February top-flight winners and losers
No prizes are handed out in February but every Super League club will be targeting a fast start to the 2022 season. The schedule released on Thursday has thrown up intriguing early games, with some teams facing a demanding run of fixtures from the off.
Here, Rugby League Live ranks every team’s start from least to most demanding.
St Helens: Catalans Dragons (h), Hull FC (a), Wakefield Trinity (h)
The reigning champions have a tough start against 2021 Grand Finalists Catalans but they have won their previous 11 meetings with Hull and likewise have the wood over Wakefield, winning each of the last nine fixtures between the sides.
Toulouse Olympique: Huddersfield Giants (h), Salford Red Devils (a), Warrington Wolves (h)
Super League new boys Toulouse have an early chance to get points on the board after being given two winnable games first up and will fancy their chances against Warrington backed by a partisan crowd on home soil.
Hull FC: Wakefield Trinity (a), St Helens (h), Salford Red Devils (h)
Saints anywhere is a tough game but either side FC have fixtures that present an opportunity to hit the ground running after limping over the line in
2021.
Hull KR: Wigan Warriors (h), Huddersfield Giants (a), Castleford (h)
All three games are challenging but Rovers would back themselves against any team at home and Huddersfield represents a relatively pleasant first away trip.
Wigan Warriors: Hull KR
(a), Leeds Rhinos (h), Huddersfield Giants (h)
The Warriors will kick off the Matt Peet era with a tough trip to Craven Park before hosting Leeds and Huddersfield in tricky home games.
Salford Red Devils: Castleford (a), Toulouse Olympique (h), Hull FC (a)
Paul Rowley’s Salford face two highly motivated sides on the road and Toulouse will be no easy beats early in the season.
Castleford Tigers - Salford (h), Warrington Wolves (a), Hull KR (a)
After he launches his reign on home soil against the side that finished second bottom last year, Lee Radford will find out a lot about his Castleford team at Warrington and Hull KR.
Huddersfield Giants: Toulouse Olympique (a), Hull KR (h), Wigan Warriors (a)
The Giants have been given the unenviable task of being Toulouse’s first visitors and then take on two of last season’s play-off sides.
Warrington Wolves; Leeds Rhinos (a), Castleford Tigers (h), Toulouse Olympique (a)
A trip to Headingley, a reunion with his former club and an earlyseason date with Toulouse in the south of France represents something of a baptism of fire for Daryl Powell.
Catalans Dragons: St Helens (a), Wakefield Trinity (h), Leeds (a)
It doesn’t get any tougher than St Helens away in round one and Catalans face another difficult away trip to Headingley after hosting Wakefield, a game they will be hoping to win comfortably.
Leeds Rhinos: Warrington (h), Wigan Warriors (a), Catalans (h)
The Rhinos will need to hit the ground running with games against three of last year’s top four in February, although they will take solace in the fact that two are on home soil.
Wakefield Trinity: Hull FC (h), Catalans Dragons (a), St Helens (a)
Trinity have positive recent memories of playing Hull at Belle Vue but trips to the 2021 Grand Finalists on consecutive weekends could quickly bring them back down to earth.
SUPER LEAGUE 2022 STARTS COMPARED