Three Super League teams that disappointed in 2021

The Super League play-offs are just around the corner, but for some teams, they have either not made it or lacked the cutting edge that will set them apart from other teams. But, just which three Super League teams have disappointed the most?

Castleford Tigers

Castleford went into the 2021 season knowing that 2020 had been a bit of a disaster. They had finished outside the play-offs in a full season under Daryl Powell for the first time, with speculation surrounding Powell’s future rearing its head. That speculation became concrete early on this season, with Steve Price’s exit confirmed from Warrington, Powell was the man that Wolves CEO Karl Fitzpatrick called upon.

Since that moment, the Tigers never looked the full package with the Challenge Cup seemingly the target for Powell and his men. Credit where credit is due, they made the Wembley occasion, but were overrun by a determined St Helens side. And, with terrible losses to the likes of Leeds and Salford in Super League, a shot at the Grand Final appeared unlikely. Losses to Hull KR and then Warrington on Thursday night ended Castleford’s season as a damp squib, with the likes of Michael Shenton, Grant Millington, Jesse Sene-Lefao and Peter Mata’utia bowing out in miserable fashion.

The capture of Lee Radford as head coach from 2022 onwards will see a new look Jungle after almost a decade of Powell’s era, with the signings of Bureta Faraimo, Jake Mamo and Joe Westerman ushering in what should be exciting times after a stagnant last few years. Tigers fans should be the most excited they have been since 2017.

Huddersfield Giants

A lot was made of Huddersfield Giants ahead of the 2021 season given the capture of highly-rated Ian Watson as head coach after guiding Salford Red Devils to both a Grand Final and Challenge Cup Final in successive seasons. The signing of Josh Jones and Luke Yates also inspired a number of Giants fans into believing that it could finally have been a year to remember after a few seasons out in the wilderness.

Yet, Huddersfield lost their opening four games of the Super League season with relegation a real concern before a smattering of good results here and there – including a 30-18 victory over Catalans Dragons in the south of France in the penultimate game of the regular season – guaranteed safety.

A plus for Watson’s men going forward into 2022 is the amount of young players being brought through at the club, with Will Pryce in particular playing a key role in helping Huddersfield climb the table.

Hull FC

Like Castleford, 2020 was rather a torrid year for Hull FC. They lost Lee Radford early on in 2020 after chairman Adam Pearson famously sacked him on live television. Assistant coach Andy Last steered the Airlie Birds to the play-offs, but Pearson went with former Warrington Wolves fullback Brett Hodgson as the new boss ahead of the 2021 season.

That decision seemed to pay off early in 2021, but disruption with COVID and serious injuries to the likes of Josh Griffin and Carlos Tuimavave derailed Hull’s season to the point at which they exited the top six with barely a hope left.

With just one win from their last 11 games, Hodgson’s men felt the full backlash from the Black & Whites’ faithful especially with Hull still one of the main spenders in Super League. At least, under Radford, the Airlie Birds won back-to-back Challenge Cups even if they were still dismal in the league.

A lot needs to be done ahead of 2022 with Hodgson not pulling any punches about his side’s performances in the latter stages of the season, with a 44-12 thrashing by Wakefield the final straw for many supporters.