‘A complete mess’: Inside Super League’s bitter civil war ...Middle East

And then there were two. After 27 rounds, a trip to Las Vegas, the Challenge Cup and the semi-finals, only two clubs are still standing – Hull Kingston Rovers and Wigan Warriors. The two teams that met 12 months ago at Old Trafford, where the Warriors emerged victorious, will do battle again in Saturday’s Super League Grand Final.

With Willie Peters’ charges finishing top and winning the Challenge Cup, there was little surprise to see them back in the decider. And with Wigan gunning for a third title win in a row, after claiming a historic quadruple of trophies last year, no one is shocked either that Matty Peet’s men are returning to M16.

But while the Warriors and Hull KR are readying for a challenge on the pitch, off it, things are getting ugly. The politics of who is in control of the sport, and where it goes in the years ahead, are messier than ever.

It all goes back to the controversial return of Nigel Wood to the top of the Rugby Football League (RFL) in March, and the coup d’etat that saw former RFL chairman Simon Johnson and board quit en masse. A new board was installed, despite the concerns of Sport England and many others, but more questions than answers remain.

Wood came in promising change, money-saving measures and a strategic review to reshape rugby league’s future. However, eight months later little has changed. The main development has been the July decision to expand Super League from 12 to 14 teams, a move that has again proved contentious and polarising because of its lack of detail, explanation and reasoning.

One of the key antagonists against this expansion has been Wigan and its owner, the billionaire Mike Danson. The Warriors are far from alone in this stance, though.

Last month, former Wakefield Trinity chairman John Minards publicly slammed the RFL’s plans for Super League expansion, describing them as a “complete mess”.

“There is just not enough money coming into the game to support 14 teams of sufficient quality – or even 12 based on this year’s evidence,” Minards tweeted.

“No wonder no financial model has been produced to support the change – it doesn’t exist.”

The RFL has officially given no reasoning why a move to 14 teams would actually benefit the sport, particularly financially. Numerous club officials and owners have stated publicly that the removal of loop fixtures is the key reason for the change.

But loop fixtures are common in other sports and have given Super League some of its biggest attendances this year. At the moment the competition is crowing about its growth in crowds, sponsorship and TV ratings.

On Tuesday, an RFL press release claimed that match average audiences on television have gone up 50 per cent from 2024, while Super League has had a record total attendance of 1.6 million this season for a 12-team competition, with a record average crowd of over 10,000 people at each game for the first time.

Ashes tickets are selling well, with more than 120,000 already snapped up and both Headingley and the Hill Dickinson Stadium sold out. Sponsorship has also grown, with partner income exceeding £5m.

But clubs are struggling financially. Salford Red Devils may finally go into administration this month. Featherstone Rovers have debts around £1m and could also go bust, while allegations have been made that North Wales Crusaders have not paid their players.

The RFL’s leadership has been largely missing in action and in September it was announced that chief executive Tony Sutton would be stepping down. Pressure has been mounting at the governing body for months and more senior exits at the RFL are expected. One insider told The i Paper that Wood has started to lose support and described the sport as “absolutely rudderless”.

Last month, Wigan owner Mike Danson sent a legal letter to Super League to ask them to suspend the expansion next year, alleging the decision was taken without sufficient information being presented about its impact on the competition.

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Then last week, the civil war went nuclear when Wigan exposed a threat from Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont, one of Wood’s biggest supporters, to withdraw his team from the semi-final after a dispute over ticket allocations.

The decision by the Warriors to throw Beaumont under the bus so publicly was intriguing. After several days of statements and social media meltdown, the match was eventually played, Leigh were beaten and Wigan qualified for the grand final. But it was another unedifying and embarrassing period for the sport, and it shows the ferocity of the fight for power at the top.

What happens next is open to conjecture. The NRL, and their reported interest in taking over Super League, remain on the sidelines but Australian officials will land in the UK this month for the Ashes, with talks to follow. The i Paper understands discussions between Hull KR and Wigan with NRL bosses have continued quietly for many weeks.

The expectation is that there will be more carnage ahead.

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