Super League 2026 predictions: Standout sides, dark horses, and storylines

Ahead of the 2026 Super League season, our rugby league pundits took a look at who is standing out, the dark horses, storylines to follow, and the BIG predictions...

Jon Wilkin's predictions

Who will be the standout side in Super League 2026?

Hull KR will go again surely. They've been good for two years now and with Willie Peters at the helm I can see them going again. As long as they don't run out of the secret sauce of desperation and hunger they have had fuelling them.

A treble is hard to follow up but KR and Wigan will be up there again.

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Who is the dark horse?

I would say Leigh but I think they are a lighter horse, lighter than they have ever been. Silverware would not surprise me and you can say the same about Leeds. Both have genuine chances to win something.

Dark horses for me …. I can't see the new guys in the league getting much done, Catalans are rebuilding from the ashes up. I'm going to say Hull, if they keep fit. A sneaky cup win and a solid stab at the playoffs? Potentially.

What is the biggest storyline to follow?

Warrington, I suppose they were flatter than a flat thing last year. All eyes will be on them from the get go in 2026. Also Paul Rowley in situ in his first high profile role will be good to watch.

There are loads of storylines all over but I suppose how Rowley's Saints and Burgess' Wire get on in 2026 will be fun to watch.

Jenna Brooks' predictions...

Who will be the standout side in Super League 2026?

It must be Hull KR and Wigan again. KR have lost some key players in Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Michael McIlorum, but they now know how to win and will want it again. It's the opposite for Matty Peet and his team, they will be hurting after 2025, and I think that desperate hunger will return to the team this year.

Who is the dark horse?

St Helens under Paul Rowley. We know what he has achieved with much less in the past. He is back with former man of steel, Jackson Hastings and Nene Macdonald. I excited to see David Klemmer and Jacob Host in Super League too.

What is the biggest storyline to follow?

Darren Lockyer's London Broncos. Unlucky not to be one of the 14 in Super League this year and are odds-on to be there next season. Darren and his business partner Grant Wechsel were guests on The Bench Podcast with Jenna and Jon, and it's clear the Challenge Cup is a big focus for the club. It could be a good test against some of the top teams.

Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Dean Hawkins are in great form. Let's see how many Super League clubs they get linked with as the season goes on.

One big 2026 prediction...

Warrington vs London in the Challenge Cup. Sam Burgess vs Jason Demetriou. It would be the first time these two will have since the debacle at South Sydney. We have cameras on the tunnel. JD approaches Sam and fireworks follow!

Barrie McDermott's predictions

Who will be the standout side in Super League 2026?

Hull KR- you cannot ignore what they did last year. Challenge Cup, League Leaders' Shield and Super League champions. That is not a good season, that is a statement.

I loved watching how Willie Peters built this side. It knows exactly who it is. Tough in the middle, calm in the halves and ruthless when it matters. Mikey Lewis has gone from talent to leader. Elliot Minchella sets the tone and Tyrone May keeps the ship steady when it gets choppy.

They do not just win games, they close them. The only question now is whether they can carry the weight of being everyone's target, because being champions is hard and staying champions is harder, trust me.

Who is the dark horse?

It feels strange calling Wigan outsiders, which is exactly why they are dangerous. Nobody shouting about them, nobody getting too excited, just quietly sharpening the knives.

Jai Field still breaks games in half. Bevan French still makes defenders look like they have lost their boots. Luke Thompson brings proper punch through the middle and Matt Peet keeps it all simple. No drama, no headlines, just standards.

If they hit form at the right time you will not want to see them in September. History says when Wigan arrive under the radar they usually leave with something shiny.

What is the biggest storyline to follow?

It is whether Hull KR can repeat their success. Last season they won everything that mattered. Cup, shield and title. Now they set their sights on the biggest test of all: the Brisbane Broncos.

From kings of Super League to trying to knock off the kings of the NRL. No small ask. This year is about whether last season was the peak or the platform. Every side will circle their fixture and every week will feel like a final. Welcome to life as champions.

One big 2026 prediction...

My big prediction is that Hull FC won't be pretty, but they will be a problem.

This won't be about highlight reels. It will be about metres, line speed and graft. Under their coach John Cartwright there is a clear identity. Honest. Hard working. No shortcuts. Add the fans and there is a real feel-good factor again. Home becomes uncomfortable. Belief grows. By the business end nobody will be calling them outsiders. They will not be fashionable, but they will be the side everyone wants to avoid.

After 30 years of Super League, it still comes down to the same thing: when the season gets ugly, the winners are not the ones talking about it, they are the ones still on their feet while everyone else is asking how long's left.

Jamie Jones-Buchanan's predictions

Who will be the standout side in Super League 2026?

I have to say Leeds Rhinos. The heroic disruptors, repelling the best teams with an Arthurian fortitude at AMT Headingley.

Who is the dark horse?

Warrington Wolves. Talent and chaos welcomes Steve McNamara: a methodical, calming agent of order, steering Mark Sneyd with a full pre-season under his belt. They're also a club looking to its talented youth system for answers, rather than big-name signings.

Also watch: Hull FC - the sleeping giant that'll come back kicking and screaming, desperate to chase down their giant little sibling.

What is the biggest storyline to follow?

The numbers: crowds, audiences, participation, commercial growth. Rugby league's quiet surge becomes a headline, with curious new eyeballs coming into the game.

One big 2026 prediction...

A Yorkshire clean sweep: All three trophies stay in God's Own County.

Jon Wells' predictions

Who will be the standout side in Super League 2026?

You would be daft to ignore the claims of treble winners Hull KR, who I expect to see in the Grand Final again in 2026.

However, there are really strong cases to be made for Leeds, Leigh, St Helens, Wigan and Catalans to be joining them at Old Trafford - all I feel have improved their squads on paper, perhaps none more so than the Dragons. If they get it right under Joel Tomkins, they could be very hard to beat this season.

Who is the dark horse?

It is so open this season in my view - but given the progress Hull FC made last season, I would see them as a real danger team this season. Then again, Wakefield Trinity have made eye-catching moves in the transfer market and they could further improve in 2026.

What is the biggest storyline to follow?

On the eve of the season, Wigan Warriors and Catalans Dragons made a transfer/loan swap deal that looks to benefit both clubs.

However, the Dragons really benefit for 2026 with the addition of Kruise Leeming; dummy half was an area that the Dragons haven't got right for a number of seasons now - Leeming solves that problem. The Perpignan outfit gain a top-class running hooker who is one of the most improved players in Super League over the last couple of seasons.

His impact on the Dragons' fortunes will be a season-long storyline to follow - I think it could be the difference between play-off football and not.

One big 2026 prediction...

Following in the same vein as all of the above, I will confidently say that we won't know who takes the League Leaders' Shield, we won't know the make-up of the play-offs, and we won't know who finishes bottom of the table until the final seconds of the final game of the regular season - that's how open and unpredictable I think this season will be.

Megan Wellens' predictions

Who will be the standout side in Super League 2026?

Now, this might sound slightly left field but the team I see really making their mark in 2026 is Leigh Leopards. I rate the squad they have got together and with quicker play the balls, I can see them thriving.

Come the end of the season, I would not be shocked to see them in contention for the League Leaders' Shield and/or walking out at Old Trafford.

Adrian Lam has been building for a number of years, said at the end of last season they were a few players off, and now I think they have potentially their best chance of adding more silverware.

Who is the dark horse?

Wakefield Trinity had a brilliant return to Super League in 2025 and I can only see them building on that in 2026 with the style of rugby that Daryl Powell enjoys to play.

They have made some astute signings in NRL Grand Finalist Tyson Smoothy and Jazz Tevaga, adding to that the fact that Jake Trueman has completed a full pre-season, they will back themselves to pick up even more scalps than they did last year.

I see them well within top six contention and would not be shocked by them going on a run in the Challenge Cup.

What is the biggest storyline to follow?

I am really intrigued to see how Paul Rowley fares as he takes on the head coach role at St Helens. Rowley is highly regarded in coaching circles, especially for the brand he created at Salford, but the job at Saints is a marked change.

While Rowley in the past has been at clubs that do not carry too much expectation he is now at one that demands silverware which has eluded them since 2023. They have strengthened their squad and it is time to see how he goes in charge of one of Super League's giants.

Side note: I am also keeping a close eye on Warrington Wolves and how big it is for Sam Burgess to have the proven Steve McNamara as his assistant.

One big 2026 prediction...

I think that of the three new sides in Super League this season (Bradford Bulls, Toulouse Olympique, and York Knights), it is the French club that will finish the highest.

2026 Super League - key dates and what to look out for

• Opening night: Thu Feb 12: York Knights v Hull KR, 8pm (Sky Sports)
• World Club Challenge: Thu Feb 19: Hull KR v Brisbane Broncos, 7:30pm (Sky Sports)
• Rugby League in Las Vegas: Sat Feb 28: Hull KR v Leeds Rhinos, TBC (Sky Sports)
• Super League's 30th birthday: Thu Mar 26: Castleford Tigers v Bradford Bulls, 8pm (Sky Sports)
• Rivals Round: April 3-April 5
• Super League in Paris: Sat Jun 6: Catalans Dragons v Wigan Warriors (Paris), 6:30 UK (Sky Sports)
• Magic Weekend: July 4-July 5
• Rivals Round reversed: July 23-July 26
• Elimination Play-offs: September 19-September 20
• Play-off semi-finals: September 26-September 27
• Grand Final: October 3, Old Trafford.

Sky Sports will again show every game of the Super League live this season - including two matches in each round exclusively live, with the remaining five matches each week shown on Sky Sports+