NRL teams in the SL

[Rlman25]

Looking at the NRL and the quality of the competition down under, I had an interesting thought as to how many teams in the NRL could win SL if they were competing in it, hypothetically speaking. 

Despite SL teams winning the WCC 11 times out of the 23 finals played since 2000, this is probably not a reliable way to gauge which competition is 'better', particularly when the NRL is considered of a higher standard across the board. 

So - which NRL teams would win SL?

[Dunbar]

IIt is an interesting question. I will answer it this way.

Firstly, you cannot guarantee anything, no matter how much people say sport is predictable, it isn't predictable.

Secondly, this is not as straightforward as a first past the post league... any competition that has a play off format has more uncertainty. 

So, having said all that. I believe that every NRL team could  win the Super League. There were a number of Super League teams that started the 2025 season that were realistically never going to win the competition. 

Then take the team that finished bottom of the NRL (Newcastle Knights). They were pretty poor this year in the NRL but I think they would probably have made the Super League top 6 and from that point it is play off rugby so anything could happen.

I don’t think the bottom 4 sides in the NRL would win the Super League, but they could. After that, the next 5 are 50 / 50. Then the top 8 in the NRL are probably favourites to win Super League. 

[N2022]

47 minutes ago, Rlman25 said:

Looking at the NRL and the quality of the competition down under, I had an interesting thought as to how many teams in the NRL could win SL if they were competing in it, hypothetically speaking. 

Despite SL teams winning the WCC 11 times out of the 23 finals played since 2000, this is probably not a reliable way to gauge which competition is 'better', particularly when the NRL is considered of a higher standard across the board. 

So - which NRL teams would win SL?

I am not saying SL is better, or even that the average NRL side / player isn't better than SL equivalent, but I do find it hilarious that the recent-ish WCC record, which is the only direct head-to-head, so readily gets dismissed when anything like this surfaces. NRL clubs had a few big wins e.g. v St Helens, but mostly it's been closish. And Penrith have had 3 chances to crack it, including twice when clearly dominant down under, and have lost to 3 different clubs. At the top end, it comes down to winning a one-off game, and I don't think we'll ever find out.

[Harry Stottle]

56 minutes ago, N2022 said:

I am not saying SL is better, or even that the average NRL side / player isn't better than SL equivalent, but I do find it hilarious that the recent-ish WCC record, which is the only direct head-to-head, so readily gets dismissed when anything like this surfaces. NRL clubs had a few big wins e.g. v St Helens, but mostly it's been closish. And Penrith have had 3 chances to crack it, including twice when clearly dominant down under, and have lost to 3 different clubs. At the top end, it comes down to winning a one-off game, and I don't think we'll ever find out.

I think the question of winning the WCC and winning the league are totally detached, the WCC is a one off game at the start of the season whilst winning the SL involves 30 games.

[Tommygilf]

I think top SL sides would always compete very well with NRL clubs and be able to compete at the highest level.

As ever it comes to depth - certainly the bottom half of SL are nothing like sides 7-12 in the NRL. I think that is where it would tell. Rubbish NRL teams would still be rubbish - the lack of any intergrade competition in Australia denies us a good yardstick too in that respect.

If you added the 17 NRL teams into SL, about 10 or so would be at the level of Leeds/Saints/Wigan straight away. That's not to say no English side could win, it just would mean the pool of sides capable of challenging increases massively and so naturally the odds get longer for everyone.

[N2022]

11 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

I think the question of winning the WCC and winning the league are totally detached, the WCC is a one off game at the start of the season whilst winning the SL involves 30 games.

Except that you don't need to win 30 games, do you? You need to win 18 or so out of 27 to get yourself a play-off berth, getting to 20 or 21 boosts your chances of skipping a round, and then win 2 or 3 in a high-pressure knockout scenario. That's not the same as winning just one match, and I get that winning the WCC isn't the same as winning SL. I do think, though, that the Penrith example shows there are no guarantees these sides would fairly consistently walk away with the SL GF trophy, as some would have us believe. 

[Harry Stottle]

12 minutes ago, N2022 said:

Except that you don't need to win 30 games, do you? You need to win 18 or so out of 27 to get yourself a play-off berth, getting to 20 or 21 boosts your chances of skipping a round, and then win 2 or 3 in a high-pressure knockout scenario. That's not the same as winning just one match, and I get that winning the WCC isn't the same as winning SL. I do think, though, that the Penrith example shows there are no guarantees these sides would fairly consistently walk away with the SL GF trophy, as some would have us believe. 

Whilst you quote Penrith, at the start of this season they were very poor, then progressed as the season went on to be the team we recognise, just falling short in the last few minutes of the semi to make another GF appearance, a totally different animal as the season progresses, it's nigh on impossible but I would love to see the WCC competed for at the seasons end, other than the start of the season.

[eal]

I think every NRL team could win Super League. The bottom NRL team has Kalyn Ponga at fullback, Dom Young on the wing, and Jackson Hastings playing reserve grade. The bigger question is probably how many games would the bottom SL teams win in the NRL? Salford obviously wouldn't win a game, not sure about Huddersfield or Castleford. Maybe 1 or 2?

Edited October 11 by eal

[Click]

5 minutes ago, eal said:

I think every NRL team could win Super League. The bottom NRL team has Kalyn Ponga at fullback, Dom Young on the wing, and Jackson Hastings playing reserve grade. The bigger question is probably how many games would the bottom SL teams win in the NRL? Salford obviously wouldn't win a game, not sure about Huddersfield or Castleford. Maybe 1 or 2?

It's hardly a surprise, Newcastle next year will have Ponga and Brown on combined contracts that are almost larger than the salary cap of a SL club.

[eal]

Just now, Click said:

It's hardly a surprise, Newcastle next year will have Ponga and Brown on combined contracts that are almost larger than the salary cap of a SL club.

If Ponga came to SL he would be lauded as the greatest signing in 25 years, in the NRL he is playing for the wooden spoon.

[Dunbar]

13 minutes ago, eal said:

If Ponga came to SL he would be lauded as the greatest signing in 25 years, in the NRL he is playing for the wooden spoon.

That's because it is a salary capped sport. We all enjoy the competitive nature of the NRL, but let's not pretend that the salary cap does not play a big part in that, without it tue best players would coalesce around the biggest and wealthiest teams like we see in the Premier League.

Edited October 11 by Dunbar

[Click]

6 minutes ago, eal said:

If Ponga came to SL he would be lauded as the greatest signing in 25 years, in the NRL he is playing for the wooden spoon.

And if he went to a lot of other NRL clubs he would be lauded there as well, what point are you trying to make?

It's hardly a surprise that a club signing one of the top players in the world would be lauded.

[N2022]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Whilst you quote Penrith, at the start of this season they were very poor, then progressed as the season went on to be the team we recognise, just falling short in the last few minutes of the semi to make another GF appearance, a totally different animal as the season progresses, it's nigh on impossible but I would love to see the WCC competed for at the seasons end, other than the start of the season.

Would it be fair to point out these games also see our SL sides at the start of their season? Penrith got better, but an English side couldn't? Quality might be better at season end, as you suggest, if players aren't spent, but I like the idea of some decent Autumn internationals here. More competition between the clubs would be good, too, though, like a bigger WCC maybe 3, 4, 5 teams from each?

[Harry Stottle]

1 minute ago, N2022 said:

Would it be fair to point out these games also see our SL sides at the start of their season? Penrith got better, but an English side couldn't? Quality might be better at season end, as you suggest, if players aren't spent, but I like the idea of some decent Autumn internationals here. More competition between the clubs would be good, too, though, like a bigger WCC maybe 3, 4, 5 teams from each?

Of course and that is why I said, "I would love to see the game at the end of the season" note I never said it would favour one or the other teams SL or NRL.

[N2022]

I think the real question is 'how many IMG points would the NRL sides have?'. And by extension, a second would be 'if they didn't have enough to make SL automatically, would they rate highly enough on mysterious criteria to convince the independent panel that they were worth a place?'

[eal]

28 minutes ago, Click said:

And if he went to a lot of other NRL clubs he would be lauded there as well, what point are you trying to make?

It's hardly a surprise that a club signing one of the top players in the world would be lauded.

My point is that almost any team with Ponga (and Hastings and Young) in it would instantly become playoff material in the SL.

Edited October 11 by eal

[Click]

11 minutes ago, eal said:

My point is that almost any team with Ponga (and Hastings and Young) in it would instantly become playoff material in the SL.

Sure, they have 3 - 4 times the salary cap of every SL team so it's hardly a surprise is it

[eal]

2 minutes ago, Click said:

Sure, they have 3 - 4 times the salary cap of every SL team so it's hardly a surprise is it

Not surprising at all. But the question wasn't how teams from either competition would compete if the salary cap were equal.

Edited October 11 by eal

[Dunbar]

15 minutes ago, eal said:

My point is that almost any team with Ponga (and Hastings and Young) in it would instantly become playoff material in the SL.

Are you saying that any Super League teams with all 3 in would instantly become play off material or any one of them?

[eal]

18 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

Are you saying that any Super League teams with all 3 in would instantly become play off material or any one of them?

All 3. Although Ponga on his own could probably drag all except for the bottom 3 into the top six.

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, eal said:

Salford obviously wouldn't win a game, not sure about Huddersfield or Castleford. Maybe 1 or 2?

Not even one or two, however our top teams are probably closer to theirs than the Aussies think. 

[Henson Park Old Firm]

Time for a full blown World Club Challenge to find out.

[eal]

7 minutes ago, Henson Park Old Firm said:

Time for a full blown World Club Challenge to find out.

So the last time that existed it was a disaster for SL. Is the gap between the two any smaller now?

[N2022]

6 minutes ago, eal said:

So the last time that existed it was a disaster for SL. Is the gap between the two any smaller now?

Are you talking about Penrith's 2023 and 2024 defeats to St Helens and Wigan? I am puzzled...

[eal]

Just now, N2022 said:

Are you talking about Penrith's 2023 and 2024 defeats to St Helens and Wigan? I am puzzled...

I was referring to a full-blown WCC - the one in 1997.