Every Super League player who has played every minute in 2024 including Leeds Rhinos, Hull KR stars
There has been significant talk this week about match limits, the new concept which will be formally introduced next year – but operates on an advisory basis in 2024 – to prevent players playing too much rugby league.
With news emerging that clubs will only be required to adhere to the limits on an advisory basis before it is fully rolled out next year as part of the wider brain health committee recommendations to increase player safety, it isn’t a strict requirement for clubs to stand players down if they exceed a limit.
And in the case of a few players in Super League, that’s certainly fortunate: as a handful have played every single minute of every single game in 2024.
Love Rugby League has compiled and acquired the minutes of every Super League player so far in 2024 after 18 rounds (17 for Leigh Leopards and Wigan Warriors): and five men have featured in every minute of every game.
Innes Senior (Castleford Tigers): 1,450 minutes
The Castleford winger has been one of their standout performers in 2024: and he’s yet to miss a minute of action. Senior does, in fact, have a higher minutes played tally than any other player due to the nature of the one golden point game the Tigers were involved in.
Their draw with Leigh went all the way earlier this season, meaning Senior played the full ten minutes, on top of the 18 80-minute efforts he’s also had in 2024.
Throw in another two 80 minutes in the Challenge Cup, and Senior would still have just under 800 minutes – ten full games – left on his match limits tally of 2,400, as he is a back over the age of 2022.
Ryan Hall (Hull KR): 1,447 minutes
He may well be the third-oldest player in Super League this season – but Ryan Hall is only behind Senior in terms of minutes played in the competition in 2024!
Hall has played all 18 of Hull KR’s Super League games and featured in every single minute. He’s actually only behind Senior because Rovers’ one and only golden point game in 2024 was concluded before the ten-minute period was up, with Catalans winning it in the seventh minute of extra-time.
Either way, it’s still a remarkable figure: but if match limits did count this year, Rovers would likely have to leave Hall out at some stage. They could have as many as 12 games left if they went all the way to Old Trafford via the longest route in the play-offs.
Factor in that Hall has played three full games in the Challenge Cup, and he would be around 247 minutes over his match limit of 2,400 if he played in every minute of every game left. That means Hall would have to sit out at least three games.
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Rhyse Martin (Leeds Rhinos): 1,444 minutes
One player who would categorically be in danger of exceeding his match limit this season is Leeds forward Martin. Unlike Senior and Hall, Martin has a lower match limit total due to being a forward: 2,000 minutes.
He’s nearly through three-quarters of that in Super League alone this season, having featured in all 18 of Leeds’ Super League games, plus four minutes of golden point against London Broncos.
With 720 minutes of league action still to play this year – before you even factor in the play-offs – Martin would be over his 2,000-minute limit before the end of the regular season if he continued to feature in every minute of every game.
Jack Welsby (St Helens): 1,440 minutes
Welsby is another who has played every minute of all 18 Super League games for his club in 2024: but the one difference here between himself and the three men above him? St Helens haven’t gone to golden point this season.
Still, it’s a remarkable achievement from the England star – who is another that would be at risk of exceeding match limits if the system was officially in place this year.
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Zak Hardaker (Leigh Leopards): 1,370 minutes
The final man on this list is one who has not played 18 Super League games, but 17: Leigh Leopards centre Hardaker.
He has featured in every single minute for Adrian Lam’s side in their league fixtures, which includes a ten-minute period of extra-time against Castleford, when the sides couldn’t be split.
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A reminder on match limits
As mentioned, the match limits system does not get officially and firmly enforced until the start of 2025. Clubs are expected to adhere to it on an advisory basis, but will not be officially sanctioned if they don’t, it is understood.
That will be a relief for the players above, who would be in danger of missing out on games if the system was live.
The limits are different for players based on their position and age. Forwards over 22 are permitted to 2,000 minutes of rugby: which works out at 25 full games. Those under 22 in the pack get a limit of 1,600 minutes.
For backs, anyone over the age of 22 gets 2,400 minutes – 30 full games in minutes – with backs under 22 being limited to 2,000 minutes. Those under 18 are limited to 1,200 minutes if they are a forward, and 1,600 minutes if they are a back.
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