Revealed: The 11 Super League players in danger of breaching match limits in 2024 including eight different clubs
Super League players will be subject to the prospect of their minutes being capped in a formal, official fashion from 2025 with the introduction of match limits.
The ruling has been brought in on an advisory basis throughout 2024 as an effective trial run for next year, when clubs will be forced to strictly monitor the minutes their players are involved in as part of the wide-ranging recommendations to better protect the sport’s players.
Based on a player’s age and position, the number of minutes they will be allowed to participate in over any 12-month period is different. Any forward over the age of 22 can only play 2,000 minutes of rugby in a 12-month period: the equivalent of 25 full matches.
Any forward under the age of 22 is limited to 1,600 minutes, or 20 full game equivalents. Backs over 22 are allowed 2,400 minutes, under 22, it’s 2,000 minutes. For players aged 18 and under, the limit is 1,200 minutes for a forward and 1,600 minutes for a back.
Part of the reason behind the trial run this year is to gauge how many players would fall foul of the limits and breach them in an ordinary season. And Love Rugby League can reveal that after extensive research and consultation with key people within the game, there are a group of players who could be close to – or even exceed – their personal match limits tally this season.
Kai O’Donnell (Leigh Leopards)
O’Donnell is one of the best forwards in Super League without question, underlined by the fact he is returning to the NRL in 2025. And his importance to Leigh Leopards is reiterated by the fact he has played in every single game for Leigh this year, missing just 25 minutes in Super League.
With his match limits tally at 2,000 and having played 1,335 in Super League – plus two Challenge Cup games – O’Donnell would clearly go over with nine league games to go and if the same situation materialised next year, he would need to sit games out from this point.
Rhyse Martin (Leeds Rhinos)
Martin is one of five players going into Round 19 who has played every single minute of every single Super League game. He also played the full game for Leeds in their one and only Challenge Cup game of 2024, too.
That means, prior to Thursday’s game against Huddersfield, he had already played 1,524 minutes of rugby league – leaving him just 476 shy of his limit of 2,000.
Kallum Watkins (Salford Red Devils)
The Salford captain has an extraordinary record this season. Going into Round 19, he’d played in every single minute but one of Salford’s league campaign: owing to a sin-bin in the 78th minute against Castleford Tigers early in the season!
Watkins‘ minutes tally in Super League is 1,439, and his limit is 2,000 as these days, he is very much a forward. Any players’ match limit tally is determined by the highest amount of games they have played in a position so while Salford could argue Watkins is traditionally a centre, the fact he predominantly plays back-row means his limit is 2,000.
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Liam Farrell (Wigan Warriors)
Farrell is quite low down on the list of Super League players by minutes played this year: 41st, in fact, going into Round 19 with 1,215. His limit is, of course, 2,000.
But he has only played 16 games – Wigan have only played 17 themselves – and the Warriors have had a run all the way to the Challenge Cup final, in which Farrell featured prominently. So his actual minutes tally is much higher, and he’s much closer to the 2,000 limit.
When you factor in Wigan could have as many as 1,240 minutes left to play in 2025, it’s easy to see why Farrell is deemed to be close to the limit.
Sam Stone (Salford Red Devils)
A second Salford forward in the mix on this list is Australian Stone. The forward has played 1,200 minutes, 800 off the limit, but the Red Devils have exactly that number left as a bare minimum if they make the play-offs. They would hope to have more, too.
So Stone would either have to be utilised smartly within games or left out altogether if the same situation materialised next season.
James Batchelor (Hull KR)
When it comes to match limits, there is a clear downside of a deep and lengthy Challenge Cup run: as Hull KR will attest to given how two of their key forwards are flagged as potentially being on course to break their tally.
Batchelor may seem an odd inclusion on this list given how he’s missed a handful of league fixtures this season. But his tally of 1,045 in 14 league games works out at around 74 minutes per game; and when you include his Challenge Cup minutes, it’s easy to see why he’s being earmarked as a player that may flirt close to the 2,000 limit he has.
Elliot Minchella (Hull KR)
Perhaps less surprisingly given his importance to his club and the amount he plays is Rovers captain Elliot Minchella.
Minchella averages around 71 minutes per match given his tally of 1,211 minutes in 17 league games. He also featured prominently in the Challenge Cup to take his seasonal tally over 1,400.
With a lot of rugby league left to play – Rovers would hope to go deep in the play-offs – Minchella’s tally would be an issue the Robins would have to manage in 2025 if the situation repeated itself.
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Elie El-Zakhem (Castleford Tigers)
The Castleford forward has missed just 92 minutes of Super League all season long. He averages over 79 minutes per game in the competition and also has a Challenge Cup appearance to his name, meaning his tally is already over 1,300.
Castleford are highly likely to miss the play-offs though meaning that if this situation arose in 2025, it would be less of an issue, with the Tigers able to leave El-Zakhem out in certain games to ensure he didn’t surpass his 2,000 limit.
Jordan Lane (Hull FC)
Another player who likely won’t have the play-offs to factor into his own match limits tally of 2,000, but Lane is still in a situation where he would have to sit games – or portion of games – out if this situation happened in 2025.
Lane has played 1,383 minutes in Super League alone for the Black and Whites, and with nine league fixtures left – 720 minutes – Lane is on course to be close at the very least to his own tally.
Cameron Smith (Leeds Rhinos)
Leeds captain Smith is another who is on course to surpass his own limit of 2,000 minutes. He’s played in every Super League game for Leeds and after Thursday night’s game at Huddersfield, is now through 1,400 minutes in Super League alone.
With eight Super League games left for the Rhinos, expect Smith to go through 2,000 minutes this year: something which wouldn’t be allowed in 2025.
Jack Welsby (St Helens)
Finally, it’s a player who is the centre of everything St Helens do well – but is currently one of five players who hasn’t missed a single minute of action so far in 2024.
Welsby, therefore, is likely to get somewhere close to his limit of 2,400 minutes if he continues to feature every week for the Saints. In 2025, they would have to spell him at some stage, or even briefly stand them down, to avoid a repeat.
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