player Toby Sexton Last season 9th Prediction 8th2025 was one of huge disappointment for Huddersfield, who struggled to keep their key men fit – a trend that will continue into the start of this year with their star half-back, Adam Clune, missing for a period.If they can get their best side out there they may shock a couple, but it’s hard to imagine a squad that largely flattered to deceive last year realistically aiming for the top six.Coach Luke Robinson Captain Adam Clune Key player Tom Burgess Last season 10th Prediction 11thHopes are high for a big season in west Hull after a positive campaign in 2025 under John Cartwright.
Hull have gone for experience with their recruitment strategy to build on last year’s success and they certainly have the talent to make the playoffs.They will be in a fight with a few other sides for fifth and sixth, and will hope for that as a bare minimum.Coach John Cartwright Captain Aidan Sezer Key player Jake Arthur Last season 7th Prediction 7thHow do you improve on perfection? For Hull KR, the answer could come as early as this month’s World Club Challenge against Brisbane Broncos, when they can be crowned the world’s best side.The Robins completed an historic treble in 2025 and are now Super League’s premiere side after decades in the rugby league doldrums.They start as strong favourites, and have the squad to do it all over again.
Coach Willie Peters Captain Elliot Minchella Key player Mikey Lewis Last season 1st and Grand Final winners Prediction 1stAfter back-to-back seasons missing the playoffs in 2023 and 2024, Leeds returned to something like the force many expect them to be under Brad Arthur last year,Their last-gasp defeat to St Helens in the semi-finals will still sting, but the Rhinos look well equipped to be even better this year,They, Hull KR and Wigan are the three teams most likely competing for the Grand Final,Coach Brad Arthur Captain Ash Handley Key player Jake Connor Last season 4th Prediction 2nd and Grand Final winnersHad it not been for Hull KR’s treble, Leigh would have been the story of 2025,A Championship club as recently as 2022, the Leopards secured their highest finish last season, falling just short of a maiden Grand Final.
They should make the top six again, but their squad looks slightly light in a couple of key areas.Injuries could leave them in trouble.Coach Adrian Lam Captain Lachlan Lam Key player Lachlan Lam Last season 3rd Prediction 6thSt Helens have never gone three straight seasons in the Super League era without winning a trophy, and after barren seasons in 2024 and 2025, the onus is on new head coach Paul Rowley to end that run.They have recruited well, but Rowley’s biggest task is settling on a spine that brings the best out of all his creative talent.Should he achieve that, the Saints are contenders.
Coach Paul Rowley Captain Matty Lees Key player Jack Welsby Last season 5th Prediction 4thOf the three promoted clubs, the least upheaval has been at Toulouse given how they were already a full-time outfit in the Championship.They return to Super League much stronger than their sole season in 2022 and have kept their recruitment minimal, trusting the squad that won the Championship Grand Final last year.They won’t be last, but they’re likely to be around the lower reaches.Coach Sylvain Houles Captain Anthony Marion Key player Olly Ashall-Bott Last season 2nd in Championship Prediction 12thWakefield’s first season back in Super League was an overwhelming success, with Trinity making the playoffs under Daryl Powell.They have not sat still either, with some very impressive recruitment that includes NRL Grand Final winner Tyson Smoothy and Samoa star Jazz Tevaga.
Wakefield are in the mid-pack along with Hull and Catalans, but look to be somewhere near the front of it.Bona fide playoff contenders again.Coach Daryl Powell Captain Mike McMeeken Key player Tyson Smoothy Last season 6th Prediction 5thThe Wolves laboured throughout most of 2025 under Sam Burgess, failing to build on the success of his first season in charge.Question marks remain over the Wire after some fairly low-key recruitment and, for the first time in a while, expectations are not quite as high as they often are.Burgess is arguably the story here; a slow start, and he will quickly come under pressure, you suspect.
Coach Sam Burgess Captain George Williams Key player George Williams Last season 8th Prediction 10thHaving won an unprecedented quadruple in 2024, Wigan finished 2025 trophyless, a scenario few would have predicted 12 months ago.That was largely down to the success of Hull KR rather than any shortcomings of the Warriors and they have the squad and coach to compete on all fronts again.Keep Bevan French, Super League’s best player, fit and they will surely win at least one piece of silverware in 2026.Coach Matt Peet Captain Liam Farrell Key player Bevan French Last season 2nd Prediction 3rdSuper League heads to North Yorkshire for the first time in its history with York the newest addition to the competition.They return to rugby league’s top flight for the first time since 1986 and have the honour of opening the season against Hull KR on Thursday, where a sell-out crowd will be present.
They will bring plenty of positives to the competition but like Bradford, their major recruitment has been done late, meaning their inaugural campaign will largely be tough.Coach Mark Applegarth Captain Liam Harris Key player Paul Vaughan Last season 1st in Championship Prediction 13th
Markets brace for US jobs data as White House acknowledges ICE effects; Heineken to cut 6,000 roles – business live
Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy.It’s non-farm payrolls day! The eagerly-awaited US jobs report is out today, and the White House has been trying to moderate expectations.Peter Navarro, senior counselor for trade and manufacturing to Donald Trump, was speaking on Fox News last night.We have to revise our expectations down significantly for what a monthly job number should look like. When we were letting in 2 million illegal aliens a day we had to produce 200,000 [jobs] a month for steady stay
Activist investor Elliott builds up stake in London Stock Exchange Group
The activist investor Elliott Management has built up a “significant” stake in the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and is engaging with the company to drive its performance at a time of reduced listings and concerns about disruption from artificial intelligence.Elliott’s exact shareholding in LSEG was unclear; the Financial Times, which first reported the stake, added that the fund had been in talks with LSEG to help it work on improvement, encourage the group to consider a fresh share buyback and to try to narrow the gap with its rivals.Shares in LSEG climbed by as much as 6% in early trading on Wednesday before falling back slightly.LSEG is best known for operating the London Stock Exchange but in recent times has moved away from its traditional stock market activities and now derives almost half of its revenues from its data and analytics arm after its 2020 takeover of the financial data provider Refinitiv.The company’s share price has declined steadily over the past year, amid investor concerns that its income will be squeezed by AI disruption at a time of growing competition
The big AI job swap: why white-collar workers are ditching their careers
As AI job losses rise in the professional sector, many are switching to more traditional trades. But how do they feel about accepting lower pay – and, in some cases, giving up their vocation?California-based Jacqueline Bowman had been dead set on becoming a writer since she was a child. At 14 she got her first internship at her local newspaper, and later she studied journalism at university. Though she hadn’t been able to make a full-time living from her favourite pastime – fiction writing – post-university, she consistently got writing work (mostly content marketing, some journalism) and went freelance full-time when she was 26. Sure, content marketing wasn’t exactly the dream, but she was writing every day, and it was paying the bills – she was happy enough
Will the Gulf’s push for its own AI succeed?
Hello, and welcome to TechScape. Today in tech, we’re discussing the Persian Gulf countries making a play for sovereignty over their own artificial intelligence in response to an unstable United States. That, and US tech giants’ plans to spend more than $600bn this year alone.I spent most of last week in Doha at the Web Summit Qatar, the Gulf’s new version of the popular annual tech conference. One theme stood out among the speeches I watched and the conversations I had: sovereignty
Australia v Ireland: T20 World Cup cricket – live
5th over: Ireland 28-4 (Tucker 8, Delany 0) It’s a wicket maiden from Nathan Ellis. A masterclass of T20 bowling - slower balls, short balls, cutters and full and fast. He has 3-5 from his two overs!Another one to Ellis! He goes full pace this time and a bit of extra bounce sees Calitz get an under edge and chop onto the stumps. Ireland are in pieces.4th over: Ireland 27-3 (Tucker 8, Calitz 2) Tucker climbs into a length ball from Kuhnemann and deposits down the ground for SIX
Winter Olympics 2026: Franjo von Allmen takes Super G title for third gold of Games – live
Half-pipe: Liu Jiayu, who was in contention for making the final 12, had a horrible fall towards the end of her run, and had to be taken off the course on a stretcher.Another gold for the unstoppable von Allmen, who becomes the fourth skier to win three gold medals at one Winter Olympics, with silver for America’s Cochran-Siegle, and bronze for Marco Odermatt.A lovely story about von Allmen. After his dad died when he was 17, his village crowd-funded his ski-ing career. Now, on his Olympic debut, downhill, team-combined and Super G golds
Super Bowl: Bad Bunny, the ads and everything but the football – as it happened
Perth festival 2026: Swan River bursts to life with a stunning trail of stories and light
Porky Pig and Daffy Duck: ‘Jacob Elordi! That hair! Those dreamboat eyes!’
The Guide #229: How an indie movie distributed by a lone gamer broke the US box office
My cultural awakening: Bach helped me survive sexual abuse as a child
Aacta awards 2026: horror film Bring Her Back and Jacob Elordi win big at Australian film and TV prizes