Stats Deep Dive | 2026 Betfred Super League season so far

The opening six rounds of the 2026 Betfred Super League season have produced a faster, more entertaining spectacle — driven by a clear directive to speed up the ruck. 

In recent years, the game’s drifted into an overly defensive tussle – one which allowed teams to slow down the ruck by slowly peeling away from tackles and laying on for an extra second or two, giving defensive lines valuable time to reset and get ready for the next play.  

But this season, the message is simple. Speed up the rucks. And six rounds in, the impact is clear. The average play the ball speed in 2026 has dropped to 3.01 seconds, a significant improvement on last year’s 3.26 second average. Additionally, fewer than 20% of play the balls in the rounds have taken longer than four seconds.  

Match officials have been persistent in penalising teams that attempt to slow the rucks down and as a result, sides that win the initial collision are being rewarded with more time and space, allowing for a quicker, more free-flowing game – and a far more attractive spectacle.   

Warrington’s Toafofoa Sipley tops the average play the ball speed at 2.57 seconds, playing a key impact role from the bench during the club’s strong start to the season. His ability to win collisions has afforded his teammates more time and space in attack – something the Wolves capitalised on effectively during the opening rounds. 

Catapult GPS Data:

The full-back position has come under the spotlight this year, with several first-choice number ones sidelined by injuries in the opening rounds. 

It’s a role that demands more movement than any other position on the field — full-backs are constantly tracking opposition attacks while contributing on both sides of the ball, rarely afforded a moment’s rest. 

Toulouse’s number one, Olly Ashall-Bott, has embodied that workload for his team in 2026. In Round 1 against Trinity, he covered 9.6km – the highest single-game distance covered this season - in a tireless 80 minute performance which also saw him score two tries.  

But that wasn’t a one off. In Round 2 & Round 5, Ashall-Bott covered 9.1km, becoming the only player to cover more than 9km in three of the opening six rounds. 

Matty Ashton could have been forgiven if he had eased his way back into action after making his first appearance since May 2025 in Round 5. However, his long-awaited return saw the England international pick up exactly where he left off.  

Ashton recorded the fastest speed so far in 2026, reaching 34.52km/h while chasing down a George Williams kick to cross for the second of his three tries during a dominant display against Castleford.  

Stats Perform Data:

Whether he’s in Las Vegas or Leeds, Maiko Sivo knows how to score a try. The Fijian flyer tops the try scoring charts after six rounds, crossing for an impressive 12 tries in five games.  

England captain George Williams sits top of the assist charts after six rounds, setting up eight tries in five games. 

Charlie Staines has enjoyed a strong start to life as a Dragon, topping the metre making charts (1,238 metres) and total carries (140), averaging over 200 run metres and 23 carries per game. 

Wigan duo Patrick Mago and Junior Nsemba have tallied the most offloads (13), while Lachie Miller leads the way in tackle busts. 

On the other side of the ball, Bradford captain Joe Mellor leads the tackle count after six rounds – the former Red Devil has made 286 tackles in six games, averaging over 47 tackles per game.  

Mellor has also averaged 77 minutes on the field during the opening six rounds, an impressive feat for a middle forward. 

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