SUPER LEAGUE PREVIEW: Back in the Starting Blocks

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The 20th January 2020 seems a long time ago! The start of the new Super League season was just over a week away, we published our season preview and we thought 'coronavirus' was an immaterial illness that would only impact China. Turns out our coronavirus predictions were as inaccurate as our Super League predictions!

This Sunday, after a 4 and a half month pandemic-related hiatus, Super League returns, but not as we know it. Cardboard fans will replace real ones. Home games are a distant memory. Fake crowd noise will replace the matchday atmosphere. We wait with anticipation to see if fake crowd noise has mastered the shout of 'gerrum onside'.

As always seems to be the case in rugby league, off field matters dominate to an unhealthy extent. The build up to the season resumption has been no different. Toronto Wolfpack's surprise withdrawal from the 2020 competition and the subsequent fallout has dominated discussions.

In fairness, there is good reason for that. The off field drama crosses over with the on field product. Toronto's results have been expunged. As they played the top-ranked teams, top and bottom of the league is now separated by just six points, first and ninth place by four points and the top seven by just two points.

The Super League we return to looks very different to the one we abandoned in March. The play off places reduced by one, the threat of relegation gone, the new 'six again' rule and no scrums are all unexpected mid-season amendments. And it's easy to forget that Hull FC are without a coach, as Lee Radford was sacked immediately after Hull FC's most recent fixture, yet to be replaced on a permanent basis.

The first week of action features just two games and sides try to make up their games in hand. It may seem a lifetime ago but World Club Challenges, February storms and coronavirus travel concerns have left an imbalanced table. For example, Leeds and Catalans have played just four fixtures, whereas Hull FC have played seven.

It is hard to draw conclusions where such imbalance exists, and also where no side has played for so long. A tentative conclusion to reach is that no side has really hit top gear in 2020 yet. Last year's Grand Finalists have both lost more games than they have won. Big spending Hull FC have faltered and Warrington have been inconsistent.

Wigan and Castleford have had positive results but both will feel they have much more to give. It felt as though there was a void. Huddersfield, Leeds and Catalans, three sides who disappointed in 2020, have the best percentage win record. They will seek to fill that void.

We will see three of those sides next Sunday in action (St Helens vs Catalans and Huddersfield vs Leeds). It will be interesting to see if they pick up where they left up.

Whatever happens from here, 2020's Super League season will be an abnormal one. The sides that adopt, embrace and thrive in this abnormality will be the sides that threaten the most.

In the most strange of years for us all, one where everything we knew has changed, could the same be happening in rugby league? Can a new side take advantage and emerge with their name on the Super League trophy? You would be brave to pick a winner at this stage, with all sides back in the starting blocks after a false start!

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