What the Young Super League Team of the Year would look like with Leeds Rhinos and Wigan Warriors pairs

After the Young Player of the Year nominees were announced, we composed a Young Super League Team of the Year.

The three nominees for the Young Player of the Season award were announced yesterday and for the first time since 2019, a forward is guaranteed to win. St Helens’ Matty Lees was the last forward to win the honour but all three on the shortlist this year play in the pack.

They are Wigan Warriors’ Junior Nsemba and two of last year’s nominees in St Helens’ George Delaney and Warrington Wolves’ Matty Nicholson.

It’s no surprise that we have picked all three of those men to our Young Super League Team of the Year and Shaun Wane might take note with that trio likely set to be the staple of his forward pack across the next decade.

The criteria to be nominated for the award is that a player must be under 21 in February when the season starts, which limits the pool of players to just 30 men and we have put together the very best of those Super League youngsters.

Young Super League Team of the Year

Full-back: Alfie Edgell (Leeds Rhinos) – 15 appearances and 6 tries
Edgell only made two of his 11 starts at full-back but was used there off the bench and could well have a future at the position. He’s certainly got a future at Leeds with the youngster proving to be very impressive in a disappointing season.

Wingers: Lewis Martin (Hull FC) – 24 appearances and 9 tries & Jason Qareqare (Castleford Tigers) – 17 appearances and 6 tries
Lewis Martin can consider himself unlucky not to be in the three-man shortlist with the Hull FC man being brilliant for the Super League strugglers. Incredibly, Jason Qareqare is still eligible despite it feeling like he’s been around forever. He quietly had a good campaign.

Centres: Zach Eckersley (Wigan Warriors) – 15 appearances and 6 tries & Harvey Barron (Hull FC) – 12 appearances and 5 tries
Zach Eckersley is one of the standouts in this team. He’s had a brilliant breakout season in Super League but also scored in the Challenge Cup Final. Harvey Barron moves into the centres with no recognised centres playing five or more games but the Hull FC man could certainly do a job.

Half-backs: Leon Hayes (Warrington Wolves) – 8 appearances & Jack Sinfield (Leeds Rhinos) – 4 appearances and 1 try
There are also limited options in the halves meaning that rarely-used Jack Sinfield gets the nod alongside Leon Hayes, who looked like one of the standouts at Warrington before his season-ending injury. With Josh Drinkwater leaving, Hayes could be one to watch for 2025.

Props: George Delaney (St Helens) – 23 appearances and 1 try & Adam Holroyd (Warrington Wolves) – 16 appearances and 5 tries
Delaney is an obvious name here. He’s had another brilliant season and has probably been used more than expected given the injury crisis at St Helens but he’s proven his worth. Adam Holroyd is another who has probably played more than expected with the prop flourishing under Sam Burgess and becoming a huge impact player from the bench.

Hooker: Denive Balmforth (Hull FC) – 15 appearances and 4 tries
Balmforth made every single appearance from off the bench as he rotated with either Danny Houghton or Morgan Smith but in most instances, the diminutive hooker made an impact. His runs from dummy-half were brilliant at injecting pace into the game.

Second-row: Junior Nsemba (Wigan Warriors) 22 appearances and 7 tries & Matty Nicholson (Warrington Wolves) – 20 appearances and 9 tries
Both men have had brilliant seasons but Nsemba particularly has shone. He was even named to the Super League Dream Team and thoroughly deserved it, becoming a force under Matt Peet. Nicholson will now depart to the NRL and it’s clear to see why his talents were in demand with the former Wigan man developing a knack for scoring as well.

Loose forward: George Hill (Castleford Tigers) – 13 appearances
Cas were quick to lock Hill up on a new contract and it’s clear to see why. He has only recently turned 20 and looks like an incredibly exciting talent that the club have snagged from Whitehaven.