The 2025 Super League season may have only just finished but attention is already beginning to turn towards 2026 and what may be in store for a new-look competition.
There will be a whole host of predictions as the big kick-off approaches in February: just as there was a decade ago when Sky’s Barrie McDermott picked his players to watch out for from every club going into the 2016 season.
But ten years on, how did those tips fare? Here’s a look at what they’re all up to today.
Castleford Tigers: Will Maher
The young prop was touted for a big season in 2016 by McDermott and in many ways, the Sky pundit wasn’t wrong. Maher never made more appearances for Castleford over a single season than what he did in 2016, playing 15 times.
But he would spend time away from the club on loan spells at the likes of Batley and Halifax, before moving to Hull KR between 2020 and 2022. He finished playing professionally at the end of last year with Keighley Cougars.
Catalans Dragons: Fouad Yaha
There can be no doubting McDermott got this one spot on, with Yaha one of the finest French players ever to turn out for Catalans Dragons.
He scored 10 tries in 17 games when touted for big things by McDermott going into 2017, and would go on to score over 100 tries for the Dragons in all competitions.
Yaha has just departed the Dragons at the end of the 2025 season.
Huddersfield Giants: Josh Johnson
Johnson made 17 appearances for Huddersfield in 2016 before departing for Hull KR, where he spent two seasons. His career was well-travelled, with stints at the likes of Salford, Widnes and Bradford. Johnson was last playing in the professional game for Rochdale in 2025.
Hull FC: Jansin Turgut
The forward made 30 Super League appearances for Hull between 2015 and 2018, before making the move to Salford Red Devils. After a horrendous incident in Ibiza in 2019, Turgut eventually returned to rugby league with a short stint at Bradford Bulls before retiring.
Hull KR: Thomas Minns
Minns was being touted for a big career with Hull KR having made the decision to leave Leeds Rhinos and join the Robins for the start of the 2016 season.
In all, he would remain with Rovers until the end of 2019 before spells with Featherstone and Wakefield. Then, after two years out of the professional game, Minns returned to League 1 this year to sign with Goole Vikings.
Leeds Rhinos: Jordan Lilley
Few players on this list were tipped for such big things quite like Jordan Lilley, who emerged through the ranks at AMT Headingley at a transitional time for the Rhinos.
Their golden generation was drawing to a close and Lilley was touted as the next big thing. He would feature 24 times for the Rhinos in 2016 but he never really got as good a run of games again. By 2019 he had moved across West Yorkshire to Bradford – and there, he established himself as a real fans favourite and a star of the Championship.
Lilley has just left the Bulls following their promotion to Super League; he will play for Sheffield in 2026.
Salford Red Devils: Ryan Lannon
Outside of a one-year stint with Hull KR in 2018, Lannon was with Salford all the way through to the 2023 season.
He would leave to join Halifax Panthers, before further stints in the Championship with Widnes and Oldham: the latter of whom he is still with today.
St Helens: Joe Greenwood
This one, we’re classing as a successful tip from Barrie Mac.
Greenwood broke into the Saints side and made a real impact, scoring 11 times in 24 games in 2016. The following year, he was in the NRL playing for Gold Coast, as well as earning an England cap in 2018 too.
Greenwood returned to England to have three seasons with Wigan before making the move to Huddersfield in 2021. The 32-year-old has been there ever a since, and has never dropped out of the top flight.
Wakefield Trinity: Tom Johnstone
We’re assuming Sky Sports meant the England international – though he is name-checked as Tom Johnson in the original article! This is a tip for the future that definitely proved to be accurate, by the way.
Johnstone has become one of the most feared and impressive wingers in Super League, having starred for Catalans Dragons and his country before returning to Trinity at the start of this season. He’ll be in action in the Ashes this autumn, too.
Warrington Wolves: Jack Johnson
Johnson never really got a good run of games under his belt at the Wire, spending time out on loan or dual-registration instead. He left at during the 2019 season to join Featherstone before subsequently playing for the likes of Newcastle and Widnes.
Johnson is now in the Championship with Oldham, where he was a fairly regular presence in Sean Long’s match-day sides in 2025.
Widnes Vikings: Matt Whitley
Whitley has gone on to become a star of Super League over the decade since he was originally tipped for big things. He was magnificent with Widnes Vikings, before earning a big break and a move to Catalans Dragons.
There, he became a full England international before returning closer to home to sign for his boyhood club, St Helens, where he remains to this day.
Wigan Warriors: Jake Shorrocks and Jack Higginson
McDermott selected two Wigan players for his choices. One of them will be back in Super League in 2026 after Shorrocks has successfully reinvented his career with Toulouse, becoming one of the stars of the French club in recent years.
Higginson had brief spells with Leigh and Rochdale after leaving Wigan, before retiring from the professional game in 2021.
