Who are the contenders for 2026 Super League place?

The Super League season might be over and the Ashes series on its way, but there is still the matter of who will take top-flight spots in 2026 to be decided.

Earlier this year, Super League’s 12 current clubs voted to expand the competition to 14 teams from next season – the first time the league will have operated with that number since 2014.

Clubs will continue to be graded under media giant IMG and Rugby League Commercial’s “Reimagining Rugby League” initiative, with the top 12 clubs under that criteria named on Thursday (10:00 BST).

Meanwhile a further announcement will be made on two further successful teams on Friday (10:00 BST) based on the decision of a seven-person panel – chaired by Lord Caine.

The panel will judge applications against each club’s financial performance in 2025, as well as their financial performance and sustainability forecasts for 2026 to 2028 and their ability to “field a competitive team in 2026 and beyond”.

With financially-stricken Salford Red Devils unlikely to be able to retain their place in Super League next term, it would appear that three Championship sides will take to the top flight in 2026.

Championship League Leaders’ Shield winners York Knights certainly look like a club which could compete in Super League.

The club have gone from strength to strength in recent years and call the recently-built LNER Community Stadium home.

York have never played in Super League before and they were ranked 15th in last year’s IMG gradings, but are on an upward trajectory having finished top of the standings at the end of the regular 2025 Championship season.

The Knights have already made an eye-catching signing for 2026, when they announced in July that Warrington’s Paul Vaughan would join.

It is not only the men’s side of York’s operation which have performed well.

Toulouse Olympique might have stunned York Knights in the Championship Grand Final earlier in October, but Sylvain Houles’ side have recent Super League pedigree.

Houles oversaw their promotion to the top flight in 2021 and their subsequent Super League campaign the following season.

They could not maintain their top-flight status, however, coming straight back down to the Championship for 2023 having finished bottom of Super League.

Toulouse are a well-funded and well-supported club which opens up the sport further to the French market in combination with Catalans Dragons, who have enjoyed much success in their 20 years playing in Super League.

Toulouse will want to show that they, too, can compete with the best Super League has to offer in addition to growing the sport outside of its heartlands.

The 2025 campaign began with fabled Bradford Bulls head coach Brian Noble returning to the club, helping to guide them to third in the Championship before his exit.

Kurt Haggerty, who had been set to take over as Salford head coach in 2026, left the troubled Red Devils in order to guide the Bradford ship.

Needless to say, Bradford have had a tough time in the past 10 years with various financial issues, yet their Super League-era heritage alone is enough to put them in the frame for another crack at elite level rugby league.

Bradford are three-time World Club Challenge winners, four-time Super League winners and two-time Challenge Cup winners – all in the Super League era alone.

Former chairman Nigel Wood – who returned to the RFL this year – sold his shareholding in the club following his exit as he has chaired the body’s strategic review panel, which would free the club up from any conflict of interest.

Salford’s likely departure from Super League opens the door for a team in the Greater Manchester catchment area.

Oldham, a club not a million miles away, have plenty of rugby league heritage, having won four league championships and the Challenge Cup on three occasions – albeit most of their successes came in the first half of the 20th century.

In 2025, however, Oldham look like a club which could tussle with the best of them.

Under the stewardship of head coach Sean Long, Oldham finished fourth in the Championship this term.

Could Widnes Vikings be a potential sleeping giant that has been overlooked in this competition for places?

Three league championships and seven Challenge Cups in addition to playing in Super League only seven years ago – Widnes know what it is like to play in the top flight.

Not least the fact that at one point they were the greatest side in the world.

The past few years has seen them regroup in the Championship having suffered from financial issues, but the ambition at the club is there.

Doncaster make their application to join Super League off the back of finishing their second season in the Championship.

Another club which have never played in Super League, Doncaster do have players in their ranks who know what it takes to play in the top flight.

Pauli Pauli, Bureta Faraimo and Andre Savelio are some of the names who have turned out for Doncaster to have played top-level rugby league.

London Broncos may have finished a lowly 10th in the Championship on their return to the second tier after playing in Super League last season.

But there is plenty to be intrigued by as the club make their case for a return to the top flight.

Not least their incoming Australian investment – with a proposed new ownership group comprising Australia legend Darren Lockyer, former Leeds Rhinos chief executive officer Gary Hetherington and businessman Grant Wechsel.