The biggest winners and losers of 2024, including Wigan Warriors and Hull FC

As 2024 winds to a close, we take a look back at the year that was to break down the key winners and losers in the world of rugby league.

It’s been yet another blockbuster 12 months of rugby league action across the domestic and international game, but it had a distinctly Lancastrian feel to it as Wigan once again found themselves as the kings of British rugby league.

But, there were also plenty of other teams who impressed us this year, either through beating the odds or just taking that extra step forward in the journies to the top; and, inevitably, there are some teams who will be happy to see the back of 2024.

With that thought in mind, here are our key winners and losers from the rugby league world…

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Winners: Wigan Warriors

Matt Peet’s side were by far the big winners in 2024, as they won a historic quadruple.

This success marks another positive step for the Cherry and Whites, who have now won seven major honours since Peet took charge as head coach back in 2022.

On top of their success on the field, they were also named as the BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year. A superb 12 months.

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Losers: Hull FC

Hull FC are undoubtedly the biggest losers from 2024, at least in Super League, with plenty of unwanted records set by the Black and Whites over the course of the campaign.

Headline recruits Nu Brown, Franklin Pele and Jayden Okunbor all left the club within just a couple of months, as did head coach Tony Smith, who received his marching orders in early April.

Over 50 players were used by the Airlie Birds by the end of the season, a new record in itself, and they still managed just three wins in total – avoiding a bottom-place finish by virtue of only points difference. They can only hope fortunes change under new boss John Cartwright in 2025.

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Winners: Hull KR

Across the city, it may have been another year which saw the Robins lose a major final, but Hull KR were most definitely winners in 2024.

Evolving from dark horses to genuine title contenders, Willie Peters’ side pushed Wigan all the way in the battle for the League Leaders’ Shield, and then lost out narrowly to the all-conquering Warriors in their maiden Grand Final at Old Trafford in October.

Add in a Challenge Cup semi-final berth, where their masters were again Wigan, and KR are left to reflect on what could have been, but they’re doing that with pride and a genuine hope of silverware next year.

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Losers: St Helens

St Helens haven’t endured many years tougher than 2024. Positively, they just about held onto their record of being ever-present in the Super League play-offs, and ran Warrington close in those play-offs, but if we’re honest had they beaten the Wolves it would have been a travesty.

Plagued by injuries throughout the campaign, Saints limped over the line into 6th and have undoubtedly fallen behind the likes of Hull KR, Salford Red Devils and Warrington themselves in the Super League pecking order.

Forced to watch on from afar as bitter rivals Wigan won everything, Paul Wellens is under big pressure heading into 2025.

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Winners: Salford Red Devils

We mentioned them above, but Salford are more than deserving of taking their own ‘winners’ spot having been the genuine surprise package of the year yet again.

We’re quickly learning never to write the Red Devils off, regardless of what issues they have off the field. Paul Rowley consistently gets even better than the best out of his squad, tapping into something special and relishing the ‘underdog’ tag.

A play-off defeat to Leigh Leopards unfortunately ended their year after a 4th-place finish, but overall, they should definitely be looking back on 2024 with pride.

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Losers: Catalans Dragons

Given the upward trajectory Catalans have had in recent years, and pretty much since Steve McNamara’s arrival in Perpignan back in 2017, big things were expected of the Dragons heading into 2024.

They came into the year on the back of a second Grand Final appearance in three years, but just never got going. Failing to build any real consistency, they actually seemed to get worse as the campaign went on!

The French outfit have gone big with their recruitment ahead of next year, so you’ve got to expect serious improvements.

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Winners: Wakefield Trinity

What a difference a year makes, eh?! Wakefield were a club in crisis in 2023, and that was evidenced on the field as they were relegated with little more than a whimper.

But under new ownership, the club has completely transformed and it appears that a new dawn is brewing – winning the 1895 Cup, Championship League Leaders’ Shield and Championship title in 2024.

IMG rubber-stamped Trinity’s return to Super League for 2024 by handing them a grade A, and they could easily be a force to reckon with in 2025. Watch this space.

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Losers: Leeds Rhinos

Sticking in West Yorkshire, we move to the team that narrowly beat Wakefield in the pair’s annual pre-season friendly on Boxing Day – Leeds. We’re not sure there can be any arguments over us branding the Rhinos ‘losers’ from this year, and if there are, we’re not sure what they can be.

Struggling to get going under Rohan Smith’s tutelage having gone big with their recruitment money-wise, the Super League giants were again mid-table meanderers.

Smith departed in mid-June and Brad Arthur managed a slight upturn in performances when he came in, but it was nowhere near enough to even make the top six. You just wonder how long this barren spell can go on at Headingley.

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Winners: Oldham

Their success was largely expected, but League 1 champions Oldham were virtually flawless in 2024. Waltzing their way to the third tier title with 19 wins from 20 league games, they also mixed it with some big dogs from the Championship in the 1895 Cup.

Head coach Sean Long has got his squad ticking, and heading into 2025, he’s been handed a big budget oncemore. We’re excited to see how they fare in the second tier in 2025, and how they improve their IMG grade which is the one thing letting them down at the moment.

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Losers: Featherstone Rovers

With the overhaul they were forced into following their failure to get promoted last season, it was always unlikely that Featherstone were going to be challenging for the Championship title in 2024.

But, it must be said, they were even further off the pace than most would have anticipated. Only Sheffield Eagles’ shock loss at Dewsbury Rams on the final day of the ‘regular’ season kept them in the play-offs, and they then fell at the first hurdle to Bradford Bulls.

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Winners: England

Rounding us off for the year, we couldn’t not add a flavour of the international game in here, and who better to reflect on than England?

Shaun Wane’s side won all three of their games in 2024, sweeping aside France over in Toulouse mid-season and then reigning supreme in both games of their two-match autumn Test Series against Samoa.

Now unbeaten for two calendar years, things on the field look promising ahead of a 2025 which will include a historic Ashes Series on home soil against the Aussies.

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