Super League Team of the Season so far with eight clubs featured

We have passed the midpoint of the Super League season earlier this month but with the international break in full swing, it’s a good time to assess what the Super League team of the season so far looks like.

There have been plenty of standout performers for every team but only eight teams have been selected in this ‘Dream Team’ with one of those four teams absent being current playoff contenders Catalans Dragons. Whilst Steve McNamara’s side are still in the mix, their form has taken a nose dive and the team’s success has been a result of the sum of its parts instead of standout stars.

The remaining three teams without a player represented are all outside the top six in the form of Leigh Leopards, Castleford Tigers and London Broncos. Each side have had their stars shine but injuries limit their stars from breaking into this side.

For Leigh, Matt Moylan is unfortunate to play in two positions where the talent in Super League is incredible whilst Tom Amone has missed a third of the season through injury. Castleford have seen Innes Senior, Sam Wood and new signing Tex Hoy all shine but not consistently enough. As for London Broncos, the effort is undoubted but their quality hasn’t been there sadly.

We recently selected a Super League Exiles team that could be named to face England instead of France but with that said, here is our Super League team of the season so far after 15 rounds.

Quiz: Can you name every Man of Steel winner from the Super League era?

Super League Team of the Season so far…

Full-Back: Matt Dufty (Warrington Wolves)

He might be a controversial choice with his defensive capabilities questioned plenty but Matt Dufty has the stats to back up his selection, not to mention the eye test. He’s one of the most exciting players in Super League currently and that’s evident in the fact he averages almost 197 metres a game whilst boasting 21 try contributions in just 14 games.

Wingers: Ash Handley (Leeds Rhinos) and Liam Marshall (Wigan Warriors)

To start the season off, it seemed Ash Handley was having a try-of-the-season competition with himself as the Rhinos flyer scored multiple long-distance tries. The tries have steadied but he still has 11 in 12 whilst making 160 metres a game. Plus, if he’s good enough for Shaun Wane then he’s good enough for us.

The other winger is Liam Marshall who is in the form of his life with the Wigan winger scoring 16 tries in just 13 games whilst also surpassing 1,900 metres as well. Marshall leads Super League in clean breaks as well with 18 and an impressive average carry of 9.03 metres.

Centres: Nene MacDonald (Salford Red Devils) and Esan Marsters (Huddersfield Giants)

In a sight that will terrify fans other other Super League clubs and delight Salford Red Devils fans, Nene Macdonald and Salford bound, Esan Marsters lead the way as the top performing centres in 2024, ahead of linking up together in the 2025 season.

Macdonald has made the second most metres in Super League this season, with 2,323 and has the third most offloads in the competition, averaging two per game. He has scored an impressive seven tries and made three try assists for the high-flying Red Devils.

Masters is just behind Macdonald in terms of metres made, having gained an impressive 2,218 at an average of 158.43 metres per game in a struggling Huddersfield Giants side. Masters has also helped to create a total of 11 tries for the Giants so far, scoring five tries himself and registering five try assists.

Half Back: Mikey Lewis (Hull KR) and Marc Sneyd (Salford Red Devils)

Mikey Lewis showed glimpses of what he has been doing for Hull KR all season in an England shirt as he danced through the French defence to create a try for George Williams. Lewis has been inspirational for the Robins and led to pundit, Paul Cooke, stating that his form was better than England’s captain, George Williams during the commentary.

Lewis’ numbers back this up. He has an incredible 16 try assists so far this season, with seven tries. This makes his the player with the most try contributions in the league. He has also made 1,454 metres and 203 carries. He has inspired the Robins into third place in the table.

The evergreen Marc Sneyd has been similarly influential for Salford, He has a huge 17 try assists this season, which is the most on Super League, and his kicking in general play has given Salford a strong foundation for their charge into the top six. He has made 243 kicks in general play, the most in the league, and 131 attacking kicks, which is also the most this season.

Hooker: Danny Walker (Warrington Wolves)

There are several strong candidates for the hooking berth in but Danny Walker has been integral to Warrington Wolves’ resurgence under Sam Burgess. Walker has improved markedly in recent years and is now one of the leading hookers in Super League.

Walker’s work around the ruck has set him apart from the other hookers in Super League. He has made an impressive 79 marker tackles and 59 runs from dummy half in his 13 appearances so far this season. He also has a tackle efficiency of 92%, having made 418 tackles and missed just 34.

Prop: Herman Ese’ese (Hull FC) and Luke Thompson (Wigan Warriors)

Herman Ese’ese has been the standout in a very poor Hull FC side this season but he has been excellent with the former Dolphins man racking up the metres and always featuring high in the tackle count too. Ese’ese gives the Black and Whites drive and go forward and were it not for him then their entire pre-season signing spell would be redundant.

As for Luke Thomspon, he has shown why the NRL wanted him. The England international has been a mainstay in Wigan’s side and often goes under the radar because he simply does everything so efficiently but to a high level. His 41-tackle performance in the defeat against Hull KR was a herculean effort.

Second Row: Kallum Watkins (Salford Red Devils) and James Bell (St Helens)

Kallum Watkins is getting better with age and in his changed role of second-row. The Salford skipper has been an ever-present this season but at 33 he’s better than ever with his defensive output epitomising the effort that Paul Rowley demands.

He ranks sixth for the most tackles and second for the most tackles made at marker. One man who doesn’t feature as highly on those stats but is also key to everything his side does is James Bell with the Scottish international finally shaking the tag of underrated, instead becoming incredibly highly rated and respected finally.

Whether he plays in the second row or at loose forward, Bell gets his hands on the ball and makes an impact going forward whilst he has also averaged almost 30 tackles in his most recent four games as he continues to develop.

Loose Forward: Elliot Minchella (Hull KR)

Shaun Wane clearly rates him and it’s clear to see why. Elliot Minchella has been brilliant in 2024 and just like Kallum Watkins does for Paul Rowley, Minchella does the hard yards and industrious work for Willie Peters.

Minchella ranks third for tackles with a whopping 35.5 per game and also offers plenty going forward as he ranks top 20 in Super League for offloads. Happy to play with the ball in hands as well, Minchella is an extension of the spine and warrants his place in this team.

Super League Team of the Season

FB: Matt Dufty (Warrington Wolves)
WG: Ash Handley (Leeds Rhinos)
CE: Nene Macdonald (Salford Red Devils)
CE: Esan Marsters (Huddersfield Giants)
WG: Liam Marshall (Wigan Warriors)
HB: Mikey Lewis (Hull KR)
HB: Marc Sneyd (Salford Red Devils)
PR: Herman Ese’ese (Hull FC)
HK: Danny Walker (Warrington Wolves)
PR: Luke Thompson (Wigan Warriors)
SR: Kallum Watkins (Salford Red Devils)
SR: James Bell (St Helens)
LF: Elliot Minchella (Hull KR)

All stats sourced from Super League website