For Widnes fans, the 2026 season ended on a Sunday at the DCBL Stadium. The Vikings won at Oldham in the first week of the Championship play-offs and lost the next week at Newcastle Thunder. The rematch between Oldham and Widnes ended 16-16 at full time and went into golden point. Oldham’s Owen Farnworth, a former Viking, scored straight from the kick-off to end the game and Oldham won 20-16. It hurt, but the rest of the autumn is now free for Widnes fans to enjoy as spectators, which is something fans rarely get to do.
You have plenty of options to watch. In early October there are Grand Finals on consecutive days, and less than two weeks later the World Cup kicks off in Sydney. Here is what to watch and the players to check out.
Super League: Wigan chase the treble
This year, for the first time since 2014, Super League expanded to 14 teams, with the addition of Bradford, York and Toulouse. Wigan clinched the League Leaders’ Shield after thrashing Catalans 50-12. Wigan also lifted the Challenge Cup after an emphatic 40-10 win over Hull KR at Wembley in May.
That leaves one trophy between Matt Peet’s side and a treble. Wigan host Wakefield in the semi-finals on Saturday 26 September, a day after Leeds and Warrington meet at Headingley. The Grand Final will take place on Saturday 3 October at Old Trafford.
The champions won’t be there. Last year’s champions, Hull KR, were knocked out in the eliminators by Warrington. That game included a hat-trick by Matty Ashton, which included his 100th Super League try.
In February, Hull KR beat Brisbane to win the World Club Challenge for the first time. Later that month, Leeds trounced Hull KR 58-6 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The game was one of three played as part of a rugby league fest in Las Vegas and drew the biggest rugby league crowd in Vegas’s history.
Getting the ball back into play. Photo: CRISTIAN CAMILO ESTRADA / Pexels
The NRL: two sides nobody expected
In Australia, Penrith won the minor premiership in the final round and remain the benchmark against which all others are judged. They take on Newcastle, who, after finishing last in 2025, have also made it to their first preliminary final since 2013.
The other tie is just as unlikely. The Dolphins, an expansion team that joined the NRL in 2023, came back to win their first ever finals game in Auckland. They will play the Roosters this week at Suncorp Stadium. The NRL Grand Final is on Sunday 4 October at Accor Stadium in Sydney.
Newcastle played before a crowd of over 48,000 at Eden Park to beat the Warriors 12-10. The Brisbane preliminary final is on the Friday and the Sydney one on the Sunday, so one Grand Finalist will have almost two extra days to recover.
The season had its landmarks before the finals began. South Sydney’s Alex Johnston broke Ken Irvine’s all-time try record in March. New South Wales won State of Origin 2-1. Nathan Cleary won the player of the series award.
What the finals mean for rugby league betting
29 September is the day the Man of Steel award is handed out, with Brad O’Neill, Adam Keighran and Lachie Miller on the shortlist. The Dally M Medal is awarded the day after.
Readers in Ireland can access rugby union betting at VivatBet to see the markets for those award races and the Grand Finals. Prices reflect the bookmaker’s view of the outcome with a margin built in, not a prediction. Set a budget before you look. Betting is for individuals aged 18 and over. Help is available at gamblingcare.ie.
A big stadium at sunset. Photo: Magda Ehlers / Pexels
The World Cup: 15 October to 15 November
The Rugby League World Cup is taking place in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea. This year there are three concurrent tournaments: men’s, women’s and wheelchair. The men’s tournament will have 10 teams and the first game will be played between Australia and New Zealand on 15 October in Sydney. Over 150,000 tickets had been sold about a month before the tournament starts.
Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and the Cook Islands are in Pool A. In Pool B are England with Samoa and Lebanon. Pool C consists of Papua New Guinea, France and Tonga. The two smaller pools face each other. The top two in Pool A and the top two in the combined table go through to the semi-finals.
England kick off their campaign against Tonga in Perth on 17 October under the charge of Brian McDermott. He was appointed in April after Shaun Wane resigned following last year’s Ashes loss. They face Papua New Guinea in Wollongong on 30 October, where they will share the day with England’s wheelchair and women’s teams. The semi-finals will take place in Newcastle and Sydney on 7 and 8 November respectively. The men’s final will take place on 15 November at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, alongside the women’s final.
The wheelchair tournament is also worth looking at separately. All the games are played indoors in Wollongong, and Ireland, Wales and Scotland join England and France in this section of the competition. Ireland, Wales and England are in the same pool as the USA.
Players worth your attention
- Kalyn Ponga (Newcastle, New Zealand). The Knights captain won the 2023 Dally M and has led the team through the finals. He switched his international allegiance from Australia to New Zealand in March.
- Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins, England). Farnworth leads the NRL for tackle breaks this season.
- George Williams (Warrington, England). He was confirmed as England captain in September ahead of the World Cup, following his return from neck surgery in August.
- Brad O’Neill (Wigan, England). He was named Player of the Year by the Rugby League Writers and Broadcasters’ Association. The last hooker to achieve this was James Roby in 2018.
- Dominic Young (Newcastle, England). The winger has been named in England’s wider World Cup squad and helped the Knights reach the preliminary final with his try in the semi-final.
- Jake Connor (Leeds, England). The 2025 Man of Steel was called up by England in June after spending seven years in the international wilderness.
A long autumn for the Vikings
For Widnes, the question is 2027, the year in which Super League places are decided by club gradings instead of play-offs. The Championship isn’t finished either, with preliminary finals taking place this weekend. The Championship Grand Final will take place on Sunday 4 October, which happens to be the day the NRL Grand Final takes place. Allan Coleman will have plenty to think about during the off-season.
Until then, the calendar does the work. Two Grand Finals. A month of the Rugby League World Cup. The best players in the game, and no match of your own to worry about.
