WE recently picked out five of the best signings made by Super League clubs this year.

They can’t all be a success, however, and here are some of those which didn’t quite go to plan.

Darnell McIntosh – Castleford Tigers

In a swap deal with Leigh for Innes Senior, who, by the way, enjoyed a tremendous season with the Leopards, scoring 17 tries in 30 appearances, Darnell McIntosh failed to impress at the OneBore Stadium in 2026. He made just 14 appearances, switching between the centres and the wing before his season was cut short by injury after a dismal showing at the Magic Weekend against Wakefield. It will be interesting to see if McIntosh will be one of those contracted players let go by the Tigers.

Mikaele Ravalawa – Castleford Tigers

Has there even been a more hyped signing that has fallen flat than Mikaele Ravalawa? With 67 tries in almost 100 NRL appearances for St George Illawarra Dragons, the hulking winger arrived in West Yorkshire with great excitement. Unfortunately, it didn’t pan out the way both Ravalawa and Castleford would have wanted it to. The 28-year-old made just 15 appearances for the Tigers, scoring five tries, and even spent time on loan with Doncaster in the Championship to find match fitness. Suffering a lack of form and plagued by niggles, Ravalawa’s first season in Super League was abject.

Sam Lisone – Hull FC

There was a great deal of disgruntlement around Headingley when it was announced that Sam Lisone would be heading to Hull FC for 2026. A human wrecking ball with the ability to create havoc off the bench, Hull fans were rightly excited about the prospect of Lisone lining up at the MKM Stadium as a home player. However, the 32-year-old would play just 14 times for the Black and Whites during the campaign as he suffered from a lack of match fitness and injury.

Jeremiah Mata’utia – Leeds Rhinos

Jeremiah Mata’utia signed for Leeds on a one-year deal as a direct replacement for Sam Lisone. After impressing on his debut in the Boxing Day clash against Wakefield Trinity, there was hope that Mata’utia would add considerable firepower to the Rhinos’ pack. However, the 22-year-old made just one appearance for Leeds in 2026, spending the latter half of the campaign on loan at Hull FC where he made nine appearances. Mata’utia unsurprisingly didn’t earn a contract extension at Headingley.

Nene Macdonald – St Helens

There was a great deal of excitement around St Helens when they announced the signing of Nene Macdonald. After prolific spells at Leigh, Leeds and Salford, the PNG international was expected to add flair to Saints’ backline. Unfortunately for the 32-year-old and Saints, Macdonald struggled greatly for form and gametime following successive knee problems and went on to make just 13 appearances, scoring three tries. He has since been linked with a move away despite still having a year left to run on his contract.