Super League’s best loose forwards of 2024 ranked: Wigan Warriors and Hull KR stars headline

There were some consistently impressive performers all over the field in Super League in 2024: including at loose forward.

Below, we rank the nine best stars we saw in the #13 spot in Super League this year…

9. Leroy Cudjoe (Huddersfield Giants)

Cudjoe is now 36 years of age, but scooped five awards at Huddersfield’s end-of-season dinner, including the Players’ Player of the Year and Supporters’ Player of the Year. Those two accolades alone evidence just how integral he remains to Luke Robinson’s side, both on and off the field.

In 2024, the veteran missed just five Super League games, and one of those was down to a suspension. A leader in every sense of the word, he made over 800 tackles across all competitions and over 1700 metres, still proudly donning the shirt of his hometown club.

8. James Bell (St Helens)

In a season of mediocrity at Saints, Australia-born Bell was the dream player for boss Paul Wellens, filling in wherever required in the pack. Missing just four Super League games, when he got the chance to play at loose, he rarely failed to impress and ended the campaign with more than 60 tackle busts to his name.

The nine-time Scotland international, also managed eight direct try involvements (4T, 4A) and surpassed 500 tackles in league games alone. He’ll hope to hit 100 games in the Red V in 2025, needing to play in 26 more matches to reach that tally.

LRL RECOMMENDS: St Helens’ superb potential 2025 line-up, including THREE new arrivals from NRL

7. John Asiata (Leigh Leopards)

2024 was a year which saw Leigh skipper Asiata plagued by injury, missing a total of 12 Super League games, but the Samoa international still managed to catch the eye when he did take to the field.

Averaging over 18 tackles and more than 11 carries per game, he helped Adrian Lam’s side to a top-flight play-off semi-final for the first time in the summer era, cementing his legacy at the Leopards’ Den ahead of his move to Hull FC.

6. Morgan Knowles (St Helens)

England international Knowles was also plagued by injury in 2024, and missed 12 Super League games himself. He still averaged a whopping 96.2 metres per game with the ball in hand when he did play though in a campaign which saw Saints desperately struggle to score points.

Knowles also hit triple figures for tackles on the marker in the season just gone despite his injury woes, and boss Wellens will hope the forward is able to remain fit for the duration of 2025 with it evident how much he’s missed when he’s not available.

LRL RECOMMENDS: Super League ins and outs for 2025 – Every confirmed signing and departure

5. Ben Garcia (Catalans Dragons)

Veteran Garcia has been a standout in Super League for a while, and that was no different in 2024 despite Catalans failing to make the top six. The Frenchman led from the front oncemore, and we’re not sure whether the Dragons have an in-house Player of the Year award, but we’d wager he’d have been among the contenders for it if there is one.

Now 31, he missed just two league matches and made over 73 metres per game with the ball in hand on average. Producing an important try early on in the campaign in a win away at Warrington, he was another at loose to hit triple figures for tackles on markers and also managed 27 offloads.

4. Ben Currie (Warrington Wolves)

In terms of people we expected to be putting on this list at the start of 2024, Currie was nowhere near it, never mind 4th. Sam Burgess arrived at the Halliwell Jones Stadium and transformed his game, moving him to loose from the back row. That switch has seemingly handed the veteran a new lease of life, becoming Mr Consistent for Warrington.

Missing just four league games, he more than played his part as the Wolves came within a hare’s breath of an Old Trafford return, making almost 1500 metres and heading the other way, 125 tackles on the marker.

LRL RECOMMENDS: Warrington Wolves coach Sam Burgess makes Matty Nicholson prediction following NRL move

3. Ollie Partington (Salford Red Devils)

2024 was arguably the best year of Partington’s senior career to date, earning himself a move to Catalans as a result. As Salford reached the play-offs for the second time in three seasons, he featured 21 times and grabbed three tries as well as three assists.

Averaging over 13 carries and more than a tackle bust per game, he chalked up 1420 metres with the ball in hand. His offload average ended at almost two per match and in defence, he made an average of nigh on 40 tackles every game, too.

2. Elliot Minchella (Hull KR)

KR fans, we’re not underestimating Minchella’s impact on your run to your maiden Grand Final, make no mistake about that. He took his spot in the Dream Team without many arguments against his inclusion, and there’s no argument against it from us, but we’re just of the opinion that a certain Wigan star deserves the #1 spot in this ranking.

Anyway, back to Minchella and the Robins. Averaging close to 70 metres per game, he managed seven direct try involvements (4T, 3A), the skipper led from the front all year long and was an ever-present in Willie Peters’ side until a suspension late on in the campaign.

His defensive efforts were perhaps even more impressive, and the statistics show that – averaging virtually 35 tackles per game and amassing a total of 132 tackles on the marker throughout the league campaign. Anyone of a KR persuasion will be delighted the club have tied him down until the end of the 2029 season.

LRL RECOMMENDS: Super League’s best back-rowers of 2024 ranked – Hull KR duo included

1. Kaide Ellis (Wigan Warriors)

Now that you know #2, it’ll probably come as no surprise who #1 in this ranking is. Wigan won all four major honours on offer, and for us, Ellis was one of the most underrated players in Matt Peet’s star-studded squad. Even when he didn’t stand out in a game with anything glitzy or glamorous, he was more than solid, a linchpin.

When the games that really mattered came around, he delivered some of his absolute best, and we wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if the Warriors offer him a longer-term deal to stick around longer than his current contract expiration date of 2026.

The Australian truly has made that 13 spot his own at The Brick Community Stadium, missing just two league games all year and averaging a gain of over six metres having made more than 300 carries. With exactly 2000 metres to his name in Super League in 2024, a tally of 685 tackles isn’t to be sniffed at either, and that includes 118 on the marker.

READ NEXT: Ranking every 2025 Super League home kit from worst to best with one clear winner…