The wind of change swept through Super League last season as St Helens saw their four-year status as domestic top dogs brought to an end by Matt Peet’s resurgent Wigan and “reimagination” became the buzzword on everybody’s lips.
If Saints’ memorable World Club Challenge win over Penrith that kicked off the 2023 campaign did not exactly explode the sport’s established order, it certainly helped tilt its axis slightly more in the direction of the northern hemisphere.
The beginning of the sport’s long-term ‘strategic partnership’ with IMG, along with recent announcements of ground-breaking new broadcast deals with Sky and the BBC, has also fostered a real mood of optimism ahead of the 2024 campaign, which kicks off with the Hull derby at the MKM Stadium on Thursday night.
Yet the more things change, the more they stay the same. Saints and Wigan, the two giants from the west end of the so-called M62 corridor, appear more likely than ever to be wrestling for the top spot at the end of the season, underscoring their dominance of the domestic game.
At the other end of the table, London Broncos face the farcical situation of knowing their fate – relegation – before the first ball has been booted, an unfortunate consequence of the very IMG grading system that has been set up to support aspiring clubs from beyond the traditional heartlands.
They are timely reminders that it will take more than a magic wand to re-think the scope of a sport that even the biggest cynics of its partnership with IMG acknowledge requires radical change if it is to continue to thrive into future generations.
The upcoming season begins with plenty of tantalising talking points on the pitch, led by the strength of Saints’ response to being knocked off their perch as they prepare to start life without the talismanic James Roby.
Peet’s Wigan were clearly the best team in 2023 and they are arguably in even better shape for the defence of their trophy, having landed ex-Leeds Rhinos pair Kruise Leeming and Sam Walters as well as centre Adam Keighran from Catalans Dragons.
Their duel threatens to leave the others trailing, with last year’s Grand Final runners-up Catalans – shorn of their own talisman in Sam Tomkins following retirement – looking a little short of mustering a repeat performance in the south of France.
Leeds Rhinos are certainly heading the right direction, writing the biggest headline in the off-season with the signing of Salford’s former Man of Steel Brodie Croft, and while another play-off failure is unthinkable, Rohan Smith’s men require more time before they can truly be classed as contenders again.
Sam Burgess brings a mountain of unknowns into his first head coach role at Warrington, while plenty of questions can also be asked about the ability of Hull KR to build on their promising 2023 season in light of the unexpected exits of Jordan Abdull and assistant coach Danny McGuire.
Adrian Lam’s Leigh, more or less intact from their stunning first season back in the top flight, stand as good a chance as anyone else of muscling in on an end of season play-off berth, while Hull, Huddersfield and the post-Croft Salford can only realistically eye improvement.
Castleford hope the appointment of Craig Lingard, after so many seasons beating the odds at Championship Batley, can help them exceed pretty low-key expectations that have them simply holding off hapless London for 11th spot.
The Broncos, unfortunately, find themselves reduced to being collateral damage in the quest for change – dumped in a vicious circle that leaves them understandably reluctant to invest to give themselves a shot when they know that shot has already effectively been fired.
At the end of this coming campaign, irrespective of where they finish, and barring only an unlikely announcement of wholesale restructuring for 2025, London will be relegated, and replaced by the second-tier club that ticks the most boxes on the IMG scoresheet.
It is a bitter blow for a club that fought so brilliantly to win back-to-back play-off games against Featherstone and Toulouse, and one from which it begs the question whether rugby league in the capital will ever recover.
The Broncos plight serves as a timely reminder that for all the justifiable optimism and shared excitement in an IMG-driven future, there is an awful long way to go before rugby league can truly be said to have snared an expansive new audience.
Forget the M62 corridor, for all the talk of “reimagination” and expansion, the 2025 Super League season looks set to be played out within a contracted area of its traditional heartland: between the two giants straddling either end of the eight-mile long A571.
John Mousinho admits Portsmouth celebrations took their toll against Wigan
John Mousinho admitted Portsmouth’s Sky Bet League One title celebrations had an impact on their 2-1 defeat to Wigan.
Pompey had their return to the Championship confirmed after they beat Barnsley on Tuesday, but Luke Chambers and Josh Magennis spoilt their promotion party – which saw them lift the trophy as champions.
Mousinho said: “I think Wigan deserved to win. We were awful in the first half. I don’t think we got the press right.
“We were good in possession, but not out of possession, and we got punished for it. We changed things around for the second half and we were more aggressive and much better.
“Their second goal was poor defensively. We created more chances after our goal but just couldn’t get the equaliser.
“We wanted to go out on a high, so the players are obviously disappointed to have lost that unbeaten run.
“I thought we had enough in the tank pre-match to win it, but it’s been a difficult week in terms of normality. Winning on Tuesday, the euphoria of that, and the awards here on Wednesday meant the preparation was very different from the last 44 games.
“Next week will be back to normal in terms of physicality and mentally.”
Wigan’s Jonny Smith hit a post in the 13th minute, but the visitors took the lead 10 minutes later when Chambers put the loose ball past Pompey goalkeeper Will Norris.
Latics sealed the win when Magennis beat Norris with seven minutes to go, despite Kusini Yengi pulling one back for Pompey in the 85th minute.
Wigan manager Shaun Maloney said: “It was a game of two halves really. The first half was probably the best we’ve played all season. We had chances to increase the lead but didn’t take them. That would have made the game very different.
“Pompey were talking about keeping up their unbeaten run and reaching 100 points, but we wanted to win this game. We’ve had 500 fans travel down here today, so it was important we played well.
“Luke really hurt them the first half, and it would be great to have him back next season.
“Jonny’s really stepped up. I think if anything I need more from him next season. He needs a full pre-season and I think he’s a brilliant player.
“The game changed after their goal. Sam (Tickle) has made some tremendous saves getting in where it hurts. The scuffle at the end on the touchline was just about two teams wanting to win.”
Wigan are party poopers as champions Portsmouth slip to home defeat
Luke Chambers and Josh Magennis spoilt Portsmouth’s Sky Bet League One promotion party as Wigan beat the newly-crowned champions 2-1 at Fratton Park.
Pompey almost took the lead after six minutes when a poor backpass was intercepted by Colby Bishop, who tried to chip stranded goalkeeper Sam Tickle but put it well wide.
Wigan’s Jonny Smith hit a post in the 13th minute, but the visitors took the lead 10 minutes later when Chambers put the loose ball past Pompey goalkeeper Will Norris.
Latics should have gone two-up just before half-time as Norris parried Charlie Kelman’s powerful shot but Chambers put the follow-up wide.
Despite half-time substitutions, Pompey struggled to claw their way back into the game and Wigan looked to have sealed the win when Magennis beat Norris with seven minutes to go.
Kusini Yengi pulled one back for Pompey, but despite piling on the pressure in stoppage time they could not secure a 28th victory of the season.
The lads are distraught – Lincoln boss Michael Skubala ‘gutted’ to see run end
Michael Skubala admitted his play-off chasing Lincoln side were “distraught” after losing 2-1 to Wigan.
The Imps had three goals disallowed as their impressive 16-game unbeaten run, which stretched back to New Year’s Day, was ended by Latics at Sincil Bank.
Jonny Smith opened the scoring before Daniel Mandroiu levelled the scoring.
But Charlie Hughes’ stoppage-time strike was a dagger into Imps’ hearts in their play-off chase.
They are now five points behind Oxford ahead of a massive clash at the Kassam Stadium on Tuesday night.
“We’re gutted,” said Skubala. “We’re gutted because we know we wanted to keep trying to win.
“We wanted to throw everything at them. We started really slowly. We got into the ascendancy but we couldn’t get that second goal.
“These lads give everything. There’s nothing prouder than this run. We’re creaking a little bit because we haven’t got the numbers really.
“We had somebody come and give us the Peterborough score, so we decided to give it everything. We were happy to risk it to try and get another goal.
“We’ve been hurt because we’re trying to risk it to try and win the game.
“We’re gutted. The lads are distraught, but there are nine points to play for so we’ll go to Oxford and give it everything.
“We didn’t start like ourselves. We were nervous, we were tentative. Last 20 minutes we were ourselves and aggressive.
“It was the first time I’ve seen some nerves in the group. But it’s new to us. It’s understandable.”
Latics secured a first win in five to throw a spanner in the works of Lincoln’s play-off bid, and boss Shaun Maloney said: “It was a brilliant performance, in different ways as well.
“The first 30 minutes was as high a level as we’ve shown in a game this season.
“The first goal that we scored was top class. When you watch that first goal and the talent in that move it was a real joy to watch.
“I’m trying to build this team back up. I’ve been really honest with the team. The level did drop at Blackpool, but after that we’ve been top class.
“When we had to put bodies on the line, they did it. They went to the death and there were a few players really having to dig deep there at the end.
“The first goal was started by Charlie and was an amazing start of play and with any sort of strike he’s so clean when he hits the ball.
“I really challenged the players. With the season, we’ve achieved what we will achieve, but you still want to win, so I’m really pleased.”
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