Hull KR and Wigan Warriors the big winners in quota rule change as every newly exempt player revealed

Super League’s quota regulations will change from 2026 according to a fresh report detailing how a new crop of leading overseas players will no longer count on the seven-player cap.

Yorkshire Live have revealed how from the season after next, any player who has been in Super League for six consecutive seasons will no longer be registered as an overseas player, allowing for greater scope for clubs to bring in more players from outside of the UK than ever before.

It was understood that talks were being attempted to accelerate through the changes for next year but they will now be pushed back to 2026, it has emerged.

And if the rule is confirmed and brought in, it will impact almost every single Super League club in one way or another.

At present, there are 15 overseas players who, by the time the 2026 season begins, will have been a Super League player for six straight years without any interruptions or breaks. Some of those players have already done six seasons in a row, others will mark their sixth consecutive year in the competition next season, in 2025.

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And from the list, it is clear there are two big winners: Hull KR and Wigan Warriors. The Robins will be able to de-register two of their overseas players by the end of next season – forward Kelepi Tanginoa and incoming new signing Rhyse Martin, both of whom will bring up the six-season mark in 2025.

It is a major piece of transfer news for the Robins, who now have greater freedom to go into the overseas market long-term and try maintain their position at the top of Super League. One more current Rovers player who falls into this category is hooker Matt Parcell: but he is leaving the club at the end of the season.

For the Warriors, they will also be delighted by the news – as they can now plan to be able to de-register the reigning Man of Steel, Bevan French, from their overseas quota in 2026. Current Warriors forward Willie Isa is another who will come off the quota, but his future at the Brick Community Stadium remains unclear.

Catalans have forward duo Manu Ma’u and Chris Satae who fall into the bracket too, though Ma’u’s deal in Perpignan is up later this year.

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At Huddersfield, Tui Lolohea and Seb Ikahihifo would come off the quota if they were still in Super League by the time the 2026 season begins, while over at Castleford, half-back Jacob Miller is another who comes off the quota.

The futures of Carlos Tuimavave and Ligi Sao are up in the air at Hull FC, but if they were still at the Black and Whites by 2026, they too would not be on the quota any longer.

Centre Konrad Hurrell, who has an option in his St Helens contract for next year, is also in this category – as are Warrington duo Josh Drinkwater and Luke Yates. However, Drinkwater does not appear likely to be a Wire player come 2025, let alone 2026 – but news of him being exempt from the quota may attract new suitors.

Yates has only just signed a long-term deal at Warrington: they are another side who win big with news of him coming off the quota.

The Super League players who would come off quota in 2026: Jacob Miller, Manu Ma’u, Chris Satae, Tui Lolohea, Seb Ikahihifo, Carlos Tuimavave, Ligi Sao, Matt Parcell, Kelepi Tanginoa, Rhyse Martin, Konrad Hurrell, Josh Drinkwater, Luke Yates, Bevan French, Willie Isa.

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