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Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sorting out Super League's fixtures: Is it fair?
St Helens' win against Salford Red Devils in June was their third against them this season [SWPix] When St Helens welcome Leigh Leopards to the Totally Wicked Stadium on Thursday, there is slightly more context to the match than just a game between Super League rivals battling for a play-off spot. Despite the end-of-season run-in sneaking up, it will be the first time the two teams have met in 2025. Advertisement Some sides have taken each other on as many as three times already, and yet Paul Wellens' Saints and Adrian Lam's Leopards have yet to do so. So why does this happen? How is each season's schedule drawn up? What makes Super League's fixture list unique? What are 'loop fixtures' and why are these so divisive? BBC Sport set out to find out why Super League's crowded schedule is so skewed and whether that matters. What are loop fixtures? Super League's current fixtures structure ensures every team plays 27 games over the course of a regular season, not including the end-of-season play-offs. Advertisement Of those 27 matches, 11 are played at home, 11 away, one at Magic Weekend at a neutral venue and the other four are so-called 'loop' fixtures. Those four games are decided based on league placings from the previous season. Clubs which finished in even-number positions in the Super League table in the previous campaign face additional fixtures against teams that did likewise, with odd facing odd. In the case of St Helens, for example, they finished sixth last season, meaning their loop fixtures in 2025 are second-placed Hull KR, fourth-placed Salford, 10th-placed Castleford and newly-promoted Wakefield Trinity. Advertisement Meanwhile, Saints took on eighth-placed Leeds Rhinos at Magic Weekend in May. Loop fixtures fill the gap from when Super League was reduced from 14 teams to 12 for the 2015 season. Previously, a late-season split structure operated under which clubs would play 23 games and then be divided into three pools of eight, involving the 24 teams making up Super League and the Championship. The top 'Super 8s' group played seven further games, with the top four at that stage progressing to contest places in the Super League Grand Final. However, that format was ended ahead of the 2019 campaign which saw each top-flight team play a total of 29 regular season fixtures, including six additional loop games. Advertisement In 2022, after two Covid-affected seasons, that was reduced to the 27-game format currently in use. All clear so far? Quirks of the 2025 season St Helens, on the face of it, seem to have prospered from having a lopsided 2025 schedule, with two of the wins in their recent five-game streak coming home and away against beleaguered Salford Red Devils. Their meetings with the financially-challenged Red Devils have been something of a free-hit for Wellens' side, who have scored a cumulative 182 points in the three games this term, while conceding only four. It has helped Saints boost their points difference in the Super League table to 285 - the third-highest in the league and 246 more than Leigh, who are directly above them. Advertisement It has taken 18 rounds for Saints and Leigh to finally meet, yet they will take each other on again in the penultimate round of fixtures on 12 September - a second meeting in the final nine games before the play-offs. Of course, league position at any given point of a season cannot be predicted in advance, but Warrington have had a difficult run-in so far in 2025. Not only have the Challenge Cup finalists faced significant injury challenges, their meeting with Salford on 4 July was only the fourth time they had faced an opponent in the bottom four of Super League. Juggling the schedule When the RFL compile the following season's fixtures late in the preceding year, there are more obstacles to getting the list in order than appear on the surface. Advertisement Maximising television audiences, stadium availability and pitch resurfacing can all impact when teams play and who they will face, with the latter sometimes having a prolonged influence on some teams' schedules. Wigan played six away games in a row due to work being undertaken on the pitch at the Brick Community Stadium home they share with football club Wigan Athletic, whose season came to an end in May. Similarly, Warrington's win against Salford began a run of four consecutive away games with work under way on their pitch at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. Other clubs who groundshare with other sports, like St Helens, Salford, Huddersfield and Hull FC, have similar challenges fitting their home games around when their stadiums are in use or having essential maintenance. Advertisement Changes can be made at relatively short notice during the season, with Huddersfield announcing on Tuesday that three of their upcoming games would move dates due to stadium availability at the Accu Stadium, which they share with football team Huddersfield Town. Meanwhile, Leeds cannot play at Headingley, which adjoins the cricket ground of the same name, if there is an England Test match or a Yorkshire T20 Blast game taking place on the same day. In a statement issued to BBC Sport, the RFL said: "The development of the fixture list is a complex and time intensive project by several people, as well as a leading software programme. "A competition of 12 teams, with a season length of 27 rounds, to include loop fixtures, and over 100 requests from the clubs, means it will never be perfect, but every attempt is made to ensure it is the best version it can be." Catalans have faced Leigh three times this season - including once at the Magic Weekend - and have lost each time [SWPix] 'I'm a stickler for the old school' Leigh boss Adrian Lam is not a fan of a mixed-up schedule packed with loop fixtures. Advertisement His side have taken on last season's quadruple winners, and borough rivals, Wigan three times - one of those being a loop fixture. However, on paper, what might be seen as a disadvantage has given his side the opportunity to test themselves against the best, coming out on the winning side twice, including their comeback victory at Leigh Sport Village earlier this month. Despite this, Lam would prefer to a more traditional fixtures line-up, with the opportunity to beat the best in the play-offs at the end of the campaign. "I don't get it. I'm a stickler for old school," he told BBC Radio Manchester in June after taking on Catalans for a third time. Advertisement "I think we should play each other once, I think we should play each other twice and then play the last group at the very end. "That's how you get an even ladder. We've played Catalans three times before we've played Leeds once. How does that make sense? "I know there are bigger things to worry about with the RFL, but if you look at the ladder and a fair competition, it only makes sense that you play everyone once and then everyone twice before you play someone three times. Not the other way round. That is just common sense." But is this viewpoint shared by Lam's counterpart across the borough? Advertisement "It's none of my business, to be honest," Wigan Warriors boss Matt Peet told BBC Radio Manchester when asked about his thoughts on loop fixtures. "The game's got plenty on its plate at the moment. "I think everyone ideally would be in a competition where we all play the same games equally and they were fair but that's not to be."
BBC News
16-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Sorting out Super League's fixtures: Is it fair?
When St Helens welcome Leigh Leopards to the Totally Wicked Stadium on Thursday, there is slightly more context to the match than just a game between Super League rivals battling for a play-off the end-of-season run-in sneaking up, it will be the first time the two teams have met in sides have taken each other on as many as three times already, and yet Paul Wellens' Saints and Adrian Lam's Leopards have yet to do why does this happen? How is each season's schedule drawn up? What makes Super League's fixture list unique? What are 'loop fixtures' and why are these so divisive? BBC Sport set out to find out why Super League's crowded schedule is so skewed and whether that matters. What are loop fixtures? Super League's current fixtures structure ensures every team plays 27 games over the course of a regular season, not including the end-of-season those 27 matches, 11 are played at home, 11 away, one at Magic Weekend at a neutral venue and the other four are so-called 'loop' four games are decided based on league placings from the previous which finished in even-number positions in the Super League table in the previous campaign face additional fixtures against teams that did likewise, with odd facing the case of St Helens, for example, they finished sixth last season, meaning their loop fixtures in 2025 are second-placed Hull KR, fourth-placed Salford, 10th-placed Castleford and newly-promoted Wakefield Saints took on eighth-placed Leeds Rhinos at Magic Weekend in fixtures fill the gap from when Super League was reduced from 14 teams to 12 for the 2015 a late-season split structure operated under which clubs would play 23 games and then be divided into three pools of eight, involving the 24 teams making up Super League and the top 'Super 8s' group played seven further games, with the top four at that stage progressing to contest places in the Super League Grand that format was ended ahead of the 2019 campaign which saw each top-flight team play a total of 29 regular season fixtures, including six additional loop 2022, after two Covid-affected seasons, that was reduced to the 27-game format currently in clear so far? Quirks of the 2025 season St Helens, on the face of it, seem to have prospered from having a lopsided 2025 schedule, with two of the wins in their recent five-game streak coming home and away against beleaguered Salford Red meetings with the financially-challenged Red Devils have been something of a free-hit for Wellens' side, who have scored a cumulative 182 points in the three games this term, while conceding only has helped Saints boost their points difference in the Super League table to 285 - the third-highest in the league and 246 more than Leigh, who are directly above them. It has taken 18 rounds for Saints and Leigh to finally meet, yet they will take each other on again in the penultimate round of fixtures on 12 September - a second meeting in the final nine games before the course, league position at any given point of a season cannot be predicted in advance, but Warrington have had a difficult run-in so far in only have the Challenge Cup finalists faced significant injury challenges, their meeting with Salford on 4 July was only the fourth time they had faced an opponent in the bottom four of Super League. Juggling the schedule When the RFL compile the following season's fixtures late in the preceding year, there are more obstacles to getting the list in order than appear on the television audiences, stadium availability and pitch resurfacing can all impact when teams play and who they will face, with the latter sometimes having a prolonged influence on some teams' played six away games in a row due to work being undertaken on the pitch at the Brick Community Stadium home they share with football club Wigan Athletic, whose season came to an end in Warrington's win against Salford began a run of four consecutive away games with work under way on their pitch, external at the Halliwell Jones clubs who groundshare with other sports, like St Helens, Salford, Huddersfield and Hull FC, have similar challenges fitting their home games around when their stadiums are in use or having essential can be made at relatively short notice during the season, with Huddersfield announcing on Tuesday, external that three of their upcoming games would move dates due to stadium availability at the Accu Stadium, which they share with football team Huddersfield Leeds cannot play at Headingley, which adjoins the cricket ground of the same name, if there is an England Test match or a Yorkshire T20 Blast game taking place on the same a statement issued to BBC Sport, the RFL said: "The development of the fixture list is a complex and time intensive project by several people, as well as a leading software programme."A competition of 12 teams, with a season length of 27 rounds, to include loop fixtures, and over 100 requests from the clubs, means it will never be perfect, but every attempt is made to ensure it is the best version it can be." 'I'm a stickler for the old school' Leigh boss Adrian Lam is not a fan of a mixed-up schedule packed with loop side have taken on last season's quadruple winners, and borough rivals, Wigan three times - one of those being a loop on paper, what might be seen as a disadvantage has given his side the opportunity to test themselves against the best, coming out on the winning side twice, including their comeback victory at Leigh Sport Village earlier this this, Lam would prefer to a more traditional fixtures line-up, with the opportunity to beat the best in the play-offs at the end of the campaign."I don't get it. I'm a stickler for old school," he told BBC Radio Manchester in June after taking on Catalans for a third time."I think we should play each other once, I think we should play each other twice and then play the last group at the very end."That's how you get an even ladder. We've played Catalans three times before we've played Leeds once. How does that make sense?"I know there are bigger things to worry about with the RFL, but if you look at the ladder and a fair competition, it only makes sense that you play everyone once and then everyone twice before you play someone three times. Not the other way round. That is just common sense."But is this viewpoint shared by Lam's counterpart across the borough?"It's none of my business, to be honest," Wigan Warriors boss Matt Peet told BBC Radio Manchester when asked about his thoughts on loop fixtures."The game's got plenty on its plate at the moment."I think everyone ideally would be in a competition where we all play the same games equally and they were fair but that's not to be."
The Guardian
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Dagnall try extends St Helens' winning run over Leeds and lifts them into third
St Helens produced one of their most spirited displays for some time to continue their extraordinary winning run at the home of great rivals Leeds Rhinos and climb above Brad Arthur's side into third in the Super League table. Even by their own admission and certainly by their recent high standards, Saints have been below par for large stretches of 2025. But they have put together a superb mid-season winning run that has moved them from the fringes of the playoff places to the top three with nine rounds remaining. Paul Wellens' side underlined their recent growth with a defensive masterclass. On a night when they lost both of their hookers to concussions in the first half, the Saints' forwards stood tall despite a numerical disadvantage. This is their seventh straight Super League win against the Rhinos in west Yorkshire, dating all the way back to 2017. They have now won five straight league games to propel themselves into the race for the top two, showing the kind of spirit and endeavour that will take them a long way come the autumn. The only try came in an absorbing first half. Unsurprisingly given the searing heat, points were at a premium with neither side at their best in attack. But the one moment of brilliance came in the 14th minute when Tristan Sailor's dummy fooled Ryan Hall and allowed the Saints winger, Owen Dagnall, enough room to finish well in the corner and break the deadlock. Leeds had enjoyed most of the ball to that point, and their dominance in possession continued even after falling 4-0 behind. But their attack, so often among Super League's best in 2025, struggled to find an answer to unlock Saints' magnificent defensive efforts. Jake Connor, the centre of attention last week after an imperious display against Hull KR as well as being overlooked for the latest England squad, was so often Leeds' go-to man here but on two separate occasions he spurned glorious attacking opportunities, overcooking two cut-out passes to his winger. Saints lost hooker Daryl Clark to a concussion just nine minutes into the game, only for his replacement Jake Burns to go off for a similar head injury assessment which he failed during half-time. It left the Saints without their hooking rotation for the second half: but they shrugged off that setback superbly. Leeds continued to press forward without much purpose or intent. A spiralling kick was misread by Dagnall and after a frenetic passage of play, James McDonnell looked to have grounded in the corner for the Rhinos but replays showed a push from Harry Newman in the buildup. And anything the hosts threw at Saints, they repelled magnificently. Not even the sin-binning of Saints prop Agnatius Paasi could craft enough of an opening for Leeds, with the visitors defending in numbers to deny them time and time again. There is still a long way to go this season, but given the pressure Wellens has faced from his own supporters and the wider public this season, this could be a night which silences some of the doubters and underlines why you can never write off this St Helens side.
The Guardian
20-06-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Impressive St Helens sink Leeds to relieve pressure on Wellens
St Helens potentially breathed new life into their season and quietened some of the noise surrounding their inconsistency with a victory over Leeds Rhinos that could easily represent a watershed moment for the remainder of 2025. Paul Wellens' side have been some distance from the standards many expect from the most successful team in Super League history, with the Saints some way adrift of the leading pack at the halfway stage of the season. They were expected to fall short here too against a Leeds side that once again look like title contenders. But the Saints were wonderful from start to finish, delivering a gameplan built on huge defensive effort in testing conditions to run out worthy winners and reduce the gap to the third-placed Rhinos to just a solitary win. It will not completely alleviate the pressure surrounding Wellens, but it is a start. In searing heat, the opening quarter was as attritional as you would have expected. It felt very much like a night where the side who did the basics of the game the best would emerge victorious and in the opening half-hour, it was the hosts who did exactly that against the Rhinos. The contest was played predominantly inside Leeds' own half in the early exchanges thanks to the Saints' clever kicking game, relentlessly high completion rate – and a willingness to punish any error the Rhinos made. Leeds were far from sloppy, but the two mistakes they did make resulted in points for the hosts. Lachie Miller's knock-on close to his own line allowed the Saints to go for goal and open the scoring through the boot of Kyle Feldt, and it was clear even from an early stage that points would be at a premium. That was evidenced further when Leeds were penalised from the scrum and despite some murmurings of discontent from the terraces, Feldt again called for the tee to make it 4-0. It may have appeared slightly sterile in terms of attacking endeavour, but it was clear the Saints' strategy was to stick to the basics given the inconsistencies they have endured throughout 2025. At that point, the hosts' completion rate was touching 100%, but they too began to turn the ball over as half-time approached as their energy levels began to dip. A wayward pass from Tristan Sailor fell into the arms of Ryan Hall and had it not been for a sensational covering tackle from Harry Robertson, Hall would have levelled the scores. It was a huge play, and became even more important seconds from the break as another Leeds error, this time from Morgan Gannon, was punished. The Saints held their nerve in attack as Sailor's pass allowed Deon Cross to score and make it 8-0 at the interval. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion There was no getting away from the fact the Rhinos were below the standards they have set so far this season in that first half. With that in mind, you expected a response: and whatever was said at half-time clearly the desired impact as Leeds began the second half with greater purpose. They were rewarded with their first try seven minutes after the restart as Miller's break led to the Rhinos working the ball left and Riley Lumb crossing in the corner to halve the deficit. Given the frailties we have seen in this St Helens side this year, you wondered if that shift in momentum would prove significant. But to their immense credit, they held firm. And having ridden out more Leeds pressure, they put themselves in a position to capitalise on another Rhinos error close to their own line and score a crucial try with 15 minutes remaining. The Saints executed a scrum play to perfection to send Owen Dagnall across for a wonderful try, with Feldt converting from the touchline to open up a ten-point lead. There were late chances for Leeds to set up a grandstand finale but it was the Saints who finished strongest, with Sailor crossing on the hooter.
BBC News
18-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
St Helens forward Batchelor facing four weeks out
Joe Batchelor has joined the growing injury list at St Helens ahead of Friday's Super League fixture against Leeds Rhinos with the forward facing four weeks out with a calf coach Paul Wellens confirmed a scan on the forward had delivered the bad news following Batchelor's exit from the field against Salford Red Devils."On the physio's first look we were expecting it to be worse so we will take a little bit of comfort in that, but he could be out for four weeks," Wellens are also sweating on the fitness of fellow forward Curtis Sironen, who left the field against Salford after suffering back will give Sironen until the "11th hour" to prove his fitness but admitted that the "signs are not looking good".Saints are also without half-back and kicker George Whitby after he failed a head injury assessment in Greater Manchester."He is recovering well and ticking the boxes. Once he is back fit and firing he can be a very important player for us," Wellens added.
