Love Rugby League’s 2025 predictions: Wigan clean sweep with bold ‘surprise’ packages predicted

After weeks of anticipation, the new Super League season gets underway this week when Wigan Warriors host Leigh Leopards in a huge local derby.

The Warriors go in pursuit of a third successive league title, but they have no shortage of competition when it comes to credible challengers for their crown.

The battle to make the play-offs appears as tight and congested as ever, while there’s also a genuine scrap to avoid the wooden spoon.

As is traditional, here are our predictions for how we think the season will go – and yes, you are more than welcome to tell us how wrong you think we are in our comments section below!

Aaron Bower

⁠Grand Final winners: Wigan Warriors

⁠⁠Challenge Cup winners: Leigh Leopards

Man of Steel: Bevan French

Top try-scorer: Liam Marshall

Surprise package: Leeds Rhinos

League prediction

1. Wigan Warriors
2. Warrington Wolves
3. Hull KR
4. Leigh Leopards
5. Leeds Rhinos
6. Salford Red Devils
7. St Helens
8. Catalans Dragons
9. Wakefield Trinity
10. Hull FC
11. Castleford Tigers
12. Huddersfield Giants

It feels pretty boring for the most part – but when Wigan Warriors did what they did last year, who on Earth is going to really back against them? Certainly not me.

I’ll hold off on predicting a repeat Grand Slam, but it’s not completely out of the question, such is the dominance Matt Peet’s side currently have over the rest. I think you can split Super League into three separate mini-leagues this year: and the positions within those leagues could really be anything.

There’s a clear three of Wigan, Warrington and Hull KR at the top. Then Leigh, Leeds, Salford, St Helens and Catalans make up a five-team mid-table league. Two of those will miss the play-offs: I’ve just gone with the Saints and the Dragons but it’s a very tough call. Leigh are the ones I feel most confident about – I think their recruitment has been seriously impressive, with more scope for new signings to come, too.

I also think Leeds are going to be significant improvers for one main reason: Brad Arthur. Catalans look great on paper, but it may take some time for them to click and if they start slow, they’ll be playing catch-up for the top six.

Below them, it’s Wakefield, Hull FC, Castleford and Huddersfield in that order. Wakefield could be on the border of that mini-league above them if they start well – but the three beneath them will struggle. I’ve just gone with Huddersfield at the bottom.

Ben Olawumi

⁠Grand Final winners: Wigan Warriors

⁠⁠Challenge Cup winners: Leigh Leopards

Man of Steel: David Armstrong

Top try-scorer: Liam Marshall

Surprise package: Huddersfield Giants

League prediction:

1. Wigan Warriors
2. Warrington Wolves
3. Hull KR
4. Catalans Dragons
5. Leigh Leopards
6. St Helens
7. Wakefield Trinity
8. Salford Red Devils
9. Leeds Rhinos
10. Hull FC
11. Castleford Tigers
12. Huddersfield Giants

I just can’t see anyone toppling Matt Peet’s side either across a season in terms of the League Leaders’ Shield or in a one-off game like the Grand Final. They’re the masters of getting the job done in big games, as shown across the last few years.

Huddersfield are picked as a surprise package in the worst possible sense. We wouldn’t be surprised to see them vying for that bottom spot on the ladder alongside Castleford. The Giants already have an injury crisis to contend with ahead of the start of the campaign, and sadly, their squad won’t have enough quality where depth is concerned to deal with it in my opinion.

I think the race for the top 6 is going to be very intriguing this year. Wakefield have made their intentions to challenge for the play-offs clear, but they’ll just miss out if mt predictions ring true (N.B. they definitely won’t!). I’m backing Saints to sneak in again, with Salford and Leeds narrowly missing out alongside Trinity.

Hull FC will be better than last year, but won’t do enough to challenge for the top six. Toss a coin between Huddersfield and Cas for who gets the wooden spoon, not that IMG care.

Louis Chapman-Coombe

⁠Grand Final winners: Wigan Warriors

⁠⁠Challenge Cup winners: Leeds Rhinos

Man of Steel: Bevan French

Top try-scorer: Matty Ashton

Surprise package: Wakefield Trinity

League prediction

1. Wigan Warriors
2. Hull KR
3. Warrington Wolves
4. Leeds Rhinos
5. St Helens
6. Leigh Leopards
7. Catalans Dragons
8. Wakefield Trinity
9. Salford Red Devils
10. Huddersfield Giants
11. Hull FC
12. Castleford Tigers

It’s probably the safest prediction of the lot, but I just cannot see anyone other than Wigan Warriors winning the Grand Final this year.

I just really like the way they go about their business on the pitch, but they just have this unbelievable ability to adapt to any situation they are in and drag themselves over the line. I think Hull KR and Warrington Wolves will likely push them close both in the league and post-season again, especially given they have recruited in the exact areas they needed to this off-season, but it should be Wigan’s year yet again.

Leeds will be vastly improved from where they were last year and could very easily push into that top four, and I reckon Leigh Leopards and St Helens are fairly safe bets to also reach the top six once again. Leigh will be an interesting one, given they’ve virtually got an entire new team this year, but I still back them to make the six.

This might be reading too much into one game, but, for me, Catalans just look off the pace again and might be set for another year outside the play-offs. Wakefield could very easily make a push for the play-offs, and I wouldn’t be too surprised if they actually did make the six, but it could be a step too far. I think eighth is a fair call for them.

I actually found places nine to 12 quite tricky. Salford are just an entirely unknown entity and will either come top of ninth, and I reckon the latter is more likely unfortunately for them. Below this, it’s basically just a case of horses for courses isn’t it between Huddersfield, Hull FC and Castleford. Even with Huddersfield’s injury crisis, I think they just about edge the other two out to take 10th.

I’m actually going to go back on my words here, given my already fairly public thoughts surrounding Hull FC, but based off what I’ve now seen of Castleford I just think they look a lot worse than the Airlie Birds. Don’t get me wrong, Hull FC won’t be pushing for play-offs anytime soon, but Castleford just seem SO far off it right now, particularly through the middle. It could be a dark year for the Fords, I’m sorry to say.