The new year is just around the corner and for Super League, the 2026 season looks set to be an intriguing one.
Eyes are on the competition following the expansion, with three teams stepping up from the Championship to the top flight and with the competition’s main broadcast and sponsorship deals up for renewal, the next few months will be absolutely massive for the competition and the sport in the Northern Hemisphere.
In terms of the talent on the field, though, the future looks bright for Super League and over the course of the 2026 campaign, a number of youngsters looks set to go from promising talents to first-team stars.
With that in mind, here’s a look at five current Super League players who will be looking to have breakout years in 2026.
Five Super League youngsters set to have breakout seasons
Tom Forber
Forber is highly thought of at Wigan Warriors and the five year deal he penned in July only serves to underline that. Unfortunately, though, 2025 wasn’t his year.
The 22-year-old did make six appearances for Wigan this year but his season came to an end in August with a wrist injury requiring surgery. He’s back in training now though, and he’ll be determined to kick on and push the likes of Brad O’Neill and Kruise Leeming for a spot in the Cherry and Whites line-up.
He has stiff competition but he’ll get a chance at some stage and he’ll be desperate to make the most of it and take the next in his development having made 18 outings for Wigan so far.
Max Simpson
Simpson made his return to action after three years out in August as he started for Leeds Rhinos in the win over Hull FC at the MKM Stadium. The outing brought an end to a hellish period for the centre, who hadn’t been seen since picking up an injury in a clash against Toulouse Olympique in 2022.
He went on to make three appearances over the final months of the Super League season and he penned a new three-year deal with the Rhinos earlier this month, which demonstrated what Leeds think about the 21-year-old. With Harry Newman leaving at the end of the season to go to the NRL, there’s a possibility that Simpson might have been earmarked as his long term replacement.
Cai Taylor-Wray
The 19-year-old has been handed the number one shirt by Sam Burgess this season and that’s enough to underline how highly he is rated at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. Of course, Matt Dufty is still at the club but it seems Taylor-Wray will be given the opportunity to claim the starting full-back spot for himself and he’s already demonstrated how talented he is.
Taylor-Wray has made 11 appearances for the Wolves so far in his career and he has scored five tries. Five of those outings came last season with the full-back taking on the role for the final two league games against Hull FC and Hull KR.
He is one of a handful of youngsters in the process of breaking through in primrose and blue, but he’s one who looks set to be handed an early opportunity.
George Whitby
Whitby broke onto the scene in April last year, when he started as a scrum-half in the win over Wakefield Trinity. The youngster impressed and he managed to keep hold of his spot for two months before Paul Wellens decided to opt for more experience.
However, Paul Rowley has never been afraid to put his faith in youngsters and, while the signing of Jackson Hastings doesn’t necessarily boost his odds of playing, the opportunity to learn from such a player will only be good for Whitby.
He’ll have his chances in 2026 for certain and while he is only 19, the half-back has the self belief and composure needed to take them.
Clement Martin
The Frenchman made four appearances for Catalans in 2025 in what was a difficult season for the club. However, he still managed to make his mark with a try coming in the win over Huddersfield Giants in round 16 and he’ll be striving to build on that under Joel Tomkins next year.
He has competition for places with the likes of Charlie Staines, Solomona Faataape and Josh Simm arriving in the off-season to play a similar position, but Martin is one of a handful of talented players to have come through the system in Perpignan of late and he’ll be looking to learn and take the next step.
