Castleford Tigers
Last season 3rd in regular season and Super 8s, lost play-off semi-final
Coach Daryl Powell Captain Michael Shenton
Castleford’s hopes of a maiden Super League title again ended in the play-offs in 2018. Having made the Grand Final the previous year, they were beaten by eventual champions Wigan in the semi-finals last season, and with key scrum-half Luke Gale unlikely to play at all in 2019 after rupturing an achilles tendon, it is hard not to feel the club’s best chance of the Super League title has perhaps gone. Nonetheless, they should qualify for the play-offs once again.
Key player Jake Trueman
Prediction 4th
With the Super 8s system now scrapped following a vote last September, the Super League season is now more straightforward.
Main season
12 teams play home and away.
An additional round of fixtures takes place at Magic Weekend on 25 & 26 May, with Anfield hosting six matches across the two days this season.
The top Super League team wins the League Leaders' Shield.
Promotion and relegation is simply a case of one down from Super League, one up from the Championship.
Play-offs
The race to the Grand Final now takes in the top five.
The League Leaders' Shield winners move straight into the semi-finals, but the 2nd or 3rd place team can lose their first play-off match and still have a chance of winning the final.
Round 1
Elimination final: 4th v 5th
Qualifying final: 2nd v 3rd
Round 2
Semi-final 1: Qualifying final loser v Elimination final winner
Semi-final 2: 1st v Qualifying final winner
Final
SF1 winner v SF2 winner
Catalans Dragons
Last season 8th in regular season, 7th in Super 8s
Coach Steve McNamara Captain Rémi Casty
Catalans provided arguably the most important moment of rugby league’s recent history last season, when they won the Challenge Cup for the first time. They look well-placed to build on that success in the league this year, not least with the addition of Sam Tomkins at full-back. However, in an undeniably tough competition this season, Catalans’ inconsistencies away from home have to be fixed for them to stand a chance.
Key player Sam Tomkins
Prediction 7th
Huddersfield Giants
Last season 5th in regular season, 6th in Super 8s
Coach Simon Woolford Captain Leroy Cudjoe
Simon Woolford’s mid-season arrival at Huddersfield last season resulted in them going from relegation candidates to a comfortable position in mid-table. Woolford and Huddersfield will be too good to be in any sort of relegation danger in 2019, but a play-off push appears unlikely for a side that have stiff competition around them to make the top five.
Key player Matt Frawley
Prediction 9th
Hull FC
Last season 6th in regular season, 8th in Super 8s
Coach Lee Radford Captain Danny Houghton
No coach is arguably under more pressure to start the season well than Hull’s Lee Radford. A run of 11 consecutive defeats to end last season saw Hull go from play-off contenders to a disappointing eighth-placed finish. Injuries played a part in that collapse, however, and if Radford can keep his better players fit, Hull have an outside chance of surprising a few. A poor start, however, and Radford’s future may be called into question sooner rather than later.
Key player Jake Connor
Prediction 8th
Hull Kingston Rovers
Last season 10th in regular season, 3rd in Qualifiers
Coach Tim Sheens Captain Joel Tomkins
Few sides are more unpredictable on a week-to-week basis in Super League than Hull Kingston Rovers. The Robins have the ability to beat any side on their day, but are often disappointingly inconsistent. They have a good squad on paper, but any talk of a push for the play-offs may have to wait a season in light of the stiff competition around them. They should, however, be safe from relegation.
Key player Joel Tomkins
Prediction 10th
Leeds Rhinos
Last season 9th in regular season, 2nd in Qualifiers
Coach Dave Furner Captain Kallum Watkins
Perhaps no side epitomises Super League’s new era more than Leeds Rhinos. The eight-times Super League champions have a new coach in the hugely-respected Australian, Dave Furner, as well as an influx of big-name talent from the NRL. The Rhinos’ first four games are all away, however – with three of them against St Helens, Wigan and Warrington – meaning it may be a while until the new-look Leeds come to life in 2019.
Key player Konrad Hurrell
Prediction 6th
London Broncos
Last season 4th in Championship, won Million Pound Game
Coach Danny Ward Captain Jay Pitts
Few, if any, would have predicted that London would have been the side that earned promotion via the Qualifiers last season – but should Ward keep the Broncos in Super League in 2019, it would be an even bigger achievement. The club deserve credit for resisting the temptation to overhaul the squad and keep faith in the young, London-produced group that secured promotion last season: but it will be a big ask for them to survive this year.
Key player Alex Walker
Prediction 12th
Salford Red Devils
Last season 11th in regular season, first in Qualifiers
Coach Ian Watson Captain Lee Mossop
Salford are very much a club in transition at the moment: both on and off the field. Rumoured financial troubles during the off-season have died down, but their small squad will face a real uphill battle to compete at the top. With one of the most talented British coaches in Watson at the helm, you cannot rule out a surprise or two from them in 2019 – but there is unlikely to be much more than that.
Key player Jackson Hastings
Prediction 11th
St Helens
Last season 1st in regular season and Super 8s, lost in play-off semi-finals
Coach Justin Holbrook Captain James Roby
There is a concerning pattern developing at St Helens. Despite blowing away the competition for the majority of last season, the Saints were beaten in both league and cup semi-finals, creating an ultimate sense of disappointment for one the game’s biggest clubs. However, their younger players will be better for the frustrations of last year, and even with the Man of Steel, Ben Barba, leaving, Holbrook has a fine squad at his disposal once again.
Key player Alex Walmsley
Prediction 1st
Wakefield Trinity
Last season 7th in regular season, 5th in Super 8s
Coach Chris Chester Captain Jacob Miller
Wakefield have been dubbed Super League’s great overachievers for the last two seasons: this will be the year where we find out whether they are indeed punching above their weight or deserve to be regarded among the elite. Back-to-back fifth-placed finishes means optimism is high among Trinity fans – and some shrewd off-season recruitment leaves them handily placed to surprise everyone all over again in 2019.
Key player Danny Brough
Prediction 5th
Warrington Wolves
Last season 4th in regular season and Super 8s, lost Grand Final
Coach Steve Price Captains Chris Hill and Jack Hughes
Having lost both major finals last season, Warrington’s reputation as the nearly-men of the domestic game remains unchanged. Could 2019 be the moment their 64-year wait for the title ends? Perhaps. The loss of stand-off Kevin Brown for the entire season due to a ruptured achilles is a blow, but the arrival of the playmaker Blake Austin from the NRL on big money underlines that Warrington mean business this season.
Key player Blake Austin
Prediction 2nd and Grand Final winners
Wigan Warriors
Last season 2nd in regular season and Super 8s, Grand Final winners
Coach Adrian Lam Captain Sean O’Loughlin
Wigan provided the fairytale ending for their coach, Shaun Wane, last season with yet another Grand Final triumph, leaving his successor with big shoes and expectations to fill. Lam’s sole season in charge of Wigan – Shaun Edwards will take charge in 2020 – is an interesting-looking one; few would have backed the Warriors to win the Grand Final last season after a disappointing 2017, so they are to be ruled out at your peril once again.
Key player Zak Hardaker
Prediction 3rd
