Executive Summary Briefly summarise key themes and developments from the “Rugby League Verdict” podcast conference. The theme here is the performances of respective teams and how they relate to the remaining part of the Super League 2025 season, to the playoffs and significant coaching changes. Current Super League Landscape, the curtain is coming down to the last six Rugby League Super League 2025 matches. Some are currently at the summit while others are struggling to find the rhythm. I. Surging Teams
Hull KR Adjusted title: Hulkar. It is currently at the top of the table but “pushing towards the top of the table and the team who are surging at the moment and they look like they’re on the way to the league leader shield” despite a narrow 22-18 win against Wigan in Round 19. The team is victorious in a game.
Leigh Leopards. “What a story!” “sensational 2025” ““really managed to do an exceptional job to push almost into that top two” “incredibly entertaining to watch” and delivering some “ exceptional performances clos e.” Adrian Lamb and his boys have had a “in the form of their lives” and “it’s been so great to watch these boys blossom”
Wakefield. “They’ve impressed me! They are one point outside the top six, and honestly, they’ve just played the competition in the full ball. Different to everybody else,” he mentioned that Wakefield has played ‘sexy energetic’ rugby games; it’s a “success story”. Their style has been impressive, and their confidence has led many to think they could be in the playoff mix. II. Stumbling Teams:
Catalan Dragons: The Dragons are “ninth spot in the table” and have had an “absolutely nightmare of a year”. They are plainly in “a state of flux” after the loss of Steve McNamara and have almost completely changed.
Warrington Wolves: They are “not having a great season,” lying “three points off the top six” and recently losing to Castleford, a game they “would have expected to win.” At the other end, nd they have a difficult “run-in” with “Lee Wigan twice and then on the last round face Hull Krara”. Well, mathematically, they have to win “six out of the last nine games” to make history with the minimum required 30 points, but given their form and the fixture list, it is improbable. “Everything for Warrington rests on the Leigh game.” The amount of “resilience or fight or competitive spirit” they have compared to last year it’s a concern. Their “Vegas” game, in which they were “dismantled by Wigan,” is mentioned as the tide-turning moment that triggered a “disappearing” of belief and a “leaking of points.”
II. Joel Tomkins confirmed as permanent Catalans head coach
Joel Tomkins has been appointed as the permanent head coach of the Catalan Dragons on a deal until 2027.
A. Vision for the Club:
“It’s been a turbulent year,” says Tomkins, “but we’re looking to turn a corner now over these next eight weeks and build into next season.”
A philosophy that appealed to owner Bernard. The vision, which Bernard mentioned in an interview last month, is a “different type of recruitment” concentrating on “a younger generation of players”. That’s different to the Dragons’ policy of “bigger names… coming over to play for us for the last couple of years of their careers”.
The new recruitment strategy will be to attract “guys on the way up in their careers who want to come develop their game and make a name for themselves.” Comments: Well. It was always going to be a risk, and it’s not paying off so far, with the Dragons desperately struggling to find the tryline. Tomkins is more than happy for those players to jump ship and take up their next challenge in the NRL if that’s something that happens, or “hopefully they stay here long term” if they enjoy their time playing for the Dragons.
No names were mentioned, of course, but Tomkins has said there are already “a few boys over the line already” – “definitely exciting talent” – with the right reasons, coming to the Dragons for the right reasons and with the right attitude.
B. Playoff Aspirations for 2025:
“Yeah, they’re nine points outside the top six, there’s no getting away from it,” Tomkins says, “but we’ve eight games left and it’s still mathematically possible,e, so anything is mathematically possible now we haven’t given up.”
But he is a “realist” and has to “admit to myself it probably is not”. We’d need so many things to go right for us, and to have such a massive turnaround both in form and in results.”
“What we’ll have to start doing now is just focus on how we want to play and just build on that and kind of perform each week,” Latrell Mitchell said on Monday, “we’ll try and put some good habits into our game and hit the ground running for next season if we don’t make the playoffs.”
C. Sam Tomkins’ Retirement from Rugby League and Media Position:
Joel also said his brother Sam Tomkins will not be part of the Dragons staff next year, as it’s the “right time for Sam to hang up the boots.”
Sam is “fairly straight becoming a member yourself, Jenner and Jo, John and the family at Sky Sports into the studio next year” and is “really looking forward to being part of the media”. Joel thinks Sam “is good at it” and that “it’s good for the game having people who have opinions, who and they’re not afraid to give their opinions.”
III. Playoff Race and Key Fixtures
The jostling for playoff spots, especially Nos. 5-8, “should be fascinating.”
Three-way tussle for sixth: The race for the top six will be a “brilliant three-way tussle” between Hull FC, Wakefield and Warrington.
Hull FC Revolution: Hull FC’s remarkable “positive story” – from “second bottom last year” to John Cartwright and Richie Milo – was the work of miracle workers. “But they are a massive club and I am sure the fans have stuck with the team and they’ve turned out in numbers again this year.
Round 20 Pick of the Round: Wakefield take on Leeds (Sky Sports Plus) +#+ Game 8 is Wakefield Trinity v Leeds.
IV. Disparity in Team Performance
A significant difference between the top sides (Hull KR, Wigan and Leigh) and the rest is their “desperation to defend”.
These top three teams “turn up every week consistently and do it,” he said, regardless of the conditions or the player involved.
Whereas other teams “have a week off here and there,” it’s a stark indicator of “resilience” and “making a good fist of it.”
The Super League 2025 season is set to have a “hugely exciting end,” as the playoff race and the results of teams on a hot run of form versus those in a demoralising free-fall shape make for intriguing storylines.
