Super League's expansion is already raising big questions

Super League has officially expanded to a 14-team competition for the 2026 season, following the inclusion of Bradford Bulls, York Knights and Toulouse Olympique.

- By JOSH MCALLISTER

(SMARTFRAME/NEWS IMAGES)

The trio of Championship heavyweights had their promotions confirmed late last week, while Salford Red Devils' stay in the top flight has come to an end after 17 years under IMG's new rankings.

This marks the first time in over a decade that Super League will operate with 14 clubs, setting the stage for a fascinating 2026 campaign.

Here are some of the biggest stories that could unfold over the next 12 months.

How competitive next year's expanded competition will be remains to be seen - and will only truly become clear when the new season kicks off.

All three promoted clubs are now beginning intense recruitment drives to build Super League-standard squads capable of delivering on the promise of being competitive - just weeks before preseason training will take place.

Last season saw a clear split in standards, with clubs such as Castleford, Catalans, Huddersfield and crisis-hit Salford struggling to keep pace with the elite.

Both Castleford Tigers and Catalans Dragons are entering new eras under head coaches Ryan Carr and Joel Tomkins respectively, and will be determined to improve on their bottom-four finishes in 2025.