Last week, the Super League fixtures were released, as fans from all clubs will be assessing their club’s fixtures for the upcoming campaign.
Following the release, we ranked the difficulty of every side’s first five matches based on their opponent’s league finish in 2025. St Helens were deemed to have the ‘easiest’ start on paper, but a trip to Perpignan and bouts against both Leigh and Wigan mean that Paul Rowley’s opening set of fixtures are a lot tougher than what they look to be.
Now, we have taken at look at each club’s run-in to end the season, and judged their final five matches using the same criteria. Hull KR, will be given a value of one, given that they finished top, with the Warriors being valued at two, and so on. York Knights will be valued at 12, given they finished highest of the three promoted clubs in the regular Championship season, and will be followed by Toulouse then Bradford at 14.
With that in mind, here is how the run-ins look for every side in the top flight, and there are some heavyweight clashes to end the season that could go a long way in determining the final standings.
Super League run-ins ranked by difficulty
1. St Helens
Final five: Wakefield (A), Castleford (H), Leeds (H), Leigh (A), Hull KR (H). Average 2025 position: 5
Going from having the easiest start to the hardest run-in, Saints have three matches against last year’s top four to end the year. They have once again being handed a tough end to the season, and if the campaign just gone is anything to go by, the games against Leigh and Leeds in particular could once again be a battle for a top four spot, so victory there will be crucial.
2. Leeds Rhinos
Final five: Leigh (H), York (A), St Helens (A), Wigan (H), Hull FC (H). Average 2025 position: 5.8
Brad Arthur’s men will have a difficult end to the year, facing three of the other five play-off sides. However, the Rhinos can take confidence from the fact that they beat both Leigh and Wigan at Headingley in 2025, something that they will need to do again if they are to be in and around the top spots.
3. Wakefield Trinity
Final five: St Helens (H), Wigan (A), York (H), Warrington (H), Leigh (A). Average 2025 position: 6
Daryl Powell’s men will have a play-off rematch against the Leopards on the final day, and if they are to solidify their status as a top six team, will need to continue to pick up wins against the bigger teams, as they did this season. Trinity have to travel to Perpignan in the game prior to the run-in, which is another tough test, regardless of how the Dragons are performing.
4. Catalans Dragons
Final five: Hull KR (A), Hull FC (H), Castleford (A), York (H), Wigan (A). Average 2025 position: 6.6
It doesn’t need saying that Catalans need to have a much-improved year, following on from this season’s catastrophe. Joel Tomkins has recruited a new-look side next year, with many players coming from the NRL. They end the year with away trips to the top two, as well as a game against Hull FC, who could well be a fellow play-off chaser come August and September.
5. Wigan Warriors
Final five: Bradford (A), Wakefield (H), Hull KR (H), Leeds (A), Catalans (H). Average 2025 position: 6.8
Matt Peet heads into his a season as Wigan boss trophyless for the first time since his maiden campaign back in 2022. How they come back from their Grand Final defeat will be telling, but with the club’s history of success they will no doubt be in and around the top spots once again. A game against Hull KR with three rounds to go will no doubt be once again crucial, as it was when the sides met in Round 22 this year.
6. Huddersfield Giants
Final five: Toulouse (A), Warrington (A), Leigh (H), Hull KR (A), Castleford (H) Average 2o25 position: 7.2
Luke Robinson’s men ended their most recent campaign relatively strongly, picking up four wins from their last nine matches. They will be hoping for a similar end to next year’s season, and if they can keep their star players on the field, will have much more of a chance in climbing the table.
=7. Hull KR
Final five: Catalans (H), Toulouse (H), Wigan (A), Huddersfield (H), St Helens (A). Average 2025 position: 7.8
Much like Wigan, the game between 2025’s top two is by far the key fixture in both sides’ run-in. The Robins do also have a tough final game, as they travel to St Helens who, under Paul Rowley, look like they could be on the rise, and will no doubt put up a strong performance, especially with it being the Red Vee’s final home game of the year.
=7. Leigh Leopards
Final five: Leeds (A), Bradford (H), Huddersfield (A), St Helens (H), Wakefield (H). Average 2025 position: 7.8
Adrian Lam’s men were ranked second for hardest starts, but they face a slightly easier end to the year, as they sit mid table for the run-in. Games against three of the other teams that finished in the play-offs mean will once again prove tricky, with their play-off opponents from this year, Wakefield, making for a tasty final round clash.
9. Toulouse Olympique
Final five: Huddersfield (H), Hull KR (A), Bradford (H), Hull FC (H), Warrington (A). Average 2025 position: 8
The French side face a slightly easier end to the year than they do the first, with their starting five games averaging a league position of 7.6. Sylvain Houles is fast approaching 300 games in charge of the club, and if they are to get any shock results this season, you’d expect them to come at home. With three games out of the last five on home turf, Toulouse need to do all they can to make the Stade Ernest Wallon somewhat of a fortress, and make travelling teams as uncomfortable as they can in the south of France.
=10. Bradford Bulls
Final five: Wigan (H), Leigh (A), Toulouse (A), Castleford (H), York (A). Average 2025 position: 8.2
The Bulls face two huge tests in Wigan and Leigh, but then have three ‘easier’ games, with two of their final few matches coming against teams that were in the Championship with them last year. Those games are the ones that the Bulls have to be winning if they are to avoid finishing at the bottom of the table.
=10. York Knights
Final five: Warrington (A), Leeds (H), Wakefield (A), Catalans (A), Bradford (H). Average 2025 position: 8.2
Despite their averages working out to be the same, York’s run-in is completely different to Bradford. Mark Applegarth’s men will have to travel to four teams that are expected to be competing for a play-off place, and with an away trip to Perpignan thrown in there, is it certainly a harder task than it looks on paper.
=12. Castleford Tigers
Final five: Hull FC (A), St Helens (A), Catalans (H), Bradford (A), Huddersfield (A) Average 2025 position: 9
Ryan Carr’s first season as the Tigers’ head coach will end with four games out of their last five away from home. In the past two seasons, the club have only won five times in 24 away matches, something that needs to be seen as a priority to Carr as he begins the first of a three-year deal.
=12. Hull FC
Final five: Castleford (H), Catalans (A), Warrington (H), Toulouse (A), Leeds (A). Average 2025 position: 9
John Cartwright narrowly missed out on the play-offs this year, finishing just one point behind Wakefield. It was defeats to the likes of Castleford and Catalans, among others, that ultimately hindered their top six chances, and with an easier-than-most end to the year, the club should be looking at three wins from their final five at a minimum, if not four.
14. Warrington Wolves
Final five: York (H), Huddersfield (H), Hull FC (A), Wakefield (A), Toulouse (H)
Coming in with the easiest run-in, on paper, is Warrington, who take on two of the three promoted clubs in the final five games. In fact, between rounds 22 and 27, they face five teams that finished 10th or below this year, giving them a real chance to end the season strong. However, before that run of games, they take on Leigh twice, Wigan and Hull KR, all in consecutive weeks. Wire’s season will revolve around consistency, and being able to deliver week in, week out – something they lacked in 2025.
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