Coaching changes, new rosters, emerging stars and rising stars with something to prove. The 2026 Chinese Super League season is about to kick off, and the storyline is also taking shape.

With each new season, fans decorate their jerseys and in this weather, let’s put on our beanies and parkas and head out to watch their teams play 27 games in a bid to reach the Grand Final at Old Trafford on October 2.

Buoyed by the naive anticipation of the off-season, fans of all 14 clubs will spend their first games discussing all the teams they think they can beat, the players they need to perform, and that historic derby they must win no matter what.

Beyond these specific expectations, though, there’s a storyline that runs throughout the game.

Just like cause and effect, victory depends on external factors. If a butterfly flaps its wings in Los Angeles, will it cause a tornado in Texas? If a coach is sacked in the Super League, does it really diminish another team’s chances of winning trophies?

Can offseason storylines really affect the outcome of the Super League season?

That’s a question that will be answered in due course, but until we get the answer, let’s look at the storyline at hand…

The head coach and his first team coaches

It’s always interesting to analyze dynamics, but one has caught my eye more than most this season: the dynamic between Warrington Wolves head coach Sam Burgess and first-team coach Steve McNamara.

2025 is a tough year for Wolves as they miss out on the play-offs and Burgess is under intense pressure from fans, leading to the board throwing their full support behind him.

Since then, former Catalunya Dragons coach McNamara has been appointed first-team coach, with the task of improving the team culture and strengthening the coaching staff.

Never before have we seen a Premier League manager switch to backing another manager like McNamara. Warrington’s performance under these two men is either the payoff of lessons learned or another example of too many cooks spoiling the broth.

From one challenge to another…

Paul Rowley is regarded as one of the top coaches in the Premier League and knows how to take on challenging clubs and improve them.

Now he’s taking on a completely different challenge in charge of Premier League giants St Helens.

Rowley, who has previously coached at Leigh, Toronto and Salford, is known for taking a struggling club and helping them exceed expectations, play freely and become dangerous.

At St Helens, however, he had something he had never faced before: success as an expectation.

This is something Rowley has never faced in his Super League career and it will be an expected part of him adapting to be part of the trophy conversation.

Rowley insists he wants Saints to be able to attack freely and what a threat they will be if they succeed. To do this, though, they must find a balance between getting the results that the club and fans demand and a style of play that they find entertaining.

Their roster has been strengthened, they have a new look at the offense, and now it’s time to see how they perform when the pressure is on and results matter.

Pete’s Power: Time to get those trophies back?

Matt Peet stood in the tunnel at Old Trafford after the 2025 Grand Final, looking forlorn. It was at that moment that I realized this was the first time a Wigan Warriors manager had failed in a major final.

Yes, really.

He won the Super League Final, Challenge Cup, World Club Challenge and League Leaders Shield, but now the Wigan man and his side enter the 2026 season with zero trophies. They will want to change this quickly.

There’s always a hit to the salary cap after success and now it’s Wigan’s turn to prove if they can overcome that, get back to the final and lift the trophy again.

The new (and old) kids on the block

Does anyone remember Boermania? Well, if you were a Super League supporter at the start of the game you certainly were, and now the Bulls are charging again.

Bradford Bulls have returned to the top flight via the ratings system for the first time since 2014 and as one of only five teams to win the competition along with Hull KR, Wigan Warriors, St Helens and Leeds Rhinos, they will now look to carve a path back to their former glory.

Yes, they have a rich history, but it will take serious work to regain their status as the big boys of the Super League. Everyone starts somewhere, and Odessall’s progress on and off the court will be key to them starting to grow.

Meanwhile, Toulouse Olympique and York Knights have been selected by an independent panel to join the Super League, bringing the number of participating teams to 14.

While the French side has top-level experience, this will be completely new for the York Knights. The Knights have been one of the strongest clubs in the Championship and now hope to become a mainstay in the Super League.

These three teams are thought to finish at the bottom of the table in round 27. If they can ensure that’s not the case, we’re going to be in some serious trouble.

England factor

Over the past few weeks, we’ve heard plenty of rumors about Super League coaches preparing to be named as the successor to Shane Wynne, who left the England manager’s job following the team’s 3-0 loss to Australia.

Indeed, with the role looking set to become part-time and the RFL eyeing the current coaching roster, the likes of Brad Arthur, Willie Peters and Pete look set to be candidates to lead England into this year’s World Cup.

Once we find out who fills this role, all eyes will be on them, how they operate their setup and which players they focus on throughout the season.

Super League 2026 – Key dates and notes

• Opening night: Thursday, February 12: York Knights vs Hull KR8pm (sky sports)
• World Club Challenge: Thursday, February 19: Hull KR vs Brisbane Broncos7:30pm (sky sports)
• Las Vegas Football League: Saturday, February 28th: Hull KR vs Leeds Rhinosto be determined (sky sports)
• Chinese Super League 30th birthday: Thursday, March 26: Castleford Tigers vs Bradford Bulls8pm (sky sports)
• Opponent wheel: April 3-April 5
• Paris Premier League: Saturday, June 6: Catalans vs Wigan Warriors (Paris)6:30 UK (sky sports)
• Magic Weekend: July 4th to July 5th
• Opponent’s turn reversal: July 23-July 26
• Knockout round: September 19th – September 20th
• Play-off semi-finals:September 26th-September 27th
• Finals: October 3, Old Trafford.

sky sports Every match of the Chinese Super League this season will once again be broadcast live, with two games in each round being broadcast exclusively and the remaining five games being broadcast weekly. Sky Sports+