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3 hours ago
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It may seem slightly churlish to suggest the pressure is rising in the lower reaches of Super League when the clocks haven’t even gone forward yet and the season is still in its early stages.
But if there were any doubting clubs across the competition are feeling the heat despite there being no automatic relegation to the Championship, the news that filtered out from Huddersfield Giants on Sunday lunchtime that Luke Robinson had been relieved of his head coaching duties after a winless start to 2026 hammered the message home.
The side that finishes bottom may not automatically drop to the second tier these days owing to the IMG-devised gradings method that selects Super League’s elite teams, but the reality is clubs are spending more than ever on wages. That, in turn, means club owners are putting more of their own cash in to plug increasingly large financial black holes.
All of this is happening too at a time when NRL investment into Super League appears imminent. Clubs are clearly jockeying to show they can play a central role in any Australian-led vision for the British game and when you throw all of that together, it was not difficult to see why this game, even in mid-March, had huge significance attached for Hull FC.
Unlike at Huddersfield, the expectations in Hull – both sides of the river – are lofty. So if the Giants could sack their coach so early into 2026 with no real hope of making the playoffs, you could easily ponder what kind of pressure John Cartwright would fall under if they slipped to a fourth loss in five league games – coupled with the fact they are already out of the Challenge Cup.
Few cities, after all, talk about pressure in rugby league like Hull. There are already questions over the river about the defending champions, Hull KR, after their third loss in four to start the season – but their big rivals are now one win better off after sending a statement that things have not quite reached panic stations with a win over Leeds that few would have enjoyed as much as Cartwright.
This victory was one built on the credentials that coaches under pressure love to see. With injuries mounting for long-term periods, Hull switched their focus to showing grit, desire and determination as opposed to sheer all-out brilliance to get the better of a Rhinos side that have laboured somewhat after their eye-catching dismantling of Hull KR in Las Vegas.
“I’m very proud to be part of that group,” Cartwright said. “We’re not in the best situation but sometimes when you lose three or four in a row, splinters start to appear – but there isn’t one splinter within this group. You can’t defend the form we’ve been in, but they won with guts and effort.”
This was a strong Hull display that challenged the early-season narrative that they may not be contenders. They forged an early advantage before the Rhinos hit back to lead 16-14 at half-time, but Leeds – whose coach, Brad Arthur, described their performance as unprofessional – were second best by some distance after the break.
They were kept scoreless by Hull, whose defensive resilience belied the situation they find themselves in. At the other end, three goals from the boot of Zak Hardaker and a try for Davy Litten were enough to ensure victory for the Black & Whites, who will now be looking upwards, rather than over their shoulders.
It has been a noteworthy weekend with the first coaching change of 2026 but the upcoming week is undoubtedly more significant. Super League celebrates the 30th anniversary of its inaugural fixture in 1996 next Sunday, an opportune moment to consider where the sport has come from and, more importantly, where it may go next as strong winds of change blow in with possible NRL investment.
Publicly, club owners have made murmurings suggesting a deal could be struck, though it would require those aforementioned owners to give up some of their decision-making power and autonomy. Privately, the noises are understood to be even stronger, with Tuesday a key milestone.
Then, the Rugby Football League will host its latest council meeting, featuring all the professional clubs. Ordinarily an uninteresting occasion, this one is likely to be seismic as it will not only ratify Nigel Wood’s instalment as chair of the governing body, but will also signal the green light for those NRL talks to ramp up.
We often talk in this sport about where things may be in a year or so: but by the time Leeds and Warrington walk out at Headingley next Sunday to celebrate the 30th birthday, Super League may find itself in an era-defining moment.
