Merry Christmas to all of our readers from the team at Love Rugby League. It\u2019s been a great year for the sport \u2013 and it\u2019s time to look ahead to 2026.<\/p>\n
While everyone else is opening presents (and hopefully getting what they wanted), we\u2019ve started to draw up our wish-list for next year and the things we\u2019d like to find under our proverbial tree.<\/p>\n
So here it is: our first list of things we\u2019re hoping for going into next year. Some don\u2019t seem too big an ask: others, a little more optimistic..<\/p>\n
An RFL CEO who can control clubs<\/p>\n
The application process has already been launched for a permanent CEO of the governing body. Abi Ekoku is currently the interim, and it remains to be seen whether he\u2019d be elevated into that position on a permanent basis.<\/p>\n
But whoever the new man or woman is atop the sport, they have to be given a strong level of authority. For too long, professional clubs have called the shots and dictated the direction of travel for rugby league in the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n
Whether that\u2019s through a new CEO or wider reform, that has to stop. Which leads us onto..<\/p>\n
A strong partnership with the NRL<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not necessarily a full takeover, or indeed Peter V\u2019landys riding in on a proverbial white horse and taking charge of British rugby league.<\/p>\n
The devil will inevitably be in the detail of any deal but what\u2019s imperative is that the two codes are aligned and working together at a time when they could go out and secure a worldwide broadcast deal.<\/p>\n
Super League and the NRL\u2019s broadcast arrangements coming up for renewal at the same time is a rare opportunity to get everyone singing off the same hymn sheet. Could it happen? We\u2019ll have to wait and see.<\/p>\n
More new contenders at the top of Super League<\/p>\n
While Hull KR ultimately ran away with it in the games that mattered, it was heartening to see some new teams come to the fore, and others start to compete again.<\/p>\n
The resurgence of Leeds Rhinos can only be good for the sport, while Leigh Leopards are now surely one of the favourites going into 2026. Wakefield Trinity will also fancy another upwardly mobile season, too.<\/p>\n
The more closely competitive and unpredictable the top end of Super League is, the better for everyone. Hopefully that trend continues in 2026.<\/p>\n
Clarity on structure before we start<\/p>\n
There have been some hints dropped already, but it would be nice to see it in clear black and white and delivered from the top of the sport: what is everyone playing for in 2026?<\/p>\n
While 2025 had a lot of positives, it was undeniably farcical that Championship teams kicked off expecting one structure \u2013 namely a Super 8s with the top four of League 1 and the bottom four in the second tier \u2013 and that ultimately being scrapped quietly with a few games to go.<\/p>\n
Whether it\u2019s IMG, promotion and relegation.. whatever it is.. can we just agree something and stick to it?<\/p>\n
An England plan with substance<\/p>\n
We\u2019re over a month on from the Ashes finishing, and still no wiser about who coaches the national team in the World Cup next year. That is not good: at all.<\/p>\n
Shaun Wane needs clarity, as do the players. In fact, all stakeholders need some information about what the road to Australia looks like at the end of next season.<\/p>\n
Much like the structure, we need that before a ball is meaningfully kicked.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Merry Christmas to all of our readers from the team at Love Rugby League. It\u2019s been a great…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":370542,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":["post-370541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-nrl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=370541"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370541\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/370542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=370541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=370541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=370541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}