3 (ridiculously) early predictions for Super League 2025 including Grand Final dark horses
Leeds Rhinos, Catalans Dragons and Leigh Leopards could be among the title chasers this year
This might seem early – very, very early – but excitement is certainly brewing ahead of the 2025 Super League season, which is set to be one of the most competitive years yet.
2024 saw three teams go right to the wire for top spot in the league, and it easily could have been a completely different Grand Final, too, given the closeness of the semi-finals, and even beneath that a further five teams were competing for three spots in the top six.
That competition already sets up the 2025 campaign well, and once you factor in new recruits as well, it could mean we get a whole different set of teams in the play-offs this year and potentially even a Grand Final win, too.
But, who are the dark horses that we should be looking out for in 2025? Well, here is our incredibly early look at who the dark horses are to make the Grand Final next year.
Catalans Dragons
Last year was nothing short of a failure for the usually competitive Catalans Dragons, but they should be well in the mix in 2025. Les Dracs have hit the transfer market hard this year in an attempt to turn things around quickly, and they now boast one of the strongest squads in Super League.
Luke Keary, Tommy Makinson, Nick Cotric and Elliot Whitehead will add some serious quality but also bring heaps of experience and leadership which should help them avoid a repeat of their end-of-season collapse from last year. Tevita Pangai Junior and Ollie Partington are also shrewd signings and add more depth to their pack: and the return of Sam Tomkins for the full year should also galvanise the squad.
It won’t be plain sailing, and their off-season business is by no means a guarantee of a title, but they should be much more competitive in 2025 and could be one to watch.
Leeds Rhinos
It was another consistently inconsistent year for Leeds Rhinos in 2024, as they missed out on the play-offs yet again, but they will likely be much stronger this time around. Like Catalans, they have really dipped into the market but crucially they have added the key areas they needed strengthen. Keenan Palasia and Cooper Jenkins will add some much-needed size to their pack but also add a lot more depth to it after they were found threadbare in 2024.
The addition of Jake Connor seems an peculiar one on paper given Leeds are fairly strong in the spine, but he will surely return to his best position in the centres for 2025 and that should kick-start their attack, and bringing in veteran wingers Maika Sivo and Ryan Hall will add some serious quality and experience to go alongside a seriously talented backline.
The biggest change is Brad Arthur though: and that’s what should make them contenders this year. Leeds had a fairly rapid transformation under Arthur upon his arrival, particularly in defence, and with a full pre-season to properly instil his tactics and ideas we should see a huge improvement in them on the pitch. He’s also hinted at a horrible pre-season for the players, which actually started whilst the play-offs were happening, so his side should be raring to go in 2025.
Leigh Leopards
The Leigh Leopards have certainly found their way to rugby league’s top table since their promotion to Super League: but could this be the year they properly compete for the Grand Final?
Adrian Lam’s side are entering fairly new territory this time around – with virtually a whole new group of players following the departures of John Asiata, Ricky Leutele, Zak Hardaker and Matt Moylan to name a few, but Leigh have brought in some serious quality to replace them. David Armstrong, Isaac Liu, Alec Tuitavake and Tesi Niu will all add a brilliant new edge to their team, but underneath that the likes of AJ Towse and even Will Brough prove they are keeping an eye on the future, too.
Leigh have also improved year-on-year, reaching their first-ever Super League semi-final last year, and if they continue that trend, then they could well make the Grand Final. The way the Leopards have improved though, and their style of play, also makes them a serious threat to any team. Lam has got them playing exciting, attacking rugby, but it’s also controlled and measured. This was seen at the back end of the 2024 season, where they, arguably, finished the regular season as the form team in Super League playing this brand of rugby.
Again, it’s very, very early, and for all we know it could be a time to just gel and attack the 2026 season properly, but yet the Leopards could look to cause another huge upset this coming season.
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