Men

The Story of the Season so far...

9 hrs

The Story of the Season so far...

We’ve passed the halfway point of the 2025 Betfred Super League season, but how are each of the twelve clubs faring?

Have teams met, exceeded or fallen short of your expectations? Here's how the league table is looking...

There have certainly been plenty of surprises in the 30th season of Super League, and as we approach an eagerly anticipated summer with the Play-Off race well and truly hotting up, let’s take a moment to review the story so far...

Hull KR

High flying Hull KR are the team to beat. They’re sitting pretty at the top of the Super League table after 14 rounds of action, with 13 out of 14 wins under their belt and haven't moved from first place since Round 4.

The Robins are once again playing an attractive brand of rugby league in 2025 and have been scoring tries for fun. They have a formidable fortress in Sewell Group Craven Park and have also been able to perform perfectly on the road.

It’s fair to say they have established themselves as a genuine top side in Super League and finally managed to end 40 years of silverware hurt when they lifted coveted Challenge Cup trophy just a fortnight ago.

Their togetherness and talent within the team is clear for all to see – led by the likes of the talismanic Elliot Minchella and mercurial Man of Steel Mikey Lewis.

They've certainly brought the X Factor and made for an entertaining watch in the first fourteen rounds.

The key for the Robins now is to carry this on into the business end of the season. And it is a must that they beat the Wigan Warriors when they next meet with them in Round 22.

Their only defeat this season came against the current champions in their backyard – and these are the results that could be decisive and determine the final league standings.

At the minute, it’s difficult to see any other teams other than Hull KR and Wigan taking those top two spots.

Will we see a repeat of last year’s Grand Final? Could the Robins be on for an unthinkable treble? It isn’t beyond them, is it?

 Mid-season grading: A

JC_2506013_043

Wigan Warriors

The current champions like to go quietly about their business – they sit just two points behind league leaders Hull KR and have been characteristically strong in Super League so far.

Last year’s quadruple winners possess far too much quality and experience not to be favourites for the League Leaders’ Shield and Grand Final once again.

It is a team littered with superstars - you only have to look at the likes of an electric Jai Field, the Super League’s current top try scorer with 16, the brilliant Bevan French, the reliable Liam Marshall, and leaders such as skipper Liam Farrell and halfback Harry Smith.

Matt Peet’s men have won 12 out of 14 after losing to Leigh Leopards in Round 1 and Leeds Rhinos in Round 5, but have kicked on ever since and it’s hard to see them dropping off any time soon. They also represented Super League on a world stage in Las Vegas

As the race for the League Leaders’ Shield heats up, Wigan’s biggest game will be against the table topping Robins in Round 22 – and you won’t want to miss this one.

The Warriors have already lost the Challenge Cup from their trophy cabinet after a shock early exit in that competition – they won’t be willing to give up anymore!

Will we see Wigan at Old Trafford come October?

_OHO3922

Mid-season grading: A

Leeds Rhinos

The Rhinos came under a lot of scrutiny in 2024, but with a full season under head coach Brad Arthur, Leeds have turned into a side that has shown glimpses of the glory days.

After a rocky start and dealing with a few blows, such as winger Maika Sivo’s season-ending injury before the campaign had even started, the Rhinos have rallied round and find themselves in third.

And as we pass the halfway point, the Rhinos are on a roll, with five wins on the spin and are knocking on the door of the top two. Who’d have thought it after missing out on the Play-Offs altogether last year?

For the first time in a while, Leeds are looking livelier than ever, and Jake Connor, who currently leads the way in the Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel rankings, is looking to be one of the signings of the season.

Let’s also not forget the likes of Ryan Hall and Kallum Watkins who have been reunited, alongside leaders Ash Handley and Cameron Smith and the utilisation of emerging talent Riley Lumb.

It’s been nothing but an upward trajectory for the Rhinos, but what can they achieve in 2025? It's looking all positive for now...

Mid-season grading: A

_AM20804

Leigh Leopards

The Leopards made a statement all the way back in Round 1 when they silenced the champions on their home patch with a historic 0-1 victory.

Nobody knew how they were going to fare after an overhaul of players in the off-season, but overseas signings David Armstrong and Tesi Niu have slotted in seamlessly, and done more than impress.

After their memorable win in Wigan, Leigh went on to enjoy an unbeaten run, although were then hammered by the Robins at Craven Park in Round 5 and at home by Wakefield Trinity in Round 6.

Leigh soon returned to winning ways, however, and have only endured two defeats since – to Wigan, who eventually enacted their revenge, and Hull FC.

They currently sit in fourth at the halfway point – a place above where they finished last year. The club made their first ever Play-Off semi-final in 2024 – can they do it again and even go one step further in 2025?

Mid-season grading: B

_AM21104

St Helens

It’s been a whirlwind if you’re a St Helens fan. The Saints have been inconsistent in 2025 and it’s hard to put a finger on why.

They’ve got a side boasting quality and experience, as well as some promising youth in the likes of 19-year-olds George Whitby and Harry Robertson – who have really shone in the dark times and are the future of the club.

But the Saints have only managed to produce eight wins out of fourteen – three being against struggling Huddersfield Giants and Salford Red Devils sides.

They are fifth in the table but will have much higher standards than that as they set their sights on a return to Old Trafford.

That said, St Helens will be able to take confidence with the wins they have managed, but there is still a lot of work to do to meet expectations. They will also want to create space between themselves and the teams below them as the fight for the top six spots reaches its climax.

And they'll have to do it without their star fullback Jack Welsby who is sidelined for a lengthy spell.

The second half of the season will be defining for Paul Wellens' men. And as the famous saying goes, you never write off the Saints, do you?

Mid-season grading: D

_AM20323

Hull FC

The Black & Whites revelled in an outstanding start to the season. John Cartwright’s side banked five wins and a draw from their first seven matches, with their only defeat coming at home to the world champions, Wigan.

At one point, all eyes were on the city of Hull with both Hull clubs occupying the two spots heading into the highly anticipated Hull Derby in Rivals Round.

However, there’s been a slight dip in form and FC have still failed to win at home since July 2024 – something they will be desperate to shrug off their backs.

That said, Hull have still exceeded expectations after a truly disastrous campaign last year. They have some excellent players in their side that can do dangerous things as they push for a top six spot. Aidan Sezer, Jordan Rapana, Will Pryce, Lewis Martin and Zak Hardaker are to name a few.

They occupy sixth as it stands, but where will Cartwright’s men finish after Round 27?

Mid-season grading: C

AW6_7658

Wakefield Trinity

Nobody quite knew how the newly promoted side would fare on their return back to the big time, and some might say they've overachieved.

All eyes have swiftly turned to Trinity and their telling transformation. They’re sitting seventh at the halfway point, but the Play-Offs are certainly a realistic goal.

But Wakefield will quickly have to learn how to see out games for the full 80 minutes if they are to do so. They’ve fallen short to Hull KR, Hull FC, Catalans Dragons and most recently Leigh, leaving plenty of their fans wondering where they could have been had they been able to close out such matches.

Excluding two poor performances against St Helens, Wakefield have been competitive in every game and have pulled off a couple of impressive scalps, such as beating Leeds, Leigh and Warrington twice.

They also earned their first home derby win since 2013 against the Tigers – something which will have done wonders for their confidence.

During this, they've faced adversity with injuries and have barely seen their starting halfbacks in Jake Trueman and Olly Russell paired together. Instead, Mason Lino has stepped up and tops his club's stats with most try assists in 2025 (11).

Under the stewardship of Daryl Powell and inspired by the likes of a consistent Max Jowitt and England internationals Mike McMeeken and Tom Johnstone, can Wakefield really challenge for a top six spot in their first year back in Super League?

Mid-season grading: B

AW6_3339

Warrington Wolves

The Wolves have been on quite a rollercoaster in 2025, haven’t they? And a frustrating one to say the least!

“Up and down and hit and miss,” as captain George Williams recently described it.

Warrington won their first two, lost in Las Vegas, followed that up with a home defeat to Wakefield and then suddenly found a bit of form with narrow victories to both Saints and Leeds.

They also reached the Challenge Cup Final for a second year running, but it was to end in yet another heartbreak.

Where the league is concerned, Sam Burgess’ side have only gone on to win three more games since Round 5 and are currently three points adrift from the top six.

Like other teams, they've had their fair share of injuries to contend with - with Danny Walker, George Williams, Marc Sneyd and now the influential Matt Dufty being out for respective periods – and not forgetting Matty Ashton’s devastating season-ending injury picked up in May.

They've no doubt got the ability, but can they turn it around?

Mid-season grading: D

AW7_1970

Catalans Dragons

It’s gone from decent to bad to worse for the Dragons as we've reached halfway.

Initially, the Dragons had five wins out of nine to begin with and were looking quite healthy – which was more than expected after such high-profile recruitment in the off-season.

However, they then went on to suffer five defeats in a row. This included an unwanted record of failing to score a single point in four matches and a grand total of 5 hours and 12 minutes! Ouch!

It's been a disappointing campaign so far for Catalans who will have to act quickly if they are to save their season. With Joel Tomkins as interim head coach, he will need to get his troops motivated sooner rather than later – can they get back on track?

Mid-season grading: E

6S4A5613

Castleford Tigers

Many predicted that Castleford wouldn’t win much in 2025 and they aren’t too far off from this prediction considering that the Tigers have got just four wins to their name.

It’s certainly better than initially thought, though.

Hope was sparked in Round 1 when they pushed the Robins all the way but fell agonisingly short in Golden Point. A string of poor performances would follow, however, and ever since Danny McGuire has worked tirelessly with his team to try and improve them.

And recently, nothing has been from a lack of trying. They pushed Warrington all the way in Round 13, before causing a huge upset away at Hull FC's place last Friday.

With 13 rounds remaining, we wouldn't be surprised if the Tigers are able to pull off a couple more upsets on the teams above.

Will we see a bit more class back in Cas for the second half of the season?

Mid-season grading: D

_AM20131

Huddersfield Giants

Huddersfield have well and truly struggled in 2025, picking up just one win across 14 matches so far.

Albeit, their sole win was an emphatic one as they defeated Hull FC in front of a bumper crowd at Magic Weekend, but it ultimately hasn’t been enough, and the Giants are second from bottom when they’re a much better side on paper.

It’s no secret that they’ve had some of the worst luck with injuries – at one stage there were well over ten players in the Huddersfield Giants injury room – but injuries are unpredecented and Huddersfield need to be better.

Bodies have started to come back and we've seen signs of spirit and determination - only in Round 14 did they almost produce one of the biggest shocks of the season and nearly overcome Wigan...but it wasn't to be.

Will the Giants climb the league ladder or are they destined for a bottom two finish?

Mid-season grading: F

AW6_2836

Salford Red Devils

The less said about Salford’s 2025 season, the better. It’s been a horrifically tough season for the Red Devils, both on and off the field.

They have suffered defeat after defeat and have had to rely on a lot of their youngsters to make up their side, but these are youngsters who have stepped up to the most elite level and never gave in.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to see things improving for the remainder of the campaign, but the Salford Faithful have continued to turn out in numbers to support their team.

Mid-season grading: F

_AM10356

How would you grade each side in Super League?