Super League objectives for Yorkshire clubs in second half of season

Following a stop-start period of four rounds in seven weeks, teams are gearing up for a 12-game sprint.

It is all to play for at the top of Super League but for some sides in the bottom half, the focus is 2025 and beyond.

Here, The Yorkshire Post takes a look at the main objective for each of the county's clubs in the second half of the campaign.

Castleford Tigers: Secure Super League status

The Tigers are increasingly confident they will be one of the 12 clubs in Super League next season but will not know for sure until the rankings are revealed in late October.

Castleford have focused on off-field matters this year and must continue to eke out every possible percentage point to ensure they are not pipped to the post.

Away from the grading situation, topping their results in the first half of the campaign and attracting higher-calibre players are two requirements to build on the early progress under Craig Lingard.

Huddersfield Giants: Settle on head coach

Ian Watson has been in the firing line for the past 12 months or so after becoming a victim of his own success to an extent.

Watson steered Huddersfield to third place in 2022 – the club's only play-off finish in eight years – and has failed to reach those heights since despite a hefty wage bill.

The Giants must decide whether to stick with Watson, who has two and a half years left on his contract, or rip it up and start again with a new head coach at a time when options could be few and far between.

Hull FC: Finish strongly

After winning just two games in the first half of the year, it would be an understatement to say Hull have scope for improvement.

The Black and Whites are unlikely to finish higher than 10th but could get a monkey off their back in the shape of an unwanted late-season record that reads 30 defeats from 34 matches in August and September since 2018, discounting the Covid-disrupted 2020 campaign.

If Hull can finish with a flourish, that would remove some of the mental baggage and allow John Cartwright to hit the ground running with a new-look squad next year.

Hull KR: Secure top-two finish

Willie Peters' men have won 14 of their past 15 games at Craven Park dating back to last season, in stark contrast to their away record which reads one victory outside Yorkshire since February 2023 – at lowly London Broncos.

The need for a top-two finish and a home semi-final is obvious.

A Craven Park semi-final against Wigan Warriors or St Helens would be a different proposition to a game on the other side of the Pennines.

Leeds Rhinos: Qualify for play-offs

The Rhinos were aiming higher after signing the likes of Brodie Croft but they would have taken a top-six finish in the wake of last month's abject defeat at Hull.

Leeds showed promise in the subsequent win over Leigh Leopards and will be hopeful of a new coach bounce once they identify the man to replace Rohan Smith.

The Rhinos reached the 2022 Grand Final against the odds in their early months under Smith and have the squad to go on a similar run at the back end of this season.