Rugby League is always an exciting sport and there’s always plenty going down. From the latest matches and results, to signings, changes and more, the sport will always deliver on action. Every year though you can reach that sad time when the Super League finishes and you find yourself without your favourite league to watch. It isn’t long though until Super League XXII starts in February and here’s the preview you need to get you ready.
Super League XXI provided many great moments across the season that would see Wigan Warriors defeat Warrington Wolves 12-6 in the Grand Final. These were the top two teams in the Super 8s, but with Warrington taking the spot by a single point at 43 to 42. Both were on twenty-one wins, making it a close match going ahead. Over 70,000 people attended the game, which was rematch of the 2013 Grand Final that Wigan won. Wigan were on four straight Grand Finals in a row and were keen to prevent Warrington from winning their first league trophy in 61 years. Wigan found themselves without key players but managed to come out ahead.
The 2017 season will promise to be as exciting, especially for the newly promoted Leigh Centurions, replacing Hull Kingston Rovers. It’s a long way to the final in October, but it’s never too early to look ahead and see who’s worth keeping your eye on. Denny Solomona of Castleford Tigers was 2016’s top try scorer, scoring 40, beating the previous record of 37 set by Lesley Vainikolo. ย Solomona made a controversial exit from rugby league recently and is a big loss for the club. Castleford teammate Luke Gale got the top spots for most assists and goals scored, meaning Castleford will be a team to be reckoned with. Hull’s Marc Sneyd would capture the overall most points scored with 203, surpassing Luke Gale’s second most points at 189.
Hull would secure the Man of Steel (Danny Houghton), Coach of the Year (Lee Radford), Club of the Year and other post-season awards, meaning they will be a firm favourite coming into 2017. Hull were at the top of the initial table in 2016 and made third in the Super 8s standings. It could be too early to say, but Betway will likely have them with high odds and they are definitely the team to watch.
We are still two months away from the start of Super League XXII, but already it’s already shaping up and will likely be bigger than 2016.
