Nine rounds into Super League, we’ve picked out our strongest XIII made entirely of new signings for the 2026 season.
Round eight of the competition threw up more shock results with Wigan Warriors losing to Castleford Tigers, whilst both Leeds Rhinos and Wakefield Trinity scored more than 50 points in dominant wins to move first and second. Round nine then saw Wigan’s losing streak continue whilst Leeds Rhinos, Hull FC and Hull KR all put up big points.
Across the opening nine rounds, there have been plenty of standout players, some of whom have called their current club home for years, but plenty of new recruits have also impressed.
We’ve picked out a full starting XIII comprised entirely of new signings to paint a picture of who has been the most impactful recruit in each position just under a quarter of the way into the new campaign.
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Which Super League signings have impressed the most?
Full-back: Charlie Staines (Catalans Dragons)
Staines almost wins this by default in the sense that not many clubs signed new full-backs whilst the position is also going through an injury crisis, however, there is plenty of merit in his selection.
He’s by far the best metre-maker so far with over 1,500 metres already and an average of almost 200 per game. He’s also bagged four tries including his impressive breakway score against Hull FC in round six.
Winger: Josh Smith (Warrington Wolves)
Signed as a centre, Smith has spent plenty of time on the wing due to the injury to Matty Ashton. When the England international returned, Smith then retained a wing spot as Josh Thewlis moved to full-back and it’s fair to say that Smith has fit in well there.
He scored two against Leeds in round six and has made over 100 metres in four of his six appearances, whilst also fielding the high ball very well.
Centre: Sam Wood (York Knights)
It was somewhat of a surprise when Sam Wood signed for York but he’s been incredible for the Knights with the ex-Cas captain close to his incredible 2024 form. Three tries don’t tell the full story with his defensive efforts also incredibly impressive.
Centre: Krystian Mapapalangi (Castleford Tigers)
The Cas centre has been one of the standouts for the Tigers and one of the standouts across Super League with how exciting he’s been in attack, emphasised by his round eight performance against Wigan Warriors.
Mapapalangi scored two tries and also made 139 metres, backing up the 191 that he’s made in round seven against Wakefield Trinity. He also added two more tries to his tally in the loss to Hull FC this past weekend.
Winger: Innes Senior (Leigh Leopards)
Leigh are yet to fully hit their stride but one man who has impressed is Innes Senior with the ex-Cas man having cleared 100 metres in all but one game so far, even surpassing the 150-metre mark on three occasions.
He’s also scored five tries and registered an assist as well whilst putting in the hard yards when carrying early in sets.
Half-back: Jack Sinfield (Wakefield Trinity)
Sinfield secured an early move away from Leeds to back himself to earn a starting role at Wakefield and that’s exactly what he’s done with numerous Man of the Match performances following.
Daryl Powell has tipped him up as a future England international already this year which speaks volumes to his impact at the club.
Half-back: Jackson Hastings (St Helens)
In all the chaos at St Helens this year with injuries, Hastings has been a constant with his experience vital in these opening weeks.
His 13 assists rank joint-best in the competition and his in-play kicking has helped the Red Vee control games.
Prop: Ryan Sutton (Bradford Bulls)
Sutton arrived with all the pedigree but some injury concerns and they sadly appear to have been realised as he missed out this past week. Before then, he had played in all seven games and still ranks as third for most tackles in the competition at over 40 per game.
Hooker: Andy Ackers (Bradford Bulls)
Another Bulls signing who has been electric is Andy Ackers with the former Leeds man beating out the likes of Kruise Leeming and Tyson Smoothy here, largely due to the huge minutes he plays and the threat he poses down the middle.
Prop: Paul Vaughan (York Knights)
Vaughan snubbed a new deal at Warrington to sign for York and he’s showing exactly why the Knights signed him with his early performances mightily impressive, particularly his try-scoring ability with five tries already surpassing last season’s total.
Second-row: Kelepi Tanginoa (Warrington Wolves)
Another try-scoring forward, though all four came in one game, is Kelepi Tanginoa but even putting that performance aside, the second-rower has been a great addition to Wire’s pack with his punchy running helping create a hugely threatening left edge.
Second-row: James Bell (Hull FC)
James Bell missed the start of the year through injury but he’s had an immediate impact when playing with the club’s attack looking far more fluent with him involved..
Bell displayed that in the first half against Catalans in round six as he racked up two assists with his ball-playing ability from the second-row creating plenty of chances on the left edge.
Loose forward: Joe Mellor (Bradford Bulls)
No player in Super League has made more tackles per game than Joe Mellor with the Bradford man averaging over 45 per game, whilst also offering plenty in attack with his 14 offloads putting him among the top ten in that metric.
