11 conclusions: Salford Red Devils shambles, Hull FC hope, Leigh Leopards recruitment
There were plenty of talking points from the first weekend of the league season!
The opening weekend of the Super League and Championship seasons delivered action – and storylines – by the bucketload, we’re pleased to confirm.
From the controversial scenes on the BBC to the historic scoreline at Wigan Warriors, there were stories everywhere you looked: and plenty of things we learned moving out of the first rounds of 2025.
Here’s our conclusions from the weekend’s action, looking all the way down the professional pyramid and finding some pretty interesting observations along the way.
Super League can’t allow the Salford mess to be repeated
It doesn’t matter which side you are on, and whether you think Salford had no choice but to field a weak team at St Helens, or whether you think they were doing it out of protest. That situation simply cannot be repeated ever again.
It was, to put it mildly, a shambles. With the game live on the BBC, the whole situation was unacceptable for a game trying to attract more mainstream attention.
By the time they play Leeds this weekend, the restrictions either need to be lifted or, if they can’t, there has to be a clear mandate to the Red Devils about what they can do selection-wise.
Whatever the outcome, there must be some strong governance here for once.
Can we make a verdict on St Helens yet?
To an extent, we’d argue you could.
That was a pretty thankless task Paul Wellens’ side were faced with on Saturday evening but they went out and did exactly what they had to do from start to finish. They were professional and got the job done.
To that end, it’s a good sign for what lies ahead. But in terms of actual quality, we’ll only really start to find out this week when they face Castleford Tigers.
Jake Trueman could be a star of 2025
Among the many excellent performances on the opening weekend was a standout display from Wakefield Trinity half-back Jake Trueman, making his Super League debut for the club in some style.
Trueman has ha a horrid couple of years both with injury and a loss of form. His move to Hull FC just didn’t work out. But he looks to be excelling under the guidance of Daryl Powell once again – at least by his performance on Saturday against Leeds Rhinos.
He could be not only a star for Wakefield this year, but a star of the competition.
Mikey Lewis isn’t to be crossed
At least judging by his reaction to Rhyse Martin on Friday evening!
Hull make a strong case for the defence
John Cartwright has wasted little time turning Hull FC around, it seems. It’s going to be a long road back to the top of Super League and there will be bumps in the road along the way, that much is obvious.
But that was some start on Friday night in the south of France, and the improvements Cartwright has targeted are obvious. Hull look a significantly more resolute and tougher team to break down than in recent years: and that’s going to get them a long way this year.
Keep that up, and they could well surprise us all.
Leeds lack leaders
A bold statement to make after one round perhaps, but old habits are still present in the way the Rhinos go about their business, sadly.
After a fairly even start at Headingley on Saturday, Leeds combusted spectacularly inside ten minutes to fall 14-0 behind and in truth, they never really recovered.
When Ryan Hall is coming in and making such an impact, you have to look around the rest of the Rhinos team and wonder who is grabbing the mantle and trying to change things. Are there enough strong voices in that Leeds side? That’s up for debate.
Leigh’s recruitment looks on the money
Yet again, we’d add. Every year the Leopards manage to dip into the market and do some brilliant business and this year, they needed it more than ever given the calibre of player they were losing at the end of last season.
But there are already some fantastic signs. David Armstrong will take the headlines but Ethan O’Neill was outstanding on debut on Thursday, as was Isaac Liu. And when it dries up, Tesi Niu is going to be some star at centre who will be impossible to stop!
It’s a hat tip to Leigh’s recruitment yet again from us.
Do we really need golden point?
It’s a big debate – but there’s a reason to have it after this weekend. There were two fantastic games, albeit with different subplots, on Thursday and Friday that went beyond the distance, and two sides eventually went away with nothing.
Take Friday as an example. Did Castleford deserve no competition points, and Hull KR two? That’s probably not a fair reflection of how that game went.
We wonder if there’s scope to give each team a point at full-time, before playing for the extra point in golden point. Maybe?
Oldham are genuine contenders
The most intriguing game of the opening weekend in the Championship was undoubtedly Oldham versus York: well, until the game kicked off, that is.
Sean Long’s side were magnificent and are undoubtedly our team of the weekend at Love Rugby League towers, after hammering the Knights in a completely one-sided contest.
The expectation was that Oldham would nestle nicely into mid-table and not be under threat for relegation: but can they look even higher?
London can’t be written off: again
The Broncos are back on the field after a turbulent winter – and we couldn’t be more delighted to see Mike Eccles’ side get back to rugby after a chaotic few months.
They’ve somehow pieced a squad together despite everything and at half-time on Sunday, they were leading at Championship favourites Bradford Bulls. Of course, they came unstuck in the end, but there was enough in there for Broncos fans to be encouraged about.
They’ll recruit as the year goes on, and get stronger with it, too. It’s fantastic to see London starting to take steps forward.
Goole will go better than people expected
What a start for Scott Taylor’s side. Not only did they pick off London Broncos in the Challenge Cup, but they’re still alive in the 1895 Cup, too.
They defeated North Wales Crusaders in their first home game as a professional club to progress to the next round. Nobody is quite sure how the Vikings will go in League 1 given they’re a completely new club: but can we assume that they may well be pushing for the play-offs?
MONDAY’S READS ON LRL
👉🏻 RFL to consider Salford Red Devils sanctions after team selection controversy
👉🏻 The Super League players facing bans including Wigan Warriors and Wakefield Trinity stars
👉🏻 BBC pundit slams Salford Red Devils controversy as ‘own goal’ for Super League
👉🏻 BBC viewing figures for controversial Salford Red Devils defeat revealed
