Grading every Super League club’s 2024 based off pre-season hype: Hull FC the worst, Hull KR the best..
Hull KR and Salford Red Devils have caught everyone by surprise this season
We are edging ever closer to the end of the regular Super League season, with only seven rounds left to go until the play-offs.
This season has seen some hotly contested battles at either end of the table. Just four points separate table-toppers Hull KR from fourth-placed Salford Red Devils in the race for the League Leaders Shield. In the play-off race, Leigh Leopards and Leeds Rhinos still have an outside chance of reaching the top six, and respectively sit five and four points off Catalans Dragons in sixth.
At the foot of the table, Hull FC and London Broncos are only separated by two points as they seek to avoid a 12th-placed finish.
But which teams have lived up to their billing from pre-season? Has anyone failed to match their lofty expectations, or even better has anyone defied expectation?
With that thought in mind, Love Rugby League has looked at where we thought the teams would be in pre-season and has come up with a grade for where they are now.
Footnote: This is only a comparison to where we thought they would be during pre-season, not a grading of their full season.
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Hull FC: E-
Hull FC had a lot of work to do after their poor showing in 2023, but they’ve fallen well short of where they should be.
Things got off to a terrible start for the Airlie Birds in 2024, as they won just one of their opening 10 games in the league. During that time, Nu Brown and Tex Hoy headed for the exit door, and it wasn’t long before Franklin Pele and Jayden Okunbor followed him out of West Hull. Tony Smith was also relieved of his duties and Simon Grix took the reigns.
Since Grix’s appointment, the ship has steadied a bit, and they have since won two games against Wigan Warriors and Leeds Rhinos. Despite this though, they are still nowhere near the predictions we all had for them during pre-season.
They are just waiting for the year to be over now, with the 2025 season looking a lot more promising for them. Sound familiar?
Huddersfield Giants: E
A lot was expected of the Giants building into the 2024 season, thinking the worst was behind them; but it has somehow actually got worse.
They recruited well to an already loaded squad, with Jack Murchie and Adam Clune moving over from the NRL, but they haven’t been able to turn the Giants fortunes around and it looks like the play-offs are out of the question now. Ian Watson has also been dismissed as the club look to start afresh.
They are a long way off the play-off predictions people had for them this season.
Leeds Rhinos: D
In a similar category are Leeds Rhinos, who have failed to meet everyone’s expectations.
Leeds needed a big season after the 2023 calamity, but they have been plagued with the same inconsistencies this time around. They can be great one week, but that is quickly compounded with a shoddy performance the next.
Following some heavy recruitment in the off-season, Leeds were expected to be fighting for the title; but it seems even a top six finish will be a bit of a struggle.
Catalans Dragons: D
What has happened to Catalans Dragons in 2024?
During pre-season, they were once again expected to be building towards a Grand Final, and potentially even a victory at Old Trafford; but they look a far-cry from that right now.
Steve McNamara’s side have struggled to string a run of results together, and also their performances haven’t lived up to expectation either. Nothing represents their season more than the past three games either, with two defeats from three games against the bottom three sides.
They are still in the top six, but during pre-season we thought they would be fighting for a home semi-final not just scraping into them.
Leigh Leopards: C
Another club who haven’t quite lived up to their own expectations from pre-season are Leigh Leopards, but there is time to change this.
Following their remarkable campaign in 2023, the Leopards came into this season wanting another play-off run and maybe even go one further than last year too.
Injuries have plagued the Leopards thus far, but they currently find themselves outside of the top six at the time of writing, which isn’t where they would have wanted to be before the season began.
St Helens: C-
They are still in the play-offs, but would any St Helens fans have expected them to be struggling this badly during pre-season?
The Saints have lofty expectations, and before the 2024 season began would have set their sights on a Grand Final appearance and a home semi-final; but they too have been plagued with injuries and currently sit in fifth.
Play-off rugby is a must for St Helens, and they still sit in the top six, but realistically it’s not where they would have wanted to be during pre-season.
Wigan Warriors: C+
A C+ grade-in this case just reflects the fact Wigan are where they would have wanted to be in pre-season, as the Warriors have had another good campaign on the whole.
At the time of writing, Matt Peet’s side sit second in the table, but if they win their game in hand against Leigh will go back to the summit. Wigan recruited heavily in the off-season, and they have all had a good impact on the squad.
Wigan always set lofty expectations for themselves, but they have lived up to the billing for sure.
Castleford Tigers: C+
Castleford Tigers are probably where most people would have expected them to be, table-wise, but performance-wise are probably a bit further ahead than they would have thought in pre-season.
They made some decent signings in the off-season, but nobody could have predicted the form they have shown in their new colours. Sam Wood, prior to injury, was potentially the form centre in the league, and Innes Senior has added a genuine try-scorer to their attack which has helped them win games.
Nobody is saying Castleford have had the perfect season, far from it, but they will be relatively pleased if you compare where they were in pre-season.
London Broncos: C+
In the same sort of boat, London are probably performing better than expected but sit right where we thought they would in the table.
During pre-season, it was tough to actually see London grabbing a win given their squad was largely made up of Championship players (decent ones at that though), however they have produced two great wins and been competitive in plenty of other matches.
Again, they have been on the wrong end of some drubbings, but Mike Eccles and his squad should be pleased with where they stand now compared to the expectations during pre-season.
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Warrington Wolves: B+
You knew Warrington would have some form of turnaround under Sam Burgess, but not this quickly.
During pre-season, a top six finish would likely have been the aim, but his side are genuine title contenders right now and could easily claim a home semi-final too. The style of play also seems to have improved leaps and bounds, but the main thing is the overall feeling around the club. It just feels like a connected, alligned club now all pushing for silverware.
In the off-season, if you told a Wire fan this is where they would be now they would be jumping with joy.
Salford Red Devils: A+
Salford Red Devils are making some people eat some very large slices of humble pie this season.
Paul Rowley’s side were largely written off in pre-season, but they could now make a surprise push for a Grand Final. During the off-season, Salford lost key players Brodie Croft and Andy Ackers, and the stadium situation also put the future of the club in doubt. These all factored into thoughts of an 11th-placed finish for the Red Devils, but how wrong we were.
We did say very large slice, right?
Hull KR: A+
Hull KR set themselves some decent expectations after their great 2023 campaign, but they have taken themselves to new heights thus far. The Robins have been tremendous for most of the 2024 season, and currently sit top of the table (at the time of writing) after 20 games.
Peta Hiku, Niall Evalds, Oliver Gildart, Jai Whitbread and Kelepi Tanginoa all joined the project at Craven Park this off-season, and have only strengthened an already impressive team. Mikey Lewis is also establishing himself as potentially Super League’s best half-back, and Elliot Minchella has also had a tremendous season.
Can they go all the way?
