HAVING the most attention can either be daunting or exciting for a Super League club.
Of course, with more eyes comes more scrutiny and that can sometimes have a negative effect on a club’s results through the year.
However, some clubs thrive under pressure and take the limelight and churn it into a positive going forward. Here are the three Super League clubs with the most attention on them going into the 2023 season.
St Helens
First and foremost, the reigning champions. In fact you could have said that in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 as well as 2023 given St Helens’ recent Grand Final success. As always, all eyes will be firmly focused on Saints to see if they can add an illustrious fifth Super League title in a row – something unprecedented in the summer era. New head coach Paul Wellens is the man leading from the front following the exit of Kristian Woolf, but Wellens has dealt with pressure all of his life, albeit in a playing capacity. It’s safe to say that most – including the bookies – are expecting another Saints Old Trafford win, but that will not stop the intense focus on the Merseyside club.
Leigh Leopards
Nobody really knows what to expect from a newly-promoted side, least of all the Leigh Leopards. The recent rebrand from Centurions to Leopards took the rugby league world by surprise, but, on the same day, Leigh announced ten new signings – some of which included Super League stalwarts Zak Hardaker, Ricky Leutele and Gareth O’Brien. Since then, the bookies and a lot of people have made their minds up that Leigh will not get relegated in 2023. In doing so, numerous eyes are now fixated on the Leopards to see if they can make it fourth time lucky and stay in Super League the first year after earning promotion.
Warrington Wolves
If Daryl Powell had come in as head coach of Warrington Wolves and done reasonably well then people perhaps would not have been so eager to see how the Cheshire club performs in 2023. As it was, Powell’s side was dreadful in 2022, finishing 11th with only the relegated Toulouse Olympique below them. In response, the former Castleford head coach has received the unlimited backing from the Warrington board which has allowed Powell to go out and sign his own squad for next season. Now, with his own team at hand, there can be no excuses for Powell as rugby league fans eagerly await the start of the Super League season.
