11 Conclusions: Sam Burgess update, Paul Wellens’ future and shock Man of Steel emerges

The Championship regular season is done and there is just one round remaining in Super League – and it’s obvious we are set for a thrilling conclusion to the 2025 campaign.

It’s been an unbelievable few days with some huge storylines across the divisions, and as the stakes rise at the business end of the year, there is a lot to dissect.

Here’s everything we’ve learned over the last few days..

Who are the ‘passengers’ at Warrington?

The more the weeks go on since Stuart Middleton’s statement about there will be no passengers tolerated at Warrington Wolves in 2026, you can’t help but feel as if the list of suspects is growing, not shortening.

That extends to all facets of the club, with almost everyone having a point to prove going into next season to prove they can drag the Wolves back into Super League’s upper echelons. The pressure is on a lot of people – head coach Sam Burgess included – going into 2026 and beyond.

He is safe for now, let us be clear about that: but they need to sign off with some sort of positive performance this week.

Wigan are favourites for Old Trafford again

You could argue one defeat for Hull KR has changed our mind but in truth, there’s a few aspects to this particular statement we’ve drawn from the weekend.

Yes, the Robins weren’t great at Wakefield but you would expect them to bounce back this weekend. However, Wigan are beginning to click into gear, showing the signs of a champion side by hitting their best form as the business end of the season approaches.

They dispatched Castleford with minimal fuss, made changes and rested up their key players while doing so, and the big hitters look eerily good. Back against Wigan at your peril now.

Do Leeds Rhinos rest and rotate?

It’s a difficult quandary for Brad Arthur to weigh up, in truth. Leeds technically do need to go to Wigan and win this weekend because they still have a chance of finishing third – though that appears remote now.

But what we do know is that the Rhinos are playing a sudden death game the week after, so you would think the smart play would be to give anyone who needs it a well-earned rest at Wigan on Friday. And on that note..

Jake Connor has to be left out at Wigan

..if he’s not 100 per cent, that is. There will be an obvious temptation from many Rhinos fans to call for him to be thrown back in regardless. However, that can’t happen this week, surely.

Leeds’ performance on Thursday proved they need their talisman fit and firing when their season actually is on the line. Don’t risk him if he is exactly that this weekend.

Where next for Paul Wellens?

The pressure is at fever pitch, now. Three games against the sides above them: three defeats. And in truth, St Helens haven’t been anywhere near good enough whatsoever.

Things are mounting, tensions are rising and you suspect even with a win this Friday against Castleford, it isn’t going to paper over the cracks. St Helens don’t look anything like a team that can win a Grand Final – and at a club where expectations are so high, that is never a good position for a head coach to be presiding over.

Jack Welsby: fullback or bust

Speaking of the Saints, they have tinkered around for long enough now, and it’s obvious Wellens doesn’t know what his best team is. But one thing still seems fairly obvious: that his best option at fullback is the man who actually plays fullback for his country.

If they have to find a way to get Tristan Sailor in the side, fair enough. Long-term, there are debates about having them both at the club. But in the short-term, play Welsby at fullback, and work everything else out after that.

Lachlan Lam Man of Steel is material

The beauty of the leaderboard going dark mid-season is that it allows us to speculate needlessly and relentlessly about players who could be in the mix to win the award. And this week’s nomination is, unsurprisingly, Leigh superstar Lachlan Lam.

He has been arguably the best half in the competition this year, underlined by his assist total, which stands at a mind-blowing 40. Could he claim the highest individual honour on offer?

Daryl Powell: coach of the year?

If Wakefield get in the play-offs in their first season after promotion, then surely he is in the conversation?

Wakefield were expected to be rolled over by Hull KR on Saturday evening and drop out of the top six as a result. Instead, Trinity blew the league leaders away in some style to underline how they’re not only favourites for the play-offs: but how they can’t be written off no matter what.

Powell deserves huge credit for that.

Do Hull KR need to panic?

Of course they don’t. But they’ve certainly dipped a bit in recent weeks and in a month’s time, if they’re lifting the Grand Final trophy aloft, this blip of late will have been regarded as a much-needed wake-up call.

They should beat a hapless and utterly miserable Warrington side on Thursday and win the League Leader’s Shield. But you sense they need to put a bit of a performance in, too.

Can anyone stop York Knights?

Welcome back to our weekly segment of how impressed we’ve been by York Knights. It’s now 19 wins in succession for Mark Applegarth’s side, who get a week off this time around as the teams between third and sixth battle it out in the opening round of the play-offs.

Who can halt their charge towards a second-tier treble?