Salford Red Devils controversy, captain’s challenge, Hull FC and Super League round one talking points

Super League is underway and it’s fair to say round one certainly wasn’t lacking drama or talking points.

Leigh Leopards got the season up and running as they recorded a 1-0 golden point win over Wigan Warriors thanks to a Gareth O’Brien drop goal and Hull KR needed a one-pointer in extra time from Mikey Lewis, too, as they sealed a 19-18 win.

Hull FC got the win their fans so desperate craved at Catalans Dragons before Wakefield Trinity and St Helens picking up two points on Saturday afternoon. The weekend came to an end as Warrington Wolves edged out a game Huddersfield Giants side at the John Smith’s Stadium.

Here’s a few of our thoughts.

Super League Round One talking points

Let’s get ready to rumble

“LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE!” 🔊

The legendary Michael Buffer introduces Wigan Warriors & Leigh Leopards 🤩 pic.twitter.com/pXaneKIZHY

— Sky Sports Rugby League (@SkySportsRL) February 13, 2025

Hands up, who ever thought they would see legendary boxing announcer Michael Buffer working a Super League game? We certainly didn’t, but as he bellowed out those immortal words in front of a sell out crowd at the Brick Community Stadium, it was enough to send a tingle of excitement down your spine.

Boxing fans will know that Buffer doesn’t come cheap but he always delivers on the night, which is exactly what Wigan and Leigh did, too. Both sides went at it hammer and tongs and while they couldn’t get over the line, the competitive, intense nature of the contest ensured supporters couldn’t take their eyes off it.

That drama carried into Friday’s clash between Hull KR and Castleford, another game settled by a golden point drop goal, before Wakefield Trinity and Warrington Wolves edged wins in tight games. It wasn’t all rosy of course and we’ll get into that, but Super League is back with a bang and we love it!

Salford farce

The one game that threatened to mar the round was St Helens’ clash with Salford Red Devils, which was quite simply a farce. With Salford waiting on their takeover to be ratified by the RFL, they are still operating under an imposed sustainability cap, ensuring they were unable to name their strongest side for round one against St Helens.

After a lengthy wait on Thursday afternoon, Paul Rowley eventually named a squad made up of reserves and academy talent, with the head coach making it clear that he was unaware of selection restrictions, limiting him to the same group of senior players that featured in the Challenge Cup earlier this month, while the cap remains in place. Rowley went on to further explain his selection by saying injuries had occurred before outlining his reluctance to mix his senior side with the reserves.

Communication seems to have been lacking from both sides throughout the saga but particularly last week. To then broadcast what played out to the nation on BBC Two, as St Helens recorded a landslide 82-0 win, it certainly wasn’t a good look for the sport.

Salford will have their reasons but the fact is takeover processes take time with due diligence required in order for the governing body to sign things off. Hull FC’s takeover wasn’t played out so publicly given it came under very different circumstances during the off-season, but that took close to a month between striking a deal and completion, for example.

Salford’s staff and players have been paid in full, but until all the t’s are crossed and the i’s dotted, they can’t expect restrictions to be lifted just yet. To use Rowley’s analogy, the Red Devils have a fuelled up car in the garage ready to go, but unfortunately, it’s not taxed, MOT’d and insured.

Captain’s challenge and golden point

Round one saw the introduction of captain’s challenge but it will clearly take some time for it to be used effectively. For the most part the ability to question refereeing decisions was wasted by Super League skippers, with challenges being misused.

Each challenge took so long, too, with video referees attempting to pore over footage from every available angle, making it seem like a bit of a drag. The process needs to be a lot smoother but captains have to learn to use them better, too.

Our golden point angle is not a new one, but this weekend only highlighted one of the major downfalls of the system, with the losing team going away empty handed. The concept of golden point is a good one, with the drama of this weekend showcasing just what it adds to the game, but the draw over 80 minutes needs to be recognised with a point.

Sport is cut-throat and the all or nothing nature of golden point is certainly a spectacle but Wigan and Castleford deserved a point for their efforts over the initial 80 minutes and that could be something for the governing body to look at down the line.

Are Hull FC back?

It’s fair to say that after what they’ve been through, Hull FC fans deserved that win in Perpignan on Friday night. The Black and Whites won just three games in 2024 and in truth, the club probably couldn’t sink any lower.

However, with new owners, a new head coach and a raft of new signings in place, they had reason to be optimistic going into the season and the performance against Catalans proved that wasn’t misplaced. One swallow doesn’t make a summer and John Cartwright will be looking to see improvements from his side as the weeks and months progress.

He’ll have been delighted with the grit, resilience and edge his side showed to pick up the opening round win though, with plenty of those traits missing from the Hull we saw last season. We’ll certainly know more about the Black and Whites after round two though when they take on Wigan Warriors at the MKM Stadium.