Super League Dream Team prediction with 6 sides involved and 1 shock omission

It’s that time of the year again and with the official Super League Dream Team announced on Sunday, we’ve picked our own.

The shirt presentations for the Super League Dream Team will be made on Monday but the team will come 24 hours prior to that on Sunday afternoon.

We’ve opted to get in early and make our selections, which will no doubt be controversial as selecting a Dream Team always is.

Season form is the biggest factor in selection and that’s seen one huge name left out but several positions had numerous contenders vying for the spot.

Across the 13-man squad, six of the twelve teams in Super League are represented with each of Wigan Warriors, Hull KR, Warrington Wolves, Leigh Leopards and Salford Red Devils all boasting two or more players.

With all that said, here’s the Serious About Rugby League Dream Team for 2024.

Serious About Rugby League’s Super League Dream Team

Full-back: Matt Dufty (Warrington Wolves)

This is the position where there is no doubt at all. Matt Dufty has been hands down the most dominant full-back in Super League this season. Whilst players such as Jai Field, Niall Evalds and Ryan Brierley, all of whom have been injured like Dufty, are more defensively solid, the assets Dufty brings to Warrington’s attack are undeniable. A tally of 17 tries and 19 assists prove that.

Winger: Matty Ashton (Warrington Wolves)

Another Warrington speedster in the backline as Ashton gets the nod over a series of other names, primarily due to consistency. Players such as Adam Swift and Ash Handley had electric starts to the year but were derailed by injury. Innes Senior was also a contender for the first half of the season but Ashton has continuously impressed and scoring 18 tries is no mean feat.

Centre: Peta Hiku (Hull KR)

Fans who haven’t watched Hull KR lots this season might laugh at this with Hiku making waves for the wrong reasons at the start of the season. His kicking display in Round One and his subsequent games at full-back were shaky but a return to the centres unlocked him and he’s been brilliant ever since. 26 try contributions is what edges him here over Salford’s Nene Macdonald who has also been spectacular.

Centre: Jake Wardle (Wigan Warriors)

There is not a position in Super League where the best player in the position is more clear of second than Jake Wardle at centre. The Wigan Warriors man is that good. He might have only scored nine tries but 15 assists and an average gain of 9.69 metres (most of anyone with other 200 carries) show why he’s the best in the business. Wigan know that too, hence he is contracted till 2029.

Winger: Liam Marshall (Wigan Warriors)

One of the reasons why Jake Wardle has so many assists at centre in Super League is because of this man. Liam Marshall is the competition’s top scorer with 27 tries and plenty of those have been spectacular. He’s set to make his England debut against Samoa later this year and it’s been thoroughly deserved.

Stand-off: Marc Sneyd (Salford Red Devils)

The first big disclaimer of the team comes at stand-off given that Marc Sneyd is not necessarily a stand-off by trade. Instead, he just dominates the halves for Salford and it was impossible not to pick him. Very few players are as influential to their team’s success as Sneyd is to Salford, be it his 22 assists or his 210 points (tied-most with Mikey Lewis).

Scrum-half: Mikey Lewis (Hull KR)

Speaking of Mikey Lewis, he takes the scrum-half slot which means that Man of Steel Bevan French misses out with many touting Lewis to claim that prize this season. There’s no doubt that French is the best in the business on his day but that day has not come enough in 2024, whereas for Lewis, it has come most weeks. He has the most try contributions in Super League with 19 tries and 22 assists and he’s made it very difficult for Shaun Wane to overlook him for the two tests against Samoa.

Prop: Herman Ese’ese (Hull FC)

Marc Sneyd might be essential to Salford’s success but he might not have put a team’s hopes on his back as much as Herman Ese’ese has at Hull FC. In what has been a dismal season the prop has been the only senior player to truly step up. He has the most tackle bust of any forward (118) with no other forward passing 100. He also leads Super League for offloads alongside maverick Hakim Miloudi.

Hooker: Danny Walker (Warrington Wolves)

There’s a reason that Canberra Raiders have been sniffing around for Danny Walker and quite simply it’s because he’s the best nine in Super League. Others have maybe shown better flashes of form with Daryl Clark and Hull KR duo Matt Parcell and Jez Litten shining at times, but Walker has been so dependable throughout the campaign. Had Brad O’Neill not got injured, there might have been a coin flip between the two men.

Prop: Tom Amone (Leigh Leopards)

It’s an incredible shame that Tom Amone is leaving Super League. When announcing his signing with Canterbury Bulldogs, Gus Gould labelled him the best forward in Super League and he wasn’t far wrong. Amone has been exceptional for Leigh but it’s probably only his try tally that sees him beat out Luke Thompson who has been one of the signings of the season over at Wigan.

Second-row: Kallum Watkins (Salford Red Devils)

Watkins seemed a strange choice by the Super League Dream Team panel in 2023 but he thoroughly deserves a spot in 2024. The Salford captain has been a mountain in the forward pack, playing in every single game prior to last night’s game against Wigan. He leads Super League for marker tackles and has averaged a whopping 32.5 tackles per game. He’d also skipper this side.

Second-row: Kai O’Donnell (Leigh Leopards)

Just like Tom Amone, what a shame that Super League won’t be seeing Kai O’Donnell in 2025. The second-rower has been exceptional at times and has beaten out strong players such as Junior Nsemba (who will undoubtedly be crowned Super League Young Player of the Year), Rhyse Martin and Dean Hadley, but the Leigh man deserves his place here.

Loose forward: Elliot Minchella (Hull KR)

The furore over Minchella’s ban has only served to highlight how crucial he is to Hull KR. The skipper has earned an England call-up this season and has been one of the leading tacklers in Super League, all whilst still acting as a good outlet for the spine. Salford’s Oliver Partington, Catalans’ Ben Garcia and Wigan’s Kaide Ellis all had shouts but none have been as good and as consistent as the Hull KR skipper.

Stats sourced from Super League website