A youngster from every Super League side to watch out for in 2025: Rooney, Brough, Hayes…

Every year, we see the emergence of some phenomenal young talent in Super League, with Wigan’s Junior Nsemba the obvious standout in 2024 as the Warriors won every major honour on offer.

As we approach the New Year and with it another new season, we’ve picked out a young gun from every Super League side to watch out for come 2025.

For clarification, we’ve limited the choice to players currently aged 23 or under, and we’ve ignored players in that category who have quite a bit of experience already like St Helens superstar Jack Welsby and Hull FC’s Logan Moy.

Without further ado, here are our picks…

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Castleford Tigers – Fletcher Rooney

Like many we’ve chosen as you’ll discover, Rooney isn’t exactly an unknown quantity. We saw him make his debut in Castleford’s final game of 2023, and he then featured three times at the back end of the season just gone.

Prior to his departure from The Jungle, former Tigers head coach Craig Lingard tipped Rooney to reach double figures in terms of appearances in 2025, and from what we’ve seen of the versatile back so far, we wouldn’t at all be surprised if that rings true.

Date of Birth (Age): 12.01.2006 (18)

Catalans Dragons – Loan Castano

Loose forward Castano is learning from one of the best in Super League in Catalans skipper Ben Garcia, with the youngster always in and around Steve McNamara’s senior side in Perpignan.

Having come through the Dragons’ youth ranks, Castano – who debuted in 2022 – has three senior appearances to his name, including one made on loan for Toulouse Olympique in 2023. That may well rise substantially next year.

Date of Birth (Age): 24.02.2002 (22)

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Huddersfield Giants – Thomas Deakin

Oldham-born Deakin, who grew up Down Under, was brought in by Huddersfield ahead of the 2024 season. He featured eight times for the Giants in 2024, regularly acting as the water boy when he hadn’t found a spot in the squad under Ian Watson.

We don’t anticipate the hooker having to don that blue t-shirt very often next year, with opportunities likely to be more frequent under Luke Robinson. You feel this is his time to shine, if it’s ever going to happen.

Date of Birth (Age): 16.02.2002 (22)

Hull FC – Nick Staveley

Utility forward Staveley is very highly rated at the MKM Stadium, and would have featured more in 2024 had it not been for sustaining a season-ending ACL injury in early April.

By the time the new season comes around, he should be back raring to go, and he would appear the type of player that fits new head coach John Cartwright’s bill. The Leeds-born ace should add to his eight senior appearances for Hull come 2025.

Date of Birth (Age): 19.01.2004 (20)

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Hull KR – Leo Tennison

Towering prop Tennison, Hull born and bred, has been in and around the first-team squad at Craven Park for a few years now. He still has just one senior appearance for Hull KR on his CV though, alongside games played on loan for Cornwall and on dual-registration for Featherstone Rovers.

The Robins have an abundance of talent in the front-row, but when he gets his chance, we expect the youngster to impress. That’s most definitely the noise coming out of East Hull, anyway!

Date of Birth (Age): 31.05.2003 (21)

Leeds Rhinos – Tom Nicholson-Watton

Nicholson-Watton has just been tied down long-term by Leeds, penning a three-year deal at Headingley, which evidences how highly he’s thought of by everyone connected to the Rhinos.

Progressing through the club’s youth ranks after giving up a budding career in football, the prop made his senior bow for Leeds in their final game of the 2023 campaign and then featured seven times for the Super League side in 2024. His ceiling would appear incredibly high, and he’s most definitely one to watch next year.

Date of Birth (Age): 13.12.2002 (21)

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Leigh Leopards – Will Brough

Brough, the son of Super League icon Danny, is the only new recruit we’ve chosen. The towering teenage centre has starred for Wakefield’s youth sides, including their reserves, and has now been snapped up by the Leopards ahead of 2025.

He is yet to make a senior debut in the game having been named as Trinity’s unused 18th man on one occasion in 2024, spending plenty of time in and around Daryl Powell’s side during their promotion-winning campaign. We’d expect him to make that debut with Leigh, and he’s certainly an exciting prospect.

Date of Birth (Age): Unknown (18)

Salford Red Devils – Matty Foster

Back-rower Foster already has 21 senior appearances to his name, including ten in Super League. Just three came for Salford in 2024 though following his move from St Helens, with his season cut short through an ankle injury.

The Red Devils saw enough from the youngster to hand him a one-year extension for 2025, and providing he can remain injury-free, he should play a big part for Paul Rowley’s side.

Date of Birth (Age): 25.06.2001 (23)

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St Helens – Noah Stephens

Stephens, like a few of Saints’ youngsters, was handed plenty of game time by Paul Wellens in 2024 with the club enduring plenty of injuries. The prop had already had a taste of senior rugby league on dual-registration for Swinton Lions, and didn’t let himself down on the Super League stage.

All 14 of his appearances in the Red V last term came off the bench, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see him start more often in 2025, and you feel his first senior try isn’t too far away.

Date of Birth (Age): 03.10.2004 (20)

Wakefield Trinity – Harvey Smith

After making a Super League debut in September 2023, local lad Smith penned his first professional deal with Wakefield. The young hooker, who is now tied down until the end of the 2027 season, went on to feature 13 times across all competitions for Daryl Powell’s side during their promotion-winning campaign.

With England Academy honours already under his belt, Smith scored three tries for Trinity in 2024, and is expected to feature regularly next term. With his 19th birthday coming up in January, his ceiling looks to be a very high one.

Date of Birth (Age): 16.01.2006 (18)

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Warrington Wolves – Leon Hayes

If you don’t know who Hayes is, you’ve probably been living under a rock, but because of his season-ending fracture dislocation ankle injury, he featured just ten times for Warrington in 2024. Had he not sustained that horrific injury, he’d have remained the first-choice to partner George Williams in the halves throughout the year.

Wire head coach Sam Burgess has brought in Oli Leyland from London Broncos ahead of 2025, but we’ve no doubt in our minds it’ll be Hayes that gets the nod at the start of the season. It’ll be his shirt to lose, and we can’t envision him losing it.

Date of Birth (Age): 04.03.2004 (20)

Wigan Warriors – Taylor Kerr

The conveyor belt at Robin Park is never ending, and loose forward Kerr would appear to be one of the next batch off it. Very highly talked of behind the scenes at Wigan, he’s a local lad that has been with the Warriors since 2020 after playing for numerous of the town’s community clubs.

Still a teenager, Kerr is yet to make his senior bow, but having starred at academy and reserves level, he’s geared up for a first-team debut. The Cherry and Whites are masters in handing youngsters opportunities where possible, whether that’s with them or finding a suitable loan.

Date of Birth (Age): 01.08.2006 (18)

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