Championship CEO makes Super League admission as 2026 hopes aired

Doncaster RLFC CEO Carl Hall insists his side are hoping for a top-four finish in 2026, with his hopes firmly set on Super League promotion sooner rather than later. 

His words follow the club’s application for a place in the newly-expanded 14-team Super League for 2026; however, they missed out on a spot, with York Knights and Toulouse Olympique promoted.

The Dons ended 2025 in eighth place in the Championship, six points off a play-off spot.

‘We’re going for the top four’

Despite missing out on a play-off spot last season, Hall is setting his sights on a top-four finish in 2026.

“It’s a big year for the club,” he said. “We’ve made no secret, we’re going for the top four, and everyone is really looking forward to the season.

“We’ll have some bumps along the way, but we need to stick together. The boys are training really hard, and they’ve had to switch it up a little bit because they condensed training with the season starting so early.

“We all know that the destination for this club is Super League, so we need to get things right on and off the field.

His optimism comes amid a heavy off-season recruitment drive, with the likes of Muizz Mustapha, Gadwin Springer, Cory Aston and Luis Johnson joining the club.

‘It should be a good league’

Securing a top-four finish won’t be a walk in the park for Doncaster, with the Championship becoming a 21-team league following the merger with League One, but Hall is under no illusions on the quality.

“I’ve always been for it,” Hall said of the new structure. “It should have happened years ago; I don’t think there’s room enough in the sport for three leagues.

“Those clubs that are coming up will be competitive, and they’ll have a good crack. League One was a really tough league.

“It should be a good league, and let’s see what it’s like in 12 months when we’ve all sat down and had a look at it.

“We’re looking forward to it, there’s going to be some good games, some upsets, the Championship is a tough league, but we’re looking forward to it.”

Around that, too, London Broncos have undergone a dramatic rebuild following the takeover of Darren Lockyer and Grant Wechsel, while Widnes Vikings and Oldham will be hoping for a play-off push as well.

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