What success looks like for every Super League club in 2025: Hull KR champions, Hull FC 8th..

The 2025 Super League season is fast approaching on the horizon – and optimism will no doubt be high among all 12 clubs for a successful campaign.

But what success looks like for each and every team is very different. For some, a push towards the play-offs would represent a real step forwards. Others will be looking towards the major finals. Some would expect nothing less than at least one trophy.

So here’s what we think success looks like for all 12 of the competition’s teams as we gear up for the big kick-off in February.

Castleford Tigers: entertain and push towards the top eight

With Danny McGuire at the helm, there is renewed optimism around Castleford: and rightly so, after a disappointing couple of seasons.

The Tigers will look to push up the table but there is a long-term plan in place which isn’t an overnight one. Their squad will be confident of improving on last year’s 10th-placed finish and they will want to entertain along the way. That would constitute some semblance of success.

Catalans Dragons: push for the top four

Simple enough. With big names joining the Dragons in the south of France, they will be adamant that reaching the top six in 2025 is a bare minimum.

Huddersfield Giants: avoid being in a battle for last

Conservative? Maybe. There’s every chance Luke Robinson’s first full season in charge at the John Smith’s Stadium could end with much more success if the Giants keep their key players fit.

But Huddersfield’s squad doesn’t quite look up to scratch when you compare it to other sides who will challenge – and miss out – for the play-offs in 2025. There’s a clear bracket of teams who will be between 9th and 12th we think, and Huddersfield are in there as it stands.

So with that in mind, laying down some foundations for the coming years with some solid displays, a couple of scalps and avoiding any real drama at the bottom would be solid.

Hull FC: top eight and a clear long-term plan

The John Cartwright era begins at Hull FC with the club looking to make serious strides after a chronic period of underachieving. Success won’t be achieved overnight, and a push for the top eight this year would represent real success for the Black and Whites.

Hull KR: stopping the count at 40 years

Is there really any other outcome here? What success looks like for Rovers has shifted dramatically over the last five years; from avoiding relegation, to making the play-offs to now competing for trophies.

They have taken every step on that journey: except one. No trophy since.. well, you know when. Having lost a cup and Grand Final in the last two seasons, Rovers’ squad looks menacing and exciting enough to get that far at the very least again.

But this time, they’ll believe there’s a happier ending waiting for them.

Leeds Rhinos: winning a trophy

The pressure is pretty much always on at Leeds Rhinos – but this year, it feels more on than it has been for a couple of years.

We’re now about to enter a fifth season without one of Super League’s most successful clubs lifting a trophy of any kind aloft – the last one they won was the Challenge Cup inside an empty Wembley Stadium in 2020.

With big spending once again, an impressive-looking squad and a coach of high repute in Brad Arthur, Leeds have to be challenging for silverware. Their fanbase expects nothing less.

MONDAY’S PICKS ON LRL

👉🏻 Ranking every Super League club by Thursday games in 2025 with one on SEVEN times

👉🏻 The 13 best off-contract Super League stars in 2025 including St Helens and Leigh Leopards men

👉🏻 Junior Nsemba addresses NRL and rugby union ambitions as interest grows in Wigan Warriors star

👉🏻 Brisbane Broncos half-back offered to Super League clubs in shock recruitment move

Leigh Leopards: making the play-offs at least

Super League is getting stronger and stronger but Leigh will once again hope they can be in the top six when the dust settles after 27 rounds, you would suspect.

A third straight play-off appearance would represent real progress and arguably underline how Leigh are very much a force to be reckoned with in Super League. They’ve recruited well – and with more still to come, Adrian Lam’s side look well placed to compete yet again.

However, they will be quietly confident they can go even further than that.

Salford Red Devils: prove people wrong (again)

It’s almost time for the pundits (us included) to suggest Salford won’t have the staying power to last at the top end of Super League once again. And no doubt the Red Devils will go out and prove us all wrong again.

If they can reach the play-offs again in 2025, it would represent another successful season for Paul Rowley’s side without question.

St Helens: top four and entertaining rugby

Two-fold, this one. A return to the top four would be a good effort given how many of teams that finished above them this year look well-placed to compete again in 2025.

But Saints supporters demand more. They expect their side to play with flair and to entertain – and with that in mind, the responsibility is firmly on the shoulders of Lee Briers, the man who will lead and shape their attacking structure.

Wakefield Trinity: jostling into the middle third

It’s difficult to know what to expect at newly-promoted Wakefield. The noises around their camp are that they feel like a bit of an unknown quantity internally themselves.

What would progress look like? Well, for a club who have languished at the foot of Super League for quite some time except for a couple of seasons in the sun, getting nestled into the competition’s top eight would be a fine start.

There’s a clear long-term plan which leads to them winning something given Matt Ellis’ investment. But there’s perhaps also a sense of walking before you can run. Trinity have recruited well, and could easily surprise everyone. But conservatively? 8th would be a real result.

Warrington Wolves: reaching the Grand Final

They came close last year, just falling short in the semi-finals at Hull KR. Sam Burgess will be determined his squad can take a significant step forward in 2025 though and push to get back to Old Trafford.

Wigan Warriors: a double

It’s hard to predict what would constitute success for a club who swept aside all before them last season. Naturally, Wigan fans would hope that a repeat – or something similar – of the historic 2024 campaign could be possible, but it’s probably better to be a shade more realistic.

Winning a domestic treble is within Wigan’s grasp given their squad. But we’ll dial it down just a notch and say that going for two out of three would leave many Warriors fans happy once again.