RUGBY LEAGUE is a brutal sport, with the majority of players retiring around the early 30s mark.
Some, however, break the mould and go well past the mid-30s range, with such examples being ex-Catalans Dragons veteran Steve Menzies, who retired at a stunning 39 years of age.
Ahead of the 2024 Super League season, there are a number of players that will be over 35 by the time the season begins – here are the five oldest.
5. Stefan Ratchford – 36 – 19/7/1988
Bringing up the rear is Warrington Wolves stalwart Stefan Ratchford, who spent the latter half of the 2024 Super League season out with a serious facial injury. Having spent 12 seasons with Warrington, in which he has amassed over 1,500 points in 332 games, Ratchford signed a new one-year deal with the Cheshire club for 2025. That now puts the utility back on this list at number five.
4. Leroy Cudjoe – 36 – 7/4/1988
Aged 36, Leroy Cudjoe has played his entire rugby league career with the Huddersfield Giants – a career that began back in 2008 and one that will continue into 2025. In that time, the experienced centre has made almost 370 appearances for his boyhood club, scoring 135 tries and 62 goals during that 16-year career. Cudjoe also has ten England caps to his name, but there have been no hints that the 36-year-old wants to retire as of yet.
3. Michael McIlorum – 36 – 10/1/1988
At 36, Michael McIlorum would have been the oldest player at the Catalans Dragons, but he has instead penned a one-year deal to make the move to Hull KR for 2025. That makes him the second oldest player at Craven Park behind Ryan Hall, but McIlorum looks primed for another few seasons at the top level yet. Since joining the Dragons in 2018, the hooker registered 130 appearances, adding to his 242 that he made for the Wigan Warriors.
2. Ryan Hall – Leeds Rhinos – 37 – 27/11/1987
Like Chris Hill below him, Ryan Hall is now 37 but he is not showing any signs of slowing down having joined Hull KR ahead of the 2021 Super League season and now with the Leeds Rhinos for 2025. With Rovers, the blockbusting winger scored 46 tries in 75 appearances for the East Yorkshire club, helping them to the Challenge Cup Final in 2023 and the Super League Grand Final in 2024. Hall, who won six Grand Finals and two Challenge Cups with Leeds Rhinos, signed a one-year deal to carry on his incredible career for 2025 with boyhood club Leeds.
1. Chris Hill – Huddersfield Giants – 37 – 3/11/1987
Born on 3 November 1987, Chris Hill makes the top five with ease. The 35-year-old may well be one of the oldest in Super League, but that didn’t stop him running around like a young teenager for the Huddersfield Giants in 2022, 2023 and 2024. After seven seasons at Leigh and then ten at the Warrington Wolves – where he won the Challenge Cup twice – Hill made a surprise move to the John Smith’s Stadium ahead of the 2022 season – and it’s fair to say it paid off with the prop earning an England call-up to the World Cup. Now with the Salford Red Devils after signing a one-year deal, there’s still plenty of life left in Hill yet!
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