2026 Super League Discussion

[Perth Red]

SL article makes it clear the match will be in France

Kick-off times will be confirmed in due course, and for the first time plans are being explored for a dedicated Magic fixture in France, with the match between Catalans Dragons and Toulouse Olympique to be played at a neutral venue across the Channel.

Magic Weekend heads to Everton Football Club’s Hill Dickinson Stadium

www.superleague.co.uk

That’ll be for the French clubs to decide.

 

[Timmah]

That’ll be for the French clubs to decide.

It's in writing on the official Super League site. And if you think RFL/SL won't have input, you're a fool.

The game will be in France.

 

[jim_57]

They should play the French derby game that weekend in Perpignan or Toulouse alternating then save a ‘French Magic’ for another weekend when English clubs can come over and make a bigger & better crowd/atmosphere.

Something like:
Super XIII game
Toulouse V Leeds
Catalans V Wigan

Played at one of the football 30k+ stadiums. I’ve been plugging that idea for years hopefully it can happen, there hasn’t been a 20k+ crowd in France for quite some time.

 

[Taking The Two]

Does this require the panic and hands in the air style of frustration though?

I feel like LRL loves to agitate stuff like this but the article is fairly clear in pointing out there's an RFL Council meeting on 9/12 which will likely determine whether they stick with gradings or move to pro-rel (and I'd go so far as to say the quotes from Rhodri Jones are nudging toward sticking with gradings).

I don't think the fixture list being out a fortnight before that decision is a huge deal, clubs will have an idea pretty soon what's in store.

To be blunt, it’s a massively vital piece of information and has a huge knock-on effect on the sport here.

You have newly “elevated” teams (let’s not call them promoted as it was all done in boardrooms on not onfield) putting teams together unable to offer anything more than a one-year deal to players because they don’t know what funding, if any at all, let alone whether it’s 100% or 50%, they’re going to get for 2027 let alone what league they’re going to be in and what, if anything, they’re playing for in 2026, you’ve got players who’ll be seeking assurances on security having either been affected first hand by Salford’s plight or if not, completely aware of Salford’s plight and the issues that caused for their staff and you’ve got sponsors unsure whether their brand(s) are going to be shown weekly on Sky and terrestrial TV and therefore that causes the reluctance to invest and that’s before we even get on to negotiating new TV deals, which are coming up very shortly.

Essentially, it’s a mess. No competition should be this close to its start date without clear plans set in stone. Every club are back and in pre-season now and you’ve got a half dozen who don’t know what they’re playing for, players unaware of whether their contracts actually mean anything and fans unaware as to what meaning there is to the season.

 

[Perth Red]

To be blunt, it’s a massively vital piece of information and has a huge knock-on effect on the sport here.

You have newly “elevated” teams (let’s not call them promoted as it was all done in boardrooms on not onfield) putting teams together unable to offer anything more than a one-year deal to players because they don’t know what funding, if any at all, let alone whether it’s 100% or 50%, they’re going to get for 2027 let alone what league they’re going to be in and what, if anything, they’re playing for in 2026, you’ve got players who’ll be seeking assurances on security having either been affected first hand by Salford’s plight or if not, completely aware of Salford’s plight and the issues that caused for their staff and you’ve got sponsors unsure whether their brand(s) are going to be shown weekly on Sky and terrestrial TV and therefore that causes the reluctance to invest and that’s before we even get on to negotiating new TV deals, which are coming up very shortly.

Essentially, it’s a mess. No competition should be this close to its start date without clear plans set in stone. Every club are back and in pre-season now and you’ve got a half dozen who don’t know what they’re playing for, players unaware of whether their contracts actually mean anything and fans unaware as to what meaning there is to the season.

Eh? the three promoted clubs are signing players on 2-3 year deals.

Don’t understand why it’s taken so long to decide, there was a game Review going on and I can only presume it’s part of that. Hopefully common sense will prevail and the grading system that is, by and large, proving a success continues.

your being pretty melodramatic, if it’s by gradings or by p&r, or some hybrid, players won’t care about, they are training to not finish bottom!

 

[Timmah]

They should play the French derby game that weekend in Perpignan or Toulouse alternating then save a ‘French Magic’ for another weekend when English clubs can come over and make a bigger & better crowd/atmosphere.

Something like:
Super XIII game
Toulouse V Leeds
Catalans V Wigan

Played at one of the football 30k+ stadiums. I’ve been plugging that idea for years hopefully it can happen, there hasn’t been a 20k+ crowd in France for quite some time.

Nice idea but given the information already available, it won't happen. 13 H&A for 26 rounds, the 27th round being Magic. The only exceptions to the H&A games I can see is KR v Leeds in Vegas and Catalans-Wigan in Paris.

 

[Timmah]

To be blunt, it’s a massively vital piece of information and has a huge knock-on effect on the sport here.

You have newly “elevated” teams (let’s not call them promoted as it was all done in boardrooms on not onfield) putting teams together unable to offer anything more than a one-year deal to players because they don’t know what funding, if any at all, let alone whether it’s 100% or 50%, they’re going to get for 2027 let alone what league they’re going to be in and what, if anything, they’re playing for in 2026, you’ve got players who’ll be seeking assurances on security having either been affected first hand by Salford’s plight or if not, completely aware of Salford’s plight and the issues that caused for their staff and you’ve got sponsors unsure whether their brand(s) are going to be shown weekly on Sky and terrestrial TV and therefore that causes the reluctance to invest and that’s before we even get on to negotiating new TV deals, which are coming up very shortly.

Essentially, it’s a mess. No competition should be this close to its start date without clear plans set in stone. Every club are back and in pre-season now and you’ve got a half dozen who don’t know what they’re playing for, players unaware of whether their contracts actually mean anything and fans unaware as to what meaning there is to the season.

That's a lot of words for "I'm trying to create panic"

 

[Taking The Two]

They should play the French derby game that weekend in Perpignan or Toulouse alternating then save a ‘French Magic’ for another weekend when English clubs can come over and make a bigger & better crowd/atmosphere.

Something like:
Super XIII game
Toulouse V Leeds
Catalans V Wigan

Played at one of the football 30k+ stadiums. I’ve been plugging that idea for years hopefully it can happen, there hasn’t been a 20k+ crowd in France for quite some time.

If they’re tying in any domestic French stuff to this, you’re looking at this being held no later than May, as the French domestic season runs from September to May.

Rivals Round, which is traditionally the Easter weekend is marketed and pushed by Sky, so it could be as part of that weekend in April and could then tie in some Super XIII stuff. Alternatively, Catalans’ big event is taking Wigan to Paris to celebrate 30 years of Super League and 20 of Catalans, I don’t think it should be centred around that and it should be its own standalone event but you never know.

I also think it should just be the French sides, let’s try and build up those games and create a big game feel around Catalans v Toulouse rather than just having Catalans and Toulouse playing Hull KR and Warrington in a random French city.

 

[Taking The Two]

Eh? the three promoted clubs are signing players on 2-3 year deals.

Don’t understand why it’s taken so long to decide, there was a game Review going on and I can only presume it’s part of that. Hopefully common sense will prevail and the grading system that is, by and large, proving a success continues.

your being pretty melodramatic, if it’s by gradings or by p&r, or some hybrid, players won’t care about, they are training to not finish bottom!

Which then creates a race to administration or contracts being null and void once relegation happens, as we’ve seen numerous times.

That's a lot of words for "I'm trying to create panic"

That’s a short “I have no argument to that and am too dense to create debate or rational posts so I’m going to try and merkin someone off and paint them as thick”

 

[jim_57]

Nice idea but given the information already available, it won't happen. 13 H&A for 26 rounds, the 27th round being Magic. The only exceptions to the H&A games I can see is KR v Leeds in Vegas and Catalans-Wigan in Paris.

Yeh it won’t happen in 2026 but beyond that I’m hopeful.

A few events next year in France, Catalans in Paris plus 3 French derbies in Perpignan, Toulouse and a neutral venue. The Idea like the one above is low hanging fruit, especially now Toulouse are back in Super League.

 

[Taking The Two]

Anyway, teams are releasing who their first home game of the season is against tomorrow.

Cas have accidentally leaked theirs already. Wigan at home.

https://x.com/lewist719/status/1993391311777640460?s=46

 

[Timmah]

That’s a short “I have no argument to that and am too dense to create debate or rational posts so I’m going to try and merkin someone off and paint them as thick”

I don't see value in providing a more detailed response to someone who is being hyperbolic and panicked about something that has a relatively clear timeline and will be addressed quite soon. It doesn't require this level of hand-wringing. Unless you're a club boss and you're upset about not knowing, it'll all be fine within a couple of weeks.

 

[Timmah]

Anyway, teams are releasing who their first home game of the season is against tomorrow.

This was said two hours ago:

2026 Super League Fixtures » League Unlimited

leagueunlimited.com

Round 1 out Wed morning UK / Thu evening AU time; Rivals (Easter) to follow at 11pm AEDT / 12pm GMT

 

[Taking The Two]

I don't see value in providing a more detailed response to someone who is being hyperbolic and panicked about something that has a relatively clear timeline and will be addressed quite soon. It doesn't require this level of hand-wringing. Unless you're a club boss and you're upset about not knowing, it'll all be fine within a couple of weeks.

I despair if you cannot see how releasing the fixtures and not being able to have a narrative around the league table and being able to create some anticipation and excitement. It’s a sure fire way to kill momentum and deflate the moment straight away, which we are unbelievably good at. If rugby league was shooting yourself in the foot, England would be multiple time world champions.

 

[Timmah]

I despair if you cannot see how releasing the fixtures and not being able to have a narrative around the league table and being able to create some anticipation and excitement. It’s a sure fire way to kill momentum and deflate the moment straight away, which we are unbelievably good at. If rugby league was shooting yourself in the foot, England would be multiple time world champions.

Of course you despair.

You're finding misery in joy on purpose.

Nobody's thinking about the "narrative around the league table" when fixtures come out. They're looking at who they play, what trips they can make, when the derbies are etc. That's what creates the anticipation and excitement and it's not going to kill momentum or deflate the moment.

 

[Perth Red]

Which then creates a race to administration or contracts being null and void once relegation happens, as we’ve seen numerous times.




That’s a short “I have no argument to that and am too dense to create debate or rational posts so I’m going to try and merkin someone off and paint them as thick”

All players contracts have a relegation get out clause, regardless of clubs. You said this delay was forcing the new clubs to sign players on one year deals, that’s blatantly not true.

 

[Perth Red]

Of course you despair.

You're finding misery in joy on purpose.

Nobody's thinking about the "narrative around the league table" when fixtures come out. They're looking at who they play, what trips they can make, when the derbies are etc. That's what creates the anticipation and excitement and it's not going to kill momentum or deflate the moment.

Yep! Got my eye out ready for the hull derbies and away at Toulouse! Didn’t think much to Everton so I’ll reluctantly skip MW (would have gone if Newcastle) to go to Toulouse of timing is tight and we’re not somewhere else. Can’t wait for the season ahead. Could be a classic with a number of teams in potential contention for title and the interest in seeing how the new clubs go. Knights will become my second team.

 

[Taking The Two]

Of course you despair.

You're finding misery in joy on purpose.

Nobody's thinking about the "narrative around the league table" when fixtures come out. They're looking at who they play, what trips they can make, when the derbies are etc. That's what creates the anticipation and excitement and it's not going to kill momentum or deflate the moment.

Well, that’s it. Nobody can immediately get their teeth into a fixture list. No, looking to see if there’s a tough run of games in the middle of the season for York. No, “well, Bradford have Wigan, Hull KR, Warrington, Saints and Leeds in August, that could be a pivotal month for them if they’re to survive”, no looking out for when Huddersfield are at Odsal, when York and Toulouse face off, when Bradford have Cas. No “how will three York and Huddersfield fixtures make the season and league table look come September when Bradford have a tougher extra game having to play Leeds”. None of that. Thinking about it? No, don’t do that. Don’t even think about it. Old Timmah has spoken for the masses.

It’s like a mechanic giving you a car with three tyres to drive for a fortnight. “Ah, never mind mate, it’ll be fine in a couple of weeks when we finally get that fourth tyre on. Nothing to worry about”. Well, no, it’s stupid, it’s not a complete product and any momentum and hype from the fixtures being released is immediately deflated by not knowing and having to wait for another couple of weeks to find out whether the fixture released a fortnight before actually has any meaning to it and by that point, momentum is all gone, focus is on something entirely different, happening somewhere else, most likely in another sport and that iron you could have struck with whilst it was hot is colder than an afternoon on an Odsal terrace in February. Instead of having journalists rattling into Luke Robinson about Huddersfield’s massive third game of the year against York or how Sylvain Houles is going to tackle that opening month of the season where Toulouse have to go to two notoriously tough teams to play at in Wigan and Hull KR, whilst also having Leigh in the opening month, alongside the usual talk of whether KR can do it again, can Wigan win anything this year, is Rowley actually cut out for a top job and in which month does Brad Arthur toss it and go and do any job whatsoever that he can get in Australia and actually talking up the sport and creating even more debate, it’s pushed down the road.

Fixtures being released is a big day in the calendar, it’s best to be able to tell people about your product in its entirety, not come back in a fortnight and see if most of these rounds actually matters for 4-5 clubs.

 

[Timmah]

Well, that’s it. Nobody can immediately get their teeth into a fixture list. No, looking to see if there’s a tough run of games in the middle of the season for York. No, “well, Bradford have Wigan, Hull KR, Warrington, Saints and Leeds in August, that could be a pivotal month for them if they’re to survive”, no looking out for when Huddersfield are at Odsal, when York and Toulouse face off, when Bradford have Cas. No “how will three York and Huddersfield fixtures make the season and league table look come September when Bradford have a tougher extra game having to play Leeds”. None of that. Thinking about it? No, don’t do that. Don’t even think about it. Old Timmah has spoken for the masses.

It’s like a mechanic giving you a car with three tyres to drive for a fortnight. “Ah, never mind mate, it’ll be fine in a couple of weeks when we finally get that fourth tyre on. Nothing to worry about”. Well, no, it’s stupid, it’s not a complete product and any momentum and hype from the fixtures being released is immediately deflated by not knowing and having to wait for another couple of weeks to find out whether the fixture released a fortnight before actually has any meaning to it and by that point, momentum is all gone, focus is on something entirely different, happening somewhere else, most likely in another sport and that iron you could have struck with whilst it was hot is colder than an afternoon on an Odsal terrace in February. Instead of having journalists rattling into Luke Robinson about Huddersfield’s massive third game of the year against York or how Sylvain Houles is going to tackle that opening month of the season where Toulouse have to go to two notoriously tough teams to play at in Wigan and Hull KR, whilst also having Leigh in the opening month, alongside the usual talk of whether KR can do it again, can Wigan win anything this year, is Rowley actually cut out for a top job and in which month does Brad Arthur toss it and go and do any job whatsoever that he can get in Australia and actually talking up the sport and creating even more debate, it’s pushed down the road.

Fixtures being released is a big day in the calendar, it’s best to be able to tell people about your product in its entirety, not come back in a fortnight and see if most of these rounds actually matters for 4-5 clubs.

This is childish tantrum throwing because the league isn't being run exactly the way you'd like. Your assessment of "no this" and "no that" is utterly absurd. People will absolutely be looking for all the clashes, when they are. Whether a club is facing relegation or in the title race next July or August is moot to fans looking at a fixture list in f**king November this year lmao.

The implication that the fixture doesn't have any meaning to it because the possibility of relegation vs IMG gradings is another example of your long-winded hyperbolic nonsense.

The clubs and the league will know how to hype the fixture list and their fans will react accordingly.

Only you will be sitting here miserable over a fixture list because you don't know what happens to a team that will be sitting in 14th place in 10 sodding months from now.

 

[Taking The Two]

This is childish tantrum throwing because the league isn't being run exactly the way you'd like. Your assessment of "no this" and "no that" is utterly absurd. People will absolutely be looking for all the clashes, when they are. Whether a club is facing relegation or in the title race next July or August is moot to fans looking at a fixture list in f**king November this year lmao.

The implication that the fixture doesn't have any meaning to it because the possibility of relegation vs IMG gradings is another example of your long-winded hyperbolic nonsense.

The clubs and the league will know how to hype the fixture list and their fans will react accordingly.

Only you will be sitting here miserable over a fixture list because you don't know what happens to a team that will be sitting in 14th place in 10 sodding months from now.

Fans will look at the fixture list but looking at the fixture list is moot. What one is it then, big’un?

Teams, broadcasters, players, fans and sponsors not knowing what is being played for when the fixtures released and barely 8 weeks before the season beginning is the real nonsense and some weird Aussie laidback “nah, chill” doesn’t make it right. It’s not done in any other sport or sporting league and certainly not in any credible competition that allegedly wants to grow and be taken seriously.