Be Ready for 2021: Season Preview

An unpredictable and tumultuous 2020 season ended in fitting fashion – St Helens clinching victory from the jaws of defeat in the dying embers of the Betfred Super League Grand Final. Heart break for Wigan Warriors was a stark contrast to the elation and joy felt across St Helens after that unforgettable Jack Welsby try.

Fast forward to the present - on the eve of the 2021 Betfred Super League season – and a new narrative is waiting to be told.

St Helens and Wigan Warriors set the benchmark last year, no more so than after that gruelling Grand Final encounter. They head into 2021 as the teams to beat.

A new side with some familiar faces joins Super League this season - Leigh Centurions will be hoping to shake up the competition and cement their pace in the topflight. 

And there’s plenty of new players to be excited about in 2021. A host of stars from across the pond have arrived in Super League and are eager to make their presence known.

Josh Reynolds, Zane Tetevano, Joel Thompson, Brad Takairangi and Jai Field just some of the talent gracing our competition this season.

There’s been some exciting movement within Super League as well, such as Niall Evalds to Castleford Tigers and Mike McMeeken heading South to link up with Catalans Dragons.

The eagerly awaited return of John Bateman to Wigan is a huge coup for the Warriors – Bateman took the NRL by storm and will be an early Man of Steel favourite.

And of course, the mercurial Greg Inglis has arrived in Super League. The former Melbourne, South Sydney, Queensland, and Australia star has won it all – will his influence finally make it Warrington Wolves year?

With so much to look forward to, we’ve rounded up some of the biggest storylines that could steal the show during the 2021 season. 

Be ready 💪 Everyone starts from the same place, but don't start together...

1 week from now, the 2021 @Betfred #SuperLeague season begins live on @SkySportsRL
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) March 19, 2021

Three in a row?

Where else to start than St Helens? After back-to-back Grand Final wins, they head into the new season aiming to win three in a row. That feat has been achieved just once in the modern era – Leeds Rhinos winning three on the trot in ’07, ’08 and ’09.

So, can the Saints win another? Well, if their off-season recruitment is anything to go by, they’re in with a shout. NRL stalwart Joel Thompson will provide leadership and experience in the back row, along with the exciting Sione Mata’utia – the former Knights forward amassed 124 appearances in the NRL and is still only 24 years old. Add to that list Agnatius Paasi – a barnstorming front rower and Tongan international – they’ve added some real grunt to their side.

That’s not forgetting the talent already in the squad. Alex Walmsley was the league’s form prop in 2020. Alongside James Graham, Walmsley ensured there was no void left by Luke Thompson’s mid-season departure. Jonny Lomax and Lachlan Coote are classy, enigmatic players who lead Saints around the park with ease. Their star-studded back line are always at their eye-catching best and young forwards James Bentley and Morgan Knowles are the engines in the pack – Saints squad an enviable prospect right across the park.

And how we could mention St Helens without discussing James Roby. It’s a daunting thought, but 2021 could theoretically be Roby’s final season in Super League. The talismanic dummy half is out of contract at the end of the year and is still undecided on his playing future.

However, don’t be surprised to see Roby stay put at St Helens past 2021. Last seasons enforced break paired with an extended preseason this year has rejuvenated Roby and allowed him to get his body in the best possible shape as he approaches his 18th Super League season.

Roby explained: “The first lockdown last year when we had 16 weeks at home was just what I needed to be honest. I was coming off the back of a few groin issues the previous couple of years and when we started back and got going again towards the back end of last season, I felt really healthy.

“With this longer preseason again, that’s further aided that and I’m feeling great at the minute, probably the best I’ve felt in years??.

He still performs at an exceptionally high level whenever he takes the field, reflected in him earning the Harry Sunderland Trophy in the 2020 Grand Final. There’s also the small matter of a World Cup at the end of the year which Roby is desperate to take part in – admitting it would be his last opportunity to play at international level. 

So, we can expect to see the same level of performance that James Roby has consistently produced year after year, and all being well, will continue to produce for a few more years to come.  

IT'S GAMEWEEK!!! 🔥

We're back on Friday for the first time since THIS 🤯

CAN. NOT. WAIT! #SuperLeague #BeReady pic.twitter.com/tn6DyK4Wc6
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) March 22, 2021

Bateman’s back

John Bateman is back in Super League, linking up with his old side after a hugely successful stint in the NRL. The Warriors will be buoyed by the addition of Bateman to their 2021 squad and will look to lean on his big game experience to help steer them to a Grand Final victory.

Bateman’s last competitive game for the Warriors was the 2018 Grand Final – bowing out with a Grand Final ring and leaving a lasting legacy at the Wigan club.

After two impressive seasons at Canberra Raiders, Bateman has re-joined the Warriors in the prime of his career. And after influential club captain Sean O’loughlin retired at the end of last season, the writing was on the wall for O'loughlin's prestigious number 13 jersey to be passed on to Bateman.

A number steeped in history at the Warriors, Bateman understands the gravity of its importance.

He said: “You look at the people that have worn it before me, with Lockers (Sean O’loughlin) as well. He’s worn it for a long time and it’s not been passed around many people.

“It’s good to get the number (13) and I’m looking forward to going out on the field and wearing it with pride??.

And Bateman has wasted no time picking up where he left off at the Warriors. Head coach Adrian Lam has been mightily impressed with Bateman’s conduct at the training ground and earmarked the backrower as an individual who is leading the way behind the scenes.

Lam explained: “Going to the NRL has certainly improved him as a player and I’m looking forward to how John performs this year.

“But what’s been most impressive for me and the senior players here is that John has come forward with a really strong voice and led the way in a lot of the things we’re doing, especially in our standards??.

A leader on and off the pitch, Bateman will be integral to helping preserve the Warriors dynasty as they look to make 2021 a Grand Final winning campaign.

The Giant conundrum

Huddersfield Giants completed one of their shrewdest bits of business ahead of the 2021 season - luring Ian Watson to The John Smith's Stadium. The former Salford head coach departed his home-town club for new pastures following a hugely successful stint at the Red Devils - Watson led Salford to a Grand Final and Challenge Cup Final in consecutive years over the past two seasons.

Under Ian Watson's guidance Huddersfield will be hoping to once again become contenders at the summit of the competition and emulate the clubs past success in Super League.

The Giants wasted no time assembling a squad capable of competing for honours and has given Watson some sought after squad depth that he felt he was missing during his time at Salford.

But, will they deliver? Huddersfield were on the wrong end of some closely fought losses in 2020 and finished seventh - just missing out on a play-off spot. That followed a tenth-place finish in 2019 in what has been an underwhelming couple of years for the club.

Ian Watson will look to inject some life into the Giants squad and his new signings have created some healthy competition for places in the team - something that Watson is confident can only be a good thing for his side.

He said: “Trainings been really competitive and a really good intensity, so we’re really happy with where we’re at, at this moment in time.

“I’d like to give everyone an opportunity to stake a claim for it (a place in the team). Somebody always generally surprises you in pre-season or in pre-season games.

“I let the players take care of it with their own performances on what decisions and choices I have to make on the back of that??.

With the talent Watson has added to an already strong Huddersfield squad – there will be added expectation. But the new head coach insists it’s what he and the club want and more importantly, needs. ‘Aim big and miss small’ were Watson’s thoughts heading into the new season.

He reiterated: “The pressures not a problem, that’s good. You want that pressure. You want to be seen to be a team that can do well. Everyone’s got to be on the same page in that group and we are at this moment in time??.

Ultimately, success is measured by winning games. So, if Huddersfield are to be successful this year, turning those narrow losses into victories is paramount. 

GI in Super League

It may take Greg Inglis some time to climatise to the speed and nuisances of the game after being absent for almost two years. Whilst he may not immediately be at the peak of his power on the pitch – his influence behind the scenes cannot be underestimated.

Inglis is a winner – there’s no question about that. His CV speaks for itself. Throughout his career, he has been surrounded by excellence. He made his State of Origin debut in 2006 and was part of the Queensland dynasty that lost just one Origin series in 12 years.

He is a World Cup winner with Australia – a key figure in their dominant 2013 team that effortlessly dismantled every team they faced.

And at club level, he spent six successful years at Melbourne Storm - arguably the most influential club in the NRL. Super League's new recruit Albert Vete and Huddersfield Giants new boy Ricky Leutele both played at the Storm last year and spoke about the impeccable standards the club uphold – continuously setting the benchmark on and off the pitch. 

He was also part of South Sydney Rabbitohs 2014 Grand Final winning team, helping them claim a Premiership trophy and ending the clubs 43-year drought for a championship.

Over recent years, the Wolves have always been in Grand Final conversations – they’ve been close to glory on more than one occasion – most recently losing to Wigan Warriors in 2018. It’s hard to ascertain what has prevented Warrington from reaching the pinnacle and ending their Grand Final heart ache, but Inglis could well provide that missing link.

GI 💪 We don't need to introduce this legend 🔥@greg_inglis and @WarringtonRLFC kick off their 2021 season a week today against the Tigers live on Sky Sports #SuperLeague pic.twitter.com/XeGo9VqBDB
— Betfred Super League (@SuperLeague) March 21, 2021

World Cup on the horizon

The 2021 Rugby League World Cup promises to be the biggest, most inclusive competition since its inception in 1954. Fans will be able to enjoy five weeks of international rugby league with stadiums across the country playing host to this historic competition.

Super League is littered with international stars that will be competing to earn a place in this years World Cup tournament - using the 2021 Super League campaign to elevate their chances and get noticed on the big stage.

And it's not just the players who will be looking ahead to the World Cup. Tonga head coach and Saints boss Kristian Woolf will be keeping tabs on a number of Tonga's Super League representatives who will be aiming to force their way into the side come October.

Manu Ma’u, Konrad Hurrell, Mahe Fonua, Albert Vete, Tui Lolohea and Agnatius Paasi are just some of Super League's Tongan contingent hoping to be included in Woolf’s World Cup squad.

Brad Takairangi (Cook Islands), Korbin Sims (Fiji), Ricky Leutele (Samoa) and King Vuniyayawa (Fiji) head up Super League’s new arrivals that could be representing their respective Pacific Nations side's at seasons end. There will be plenty of eyes on the home nations too with players such as Danny Addy (Scotland), Regan Grace (Wales), Tyrone McCarthy (Ireland) and Rhys Williams (Wales) looking to add to their international caps in 2021.

And lastly, Jamaica. What a story. Their first Rugby League World Cup appearance and the beginning of an exciting international journey. Super League's top tackler in 2020 Michael Lawrence and the exciting Ashton Goulding two of the players that will be aiming to make history with Jamaica in the 2021 Rugby League World Cup. 

The Rugby League World Cup is a unique opportunity for many of Super League's stars to compete on the big stage. That added motivation can only be a positive for the Super League competition and will undoubtedly get the best out of the players looking to star in this years tournament. 

Round one is just around the corner and you can watch all the action unfold as Champions St Helens kick off the new season against Salford Red Devils on Friday 26 March, live on Sky Sports.