Doncaster on the rise but Carl Hall wary of Super League direction amid NRL talks
In the build-up to the 2026 Championship season, all the talk was about London Broncos.
The Broncos – backed by a powerful board that boasts Darren Lockyer and Gary Hetherington – built a squad fit for Super League under the guidance of respected coach Jason Demetriou.
London are living up to the pre-season hype after starting the campaign with seven straight wins – but they have company at the summit.
Doncaster have matched the title favourites stride for stride since an early-season setback at Midlands Hurricanes, extending their winning run to six matches with last week's demolition of South Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Eagles.
Their credentials will face the acid test when the Broncos visit at the end of April but Carl Hall views Doncaster's current standing as the product of years of steady, deliberate progress.
"We're really happy with how we've started," said the club's long-serving chief executive.
"It's taken us a long time to get to where we are but we'd like to think we've done things the right way. We're not far away from what we set out to do 12 years ago.
"We play London in two weeks so we'll find out how well we're going then. The team Jason has put together down there is phenomenal – it's probably a Super League team.
"The one thing with our boys is that if they're on it, they can do anything they want."
For all the positivity at Doncaster, there is a growing sense of uncertainty as the sport weighs up its next move.
Super League is set for crucial talks with the NRL over a potential partnership that could revolutionise the game in this country.
What any deal would mean for the Championship, however, remains to be seen.
While he accepts that change is required, Hall has reminded powerbrokers that a world exists outside the top flight.
"What we need now is for the game to sort itself out," he added. "We need to know what's going on so we can continue to progress.
"Something needs to happen but we just need to know as a sport. We need to listen to all the options and do what's right for the sport, which isn't just Super League and the Championship but the community game and grassroots. We need to protect the whole game.
"If I were sitting at the table, I'd want to know why they want to come into Super League and where the rest of the game sits."
Although the NRL has yet to fully show its hand, a 10-team Super League has been mooted as part of any proposal.
That would effectively shut the door on clubs like Doncaster and leave them confronting difficult decisions about their future.
"The answers will be in the detail," said Hall.
"Once we get that, we'll be able to give you some proper answers because some clubs will have to have some serious conversations.
"We're always striving for improvement but if there's no way for us to achieve our ambition, we'd have to have a conversation as a club and do what's right for our club.
"The Championship could yet become a vibrant competition that's worth being in but we just need clarity.
"At Doncaster, we were really zoned in on where we were heading and how we were doing it. We're just hoping we haven't missed the boat."
One look at the most recent IMG rankings suggests Doncaster are a long way from Super League.
The Dons were among the lowest-ranked grade B clubs when last year's scores were released, sitting more than five points adrift of the top 14.
But Hall is anticipating a notable jump at the end of this season, underpinned by the club's progress on the field.
"We have been hampered by our former League One status," he said. "But we've been in the Championship three years now so we'll move up the rankings there.
"In the not-too-distant future, the club will have a new big screen and LED boards. Everything the RFL is asking, we're going in that direction.
"We understand we need to look at the 1895 Cup and the league. All these little points add up for us.
"We're moving in the right direction as a club. We wanted a top-four team this year and a top-two team next year. If we get there a little bit quicker, we'll take it, but we have a clear plan."
That plan has already taken Doncaster from League One to the upper echelons of the Championship.
On-field performance only counts for so much in the IMG era but the club's ambition remains clear.
Having recently seen York Knights turn what once seemed impossible into reality, Doncaster will continue to reach for the stars.
"The destination for our club is Super League," said Hall. "Until they tell us we can't do that, that's where we're heading."