Three Super League teams who will rise in 2026: and three who will fall

There’s now under three months to go until Super League 2026 gets underway – with pre-season training well in the swing of things and the first friendlies looming on the horizon.

Most squads have completed their recruitment which means it’s possible to take a look at some early predictions – and we do enjoy a prediction or two here at Love Rugby League. The less said about their accuracy, the better.

But with that in mind, here’s three teams we think will go better than in 2025 – and three who might struggle to hit the same heights.

Up: Castleford Tigers

It’s hardly revolutionary as predictions go, but it’s one we can’t ignore. On the face of the transfer business they’ve done, and with Ryan Carr in through the door, optimism is rightly high around Castleford for the first time in a good while.

Games aren’t won on paper of course, and we’ve seen eye-catching squads fail to deliver before. But having finished 11th last year and winning just six games, the odds of that happening again appear slim.

Can they push for the play-offs? That might be a year too soon given the congested nature above them. But the Tigers will be on the rise.

Down: Wakefield Trinity

Their recruitment has been outstanding, and they look to be in a real strong position as a club – and don’t worry Trinity fans, we aren’t forecasting a major plummet down the table!

But they will face a real battle to grab a play-off spot in 2026 given how the teams just beneath them – one of whom we’ll touch on shortly – are set to improve. No longer a surprise package, Wakefield won’t be able to catch teams out in the early part of the season.

Can they make the play-offs again? Absolutely. Will they? That’s not as big a guarantee.

Up: Hull FC

The Black and Whites look set to build on a strong 2025 and go even better under John Cartwright next year. They’ve added another layer of recruitment onto the squad that performed well last season, with the likes of Jake Arthur eye-catching arrivals.

Expect Hull to be firmly pushing for the play-offs yet again – and perhaps even make them altogether.

Down: Huddersfield Giants

There is no doubting that of the 11 Super League clubs that were in the competition last season who remain for 2026, Huddersfield look the most vulnerable. Luke Robinson’s side have recruited, but they look a way behind many other teams as it stands.

They feel like the most viable team to be in a battle for the bottom spot with the three promoted clubs.

Up: Leeds Rhinos

It was a brilliant year for the Rhinos under Brad Arthur in 2025 and with another pre-season under his belt to implement his ideas, there’s every chance Leeds will continue to get even better.

They will be bonafide title contenders in 2026, and a good shout to improve on their fourth-placed finish from this year, too.

Down: Warrington Wolves

It’s going to be a fascinating year at the Wire – who will need a fast start to silence any noise around the Halliwell Jones Stadium following a miserable 2025 campaign.

If they don’t get it, the pressure will mount quickly, and the prospect of missing out on the play-offs again could be entirely realistic. Of all 14 clubs, they are perhaps the ones worth tracking the most.

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