How history suggests Hull KR will fare in 2026: World Club Challenge triumph to Willie Peters leaving...

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Hull KR have never entered a Super League season as reigning champions before, but will do come 2026: so how might they fare?

Well, our guess is as good as yours.

In fact, judging by the predictions we made ahead of the 2025 campaign, your guess is most certainly better than ours!

But, for now, here’s a look at how history suggests the Robins might fare next season – courtesy of a look back at how each first-time Super League champion followed up their maiden triumph.

Judging by this, KR fans are either in for more incredible highs or some absolutely dismal lows…

St Helens – 1997

St Helens lift the Challenge Cup in 199 following their triumph in the competition's final against Bradford Bulls

A trio of St Helens stars lift the Challenge Cup in 199 following their triumph in the competition’s final against Bradford Bulls

Saints were the first-ever Super League champions, taking the crown having finished top of the ladder in 1996, when that was enough to earn you the title.

The following year, they managed to retain the Challenge Cup as they beat Bradford in the competition’s final for the second year running.

But there was no such glory in Super League, finishing third – four points behind second-placed London Broncos and a whopping 11 behind the Bulls, who were crowned champions in 1997.

’97 was the last time that the play-offs at the end of a Super League season were for a different honour entirely, the Premiership, and in that competition Saints lost the final to rivals Wigan at Old Trafford.

Elsewhere, there was a huge defeat in the last-eight of the World Club Championship to eventual winners Brisbane Broncos. Not until Leeds in 2005, which we’ll get onto, did a first-time Super League champion get the chance to compete in the World Club Challenge.

Bradford Bulls – 1998

? | On This Day in 1998…

? | The ‘Baby Faced Assassin’ @DeacsPaul scored on his Bradford Bulls debut in a 36-10 win over Huddersfield at Odsal!#StrengthInNumbers pic.twitter.com/YuYJluKSo0

— Bradford Bulls (@OfficialBullsRL) June 28, 2025

We mentioned Bradford‘s ’97 glory in Super League there, and come ’98, they did not fare well.

Finishing fifth, a whopping 18 points behind table-toppers Wigan, the Bulls still did enough to book a spot in the newly-adopted play-off system.

But they were dumped out of those play-offs at the first hurdle, losing 46-24 to Saints at Knowsley Road in a qualifier which saw both Paul Newlove and Graeme Bradley sent off.

‘What about the Challenge Cup?!’ we hear you ask. A pretty embarrassing Fifth Round exit at the hands of Castleford for the Bulls in ’98. The less said about that, the better.

Wigan Warriors – 1999

Wigan lost 16-20 to Gateshead Thunder #OnThisDay 1999. The game was played at Tynecastle, home of Scottish football side Hearts. One of Thunder’s try scorers was a young University College Dublin law graduate with a Gaelic Football background: His name was Brian Carney (below) pic.twitter.com/gDEn28u3fU

— WiganRugbyStuff (@WiganRugbyStuff) August 1, 2025

Having finished top in the ‘regular’ season, Wigan went on to get the job done under John Monie in ’98 and clinched their first-ever Super League title. What lay in wait in ’99 was the stuff of horrors, though.

Monie departed midway through the ’99 campaign having not been able to agree terms for a new deal with the Cherry and Whites, and assistant Andy Goodway replaced him.

Beaten in the Challenge Cup Fifth Round at Leeds, Wigan went on to finish fourth in the ‘regular’ season, eight points behind table-toppers Bradford.

They were then dumped out of the play-offs at the first hurdle, beaten 14-10 on home soil by Castleford in a qualifier.

Ending a season without a trophy for the first time in 15 years, that spelled the end for boss Goodway, who was sacked by chairman Maurice Lindsay in November.

Leeds Rhinos – 2005

Leeds Rhinos celebrate their World Club Challenge triumph in 2005

Prior to Hull KR this year, Leeds‘ Grand Final triumph in 2004 was the most recent occasion a club had won a Super League title for the first time.

The Rhinos kickstarted the following campaign with a tremendous triumph in the World Club Challenge, beating NRL kings Canterbury Bulldogs at Elland Road.

Tony Smith’s side went on to lose the Challenge Cup final in dramatic circumstances that year, beaten 25-24 by Hull FC in Cardiff.

And ’05 ended for Leeds with another narrow defeat in the Super League Grand Final as Bradford pipped them 15-6 at Old Trafford to prevent them going back-to-back.