HEADING into the new Super League campaign, a number of players will be keen to prove a point – either to themselves or their clubs.
That may be because their form wasn’t the best in 2025, opportunities were limited, or perhaps they were blighted by injury problems which cut their time on the field short.
Here are five “forgotten” players of last season that can bounce back in 2026.
Maika Sivo – Leeds Rhinos
Maika Sivo will basically be a new signing for Leeds, with the winger failing to play a competitive game last season after suffering an ACL injury in the Rhinos’ 22-4 win over Wigan Warriors in pre-season.
The 32-year-old has spent the entire year in rehabilitation so it will be interesting to see how long it takes for Sivo to return to full match fitness.
However, the glimpses that the blockbusting winger showed in pre-season last year suggested that he was set to take Super League by storm. Watch out for a full-throttle Sivo in 2026.
Niall Evalds – Huddersfield Giants
Having started the 2025 season at Hull KR, Niall Evalds made the loan move to Huddersfield Giants after registering just four appearances for the high-flying Robins.
However, the fullback broke his foot half an hour into his debut for the Giants, and, inside two minutes on his return, Evalds left the field with a calf injury.
From March to September, Evalds played less than one half of rugby but the 32-year-old is staunchly backed by Huddersfield boss Luke Robinson to become one of the Giants’ key players in 2026.
David Armstrong – Leigh Leopards
He set the Super League alight in the first half of the 2025 campaign, but a ruptured ACL saw Leigh Leopards’ new boy David Armstrong ruled out for the remainder of the season back in early July.
More incredible was the fact that Armstrong claimed to have played three-and-a-half games with the condition.
The severity of the injury means that the former Newcastle Knights livewire will be out until around April – but still early enough to help the Leopards mount a Grand Final charge.
Andy Ackers – Bradford Bulls
He may have played 11 games for Leeds Rhinos in 2025, but Andy Ackers endured a difficult season at Headingley. In fact Ackers’ two years with the West Yorkshire club saw the hooker in and out of the side due to form and injuries.
A move to Bradford Bulls could reignite Ackers’ career, with the Super League new boys planning on taking a number of teams by surprise when they make the step up.
The 32-year-old will likely be spelled with fan favourite Mitch Souter, and the duo could build a formidable partnership.
Jack Sinfield – Wakefield Trinity
It’s hard enough being a rugby league player without your father being one of the greatest to ever make it in the sport, but that’s what Jack Sinfield has had to contend with since bursting onto the Leeds Rhinos scene back in 2022.
Though the 21-year-old made 14 appearances in 2025 – the most he has ever made in one campaign so far – the majo of those were from the substitutes’ bench.
A new lease of life at Wakefield Trinity could be just what Sinfield needs to step out of the shadow of his father.