Super League season review: Hull KR the nearly men in miserable 2024 for Yorkshire rivals

Super League sides slug it out for 27 rounds and in the end, a previous champion always wins.

Pre-season favourites Wigan Warriors lived up to their billing to deny Hull KR a first title and extend the competition's long wait for a new name on the trophy.

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A seventh Grand Final victory for the Warriors leaves them one behind Leeds Rhinos' tally and two adrift of St Helens, who also won the title before it was decided at Old Trafford.

Bradford Bulls are the only other club to have claimed the big prize but it is almost 20 years since their last success.

Old Trafford is a graveyard for first-time Grand Finalists, as the Robins discovered in last week's 9-2 defeat.

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Willie Peters' men became the sixth team to try and crack the code since Leeds were inscribed on the trophy alongside Saints, Wigan and Bradford in 2004.

The wait for a new winner goes on into 2025 – and there is plenty of work for the Yorkshire clubs to do.

Castleford Tigers

Hull KR run out to warm up at Old Trafford. (Photo: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)Hull KR run out to warm up at Old Trafford. (Photo: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)
Hull KR run out to warm up at Old Trafford. (Photo: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)

The Tigers set expectations low in a season of transition and there were no surprises on their way to a 10th-place finish, which represented a marginal improvement on the previous campaign.

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Castleford showed promise during a run that saw them beat St Helens and Catalans Dragons in quick succession after pushing Wigan and Hull KR close but an inexperienced squad ran out of steam, winning just one of their final nine fixtures.

If it was not clear already, that period highlighted that the new-look Tigers are very much a work in progress.

The challenge for Castleford now is to follow through on their pledge to strengthen Craig Lingard's squad with higher-calibre recruits.

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It was another season of lessons for Castleford. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)It was another season of lessons for Castleford. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)
It was another season of lessons for Castleford. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

The patience of the supporters continues to be tested with the club yet to announce any off-season signings.

One thing is for sure, the Wheldon Road faithful will not be so forgiving if the Tigers fail to kick on next year.

Huddersfield Giants

The problem for clubs such as Castleford and Huddersfield is that the competition is likely to be stronger next year with Wakefield Trinity all set to replace London Broncos.

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Highlights were few and far between for Huddersfield in 2024. (Photo: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)Highlights were few and far between for Huddersfield in 2024. (Photo: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)
Highlights were few and far between for Huddersfield in 2024. (Photo: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com)

Luke Robinson has been handed his first head coach role but, much like the Tigers, it will not be an overnight fix.

The Giants are fresh from consecutive ninth-place finishes and are playing catch-up in the recruitment market, with Tom Burgess, Zac Woolford and Liam Sutcliffe their only confirmed additions for 2025.

Luke Yates and Esan Marsters have departed to continue a theme of Huddersfield losing their better players, a category that Jake Connor also falls into following his move to Leeds.

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From the puzzling midseason collapse to the exits of coach Ian Watson and captain Yates, the wheels well and truly came off for the Giants in 2024.

Robinson has a big task but he has shown enough in his short spell in charge to suggest Huddersfield will not lack enthusiasm or pride on his watch.

Hull FC

Hull endured a miserable season. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)Hull endured a miserable season. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)
Hull endured a miserable season. (Photo: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com)

The positive for new head coach John Cartwright is that the only way is up for the Black and Whites.

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The 2024 season was one of the worst in Hull's entire 159-year history after finishing joint bottom with only three wins to their name.

Tony Smith was sacked in April but it was a familiar story for the Airlie Birds under interim boss Simon Grix despite an initial improvement.

It was a season of change at the MKM Stadium with Richie Myler's arrival as director of rugby and the departure of long-serving chief executive James Clark.

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Safe in the knowledge that Hull could not be relegated following the switch to a grading system, Myler has focused on the future and improving the club's rotten recruitment record.

Four overseas departures before the start of summer points to a major issue.

John Asiata, Zak Hardaker and Jordan Rapana are among the experienced figures coming in but it is a long road back for Hull.

Hull KR

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For all their positive strides, the Robins have been the nearly men under Willie Peters.

Rovers have lost in two finals and two semi-finals during the Australian's tenure, in addition to missing out on the League Leaders' Shield by two points.

KR could hardly be closer on the face of it after securing their highest-ever Super League finish of second and reaching the Grand Final but each big game defeat adds another layer of pressure.

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Wigan are clearly the biggest obstacle in front of the Robins, as evidenced by four straight defeats to the Warriors in do-or-die games.

But Rovers may have to contend with resurgent powerhouses in 2025 in St Helens, Catalans and Leeds.

While the Robins have made shrewd signings in the likes of Rhyse Martin and Tom Davies, Ryan Hall and Matt Parcell are huge losses.

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KR will come again next year – of that there is no doubt – but they will look back on 2024 as a season of missed opportunities.

Leeds Rhinos

It was another lost season for the Rhinos but lowly finishes have become the norm for the eight-time champions.

Leeds have finished eighth or lower five times in the past nine seasons and secured a top-four place just once, when they last lifted the trophy in 2017.

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Rohan Smith started the year in charge but it quickly became apparent that the run to the 2022 Grand Final could not be repeated.

If anything, the Rhinos gave the Australian too long and paid the price with another failed play-off bid.

Brad Arthur is the type of no-nonsense coach required at Headingley but whether he has the tools to turn Leeds into trophy challengers is open to debate.

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The Rhinos have added Hall and Connor – which could be a masterstroke or a disaster – and beefed up their pack with the signings of Keenan Palasia and Cooper Jenkins.

Now it is up to Arthur to work his magic in pre-season.

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