Hull KR and Wigan the big winners as every team’s 2025 start ranked by difficulty
Who has the toughest start to Super League across the first five rounds?
The Super League fixtures have officially dropped for 2025 – with a mouthwatering opening couple of rounds including some monumental games.
The season begins with a huge local derby between Wigan Warriors and Leigh Leopards, with plenty to get stuck into across the opening few weeks of the new campaign.
But over the opening five rounds, who has got the toughest start? We’ve crunched the numbers and the data based off last year’s league finishes – with Wakefield Trinity taking 12th given how they’re newly-promoted – and worked out just who has the hardest first five weeks to the new season.
In this modelling, every club is ranked on their 2024 finish, and the combined ranking of each team’s first five is worked into an average. That average then determines how hard their start is – as the graphic at the bottom of this article illustrates.
Here’s every club, ranked from whether their start is the easiest to toughest..
=11. Catalans Dragons and Hull KR
It’s the Dragons and last year’s Grand Finalists who, based off where everyone finished in 2025, have the easiest starts to the season on paper.
Rovers and the Dragons both play two games against teams inside the bottom three from last year, with Rovers actually opening up against Castleford and then Wakefield. Catalans face Hull FC first up, as well as the Tigers in game five.
There are some sticky fixtures in there for both: but in terms of a start, it’s not too daunting.
Catalans first five: Hull FC, Warrington, Leigh, Leeds, Castleford
Hull KR first five: Castleford, Wakefield, Salford, St Helens, Leigh
10. Wigan Warriors
It’s a pretty favourable start for the reigning champions too – though they do have the small matter of a trip to Las Vegas to fit into their opening five fixtures.
That comes in Round 3, and by then they’ll have opened up against Leigh and Hull FC. Games against Huddersfield and Leeds follow their Atlantic trip.
Wigan first five: Leigh, Castleford, Warrington, Huddersfield, Leeds
=8. Salford Red Devils and Warrington Wolves
Incredibly, all of last season’s top four are sat inside the bottom five when it comes to the difficulty of a start to 2025.
The Red Devils only face one team that finished higher than sixth in their first five – Hull KR in Round 3. Warrington are the same, with their only game against a team from last year’s top five the clash versus Wigan in Las Vegas.
Salford first five: St Helens, Leeds, Hull KR, Castleford, Huddersfield
Warrington first five: Huddersfield, Catalans, Wigan, Wakefield, St Helens
7. Hull FC
The Black and Whites have a fairly moderate start. They open up against Catalans Dragons in Perpignan before facing Wigan in Round 2: hardly ideal.
However, things do ease up from there, with games against Huddersfield and Wakefield included in their next three.
Hull first five: Catalans, Wigan, Huddersfield, Leigh, Wakefield
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6. Leeds Rhinos
Brad Arthur’s first full season in charge opens up with what Rhinos fans will hope are two winnable fixtures in the first three, with games against Wakefield and Castleford.
They also, though, face Salford and Wigan in the first five.
Leeds first five: Wakefield, Salford, Castleford, Catalans, Wigan
5. St Helens
The Saints will be hoping for a big start to 2025 given an underwhelming 2024 campaign: but it won’t be easy.
They do play Castleford and Wakefield early on – but they also face three of last year’s top four: Hull KR, Warrington and Salford.
St Helens first five: Salford, Castleford, Wakefield, Hull KR, Warrington
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=3. Leigh Leopards
The Leopards have the most daunting opener of them all with a trip to Wigan Warriors: and it doesn’t get much easier after that. They also have to face Hull KR in their first five.
It’s a similarly tough opener for Wakefield, with games against Hull KR and Warrington, as well as St Helens.
Leigh first five: Wigan, Huddersfield, Catalans, Hull FC, Hull KR
Wakefield first five: Leeds, Hull KR, St Helens, Warrington, Hull FC
2. Castleford Tigers
Danny McGuire’s first season as a Super League head coach starts very, very tough. The Tigers have to face Hull KR first up, and they don’t take on a team who finished any lower than eighth in all of their first five.
Castleford first five: Hull KR, St Helens, Leeds, Salford, Catalans
1. Huddersfield Giants
Luke Robinson’s side have, statistically, the toughest start to 2025 out of every team.
Four of their first five are against teams who finished in the top five last season, including Wigan and Warrington. They will, however, face a crack at Hull FC.
Huddersfield first five: Warrington, Leigh, Hull FC, Wigan, Salford
And here’s the modelling to explain it all.
Think we’ve got it wrong? Who do you think has the toughest start to 2025? Let us know in our all-new comments section.
