New faces, fresh hope and a winter of hard work for Yorkshire's Super League clubs
There is no shortage of optimism in rugby league at this time of year.
The disappointments of the previous campaign begin to fade, while the post-season inquest provides the motivation to put things right.
Across Yorkshire, the hard work is already under way as clubs prepare for another Super League season, each convinced that 2027 will be brighter.
After all, what would rugby league be without hope? And if it cannot be found before a new season, when can it?
This year, like any other, clubs can point to genuine sources of optimism for the campaign ahead.
The boots are back on and the hard work has begun for Bradford Bulls, Castleford Tigers, Huddersfield Giants and Hull FC this week.
Each has grounds for believing next season could be an improvement on what went before, whether through new recruits, a change of coach or the prospect of a more settled campaign.
Castleford and Hull are both hoping to make significant strides under experienced coaches who understand what it takes to climb Super League.
That can only be done with stability, something the Tigers in particular have lacked in the post-Daryl Powell era.
Six coaches have come and gone since Powell departed at the end of 2021, leading Castleford to Paul Rowley's door.
The former Salford Red Devils boss appears to be the sort of appointment the Tigers should have made a long time ago: a coach with a clear identity, a proven track record of defying expectations and the potential to give the club the direction they have so desperately lacked.
Rowley starts from a low base after Castleford's 13th-place finish last season, underlining the scale of the task in restoring the club to play-off contention.
The success of Castleford's recruitment drive could ultimately shape their season.
How former St George Illawarra Dragons trio Damien Cook, Tyrell Sloan and Mat Feagai settle will be key to the Tigers' hopes, as too will the impact of experienced Super League campaigners Robbie Mulhern and Mason Lino.
Like their rivals across the M62, Hull are embarking on a new era following the arrival of Steve McNamara.
The Black and Whites could hardly have a more experienced hand at the helm to guide them through another turbulent period.
Despite a marked improvement in 2025 under John Cartwright, Hull ultimately decided a change of direction was needed, effectively writing off the 2026 campaign in the process, and that McNamara offered a better chance of success.
That places considerable pressure on the former England and Catalans Dragons boss to hit the ground running at the MKM Stadium.
Hull welcome a raft of new faces to the club this month, including high-profile signing Daly Cherry-Evans.
The decorated half-back will be McNamara's on-field general, bringing a wealth of experience and leadership to a side in need of both.
The Airlie Birds have spent too long looking over their shoulder to assume the only way is up but Hull native McNamara appears to be the right coach at the right time.
Huddersfield are a step ahead of the Black and Whites after a promising end to the 2026 campaign under Jim Lenihan.
The Australian talked a good game from the outset and the Giants were eventually rewarded for a change in mindset, avoiding the wooden spoon against the odds thanks to an impressive upturn in form.
As Lenihan himself was at pains to stress in the closing weeks of the season, Huddersfield remain some way from where they want to be – but their late improvement was a welcome sign for another Yorkshire club that have spent too long languishing towards the foot of Super League.
Fortune will need to smile more favourably on the Giants on the injury front, an issue that proved particularly costly for Bradford last season.
Kurt Haggerty's resources were decimated for long stretches of the club's comeback campaign, turning a promising start into an exercise in damage limitation.
The Bulls ultimately finished with the wooden spoon, an unwanted tag that took the shine off their long-awaited return to Super League.
But with a trip to Las Vegas on the horizon and some eye-catching additions to his squad, Haggerty has plenty of reasons to believe Bradford can make a stronger impression in season two.
After outperforming all four of their Yorkshire rivals in their debut campaign, York Knights get to work next week looking to establish themselves as a top-flight force.
Hull KR are preparing for a new chapter under Nathan Cayless, who touched down in England this week, while the new-look Leeds Rhinos will return to Kirkstall hungry to put a disappointing end to 2026 behind them.
Wakefield Trinity's remarkable title triumph has bought them the luxury of a later return to pre-season than any of their Yorkshire rivals.
The challenge for the rest is to spend the winter finding a way to match Wakefield's standards and make all those hard yards worthwhile.