Queensland Cup 2026 Finals Series

The 2026 season has concluded with a long finals series, four rounds. The grand final video highlights are below, which can be viewed on YouTube. If you want to see the results first, they are below the video.

The Sunshine Coast won the league, coverage of that by me can be seen by clicking here. The finals themselves had results go as expected. It came down to the grand final with the top two league teams. Redcliffe had an advantage of having the Dolphins play in the NLR elite league, some well known names representing Redcliffe in the final.

The Sunshine Coast were on top early on but as the game progressed, Redcliffe came back and ultimately took title somewhat comfortably in the end. 

UK SLW 2026 League Standings (Women) Now Completed

The 2026 league has been concluded. How have the clubs fared? Here's my assessment.

I don't have in depth knowledge, but it's clear there are two divisions within one. There isn't enough talent to support eight clubs with any level of equality. The only way to increase the quality in depth is by offering young women a pathway and a chance to play the game competitively. 

5-8. While these four teams are good enough for the top 8, they are well off the pace when compared to the top four.

1-4. These teams possess the most talented players. Still, the top two within this elite level were a notch above the other two below them. 

To deal with the difference between the top four and lower four, the top four were then divided into the Super 4s, retaining their points from the table above and adding to them. 

Wigan did drop a game but ended well ahead. Three below had a tussle, with York slipping past St Helens on points difference. 

York's inflicting Wigan's only loss in the last game of the Super 4s, securing a playoff match with Leeds.  They won that 12-0 and headed to the grand final. York needed to defeat Wigan again and they did and took out the grand final 8-6 in a scoreless second half. 

The lower four then carried over their points into the Shield phase. The rank was only changed with Barrow moving up, courtesy of a superior goal difference. Barrow won two of their Shield games and Leigh lost all of theirs.

Leigh now had to defeat the London Broncos from the lower division to retain their Super League status. They were well beaten 6-36. London are promoted and Leigh go down to the Championshop competition below.

UK Championship League: 2026

This competition is almost in the 'too hard' basket of UK RL. It costs money to run but doesn't generate enough to stand alone. Obviously, sponsorships, ticket sales, and revenue from other locally generated means are important. Centrally distributed funds are also needed. How much does that amount to?

I don't know, but the top amount is £147,000 and the lowest £28,000. The total would exceed £1,000,000, which I assume is money they don't generate. Still, they are an important part of the pyramid of the game, so money well spent. 

As for the season itself...much to be dissected. With the combining of the two leagues below the elite Super League, it ended up as one twenty team league. Let's break it down.

Three teams were promoted to SL and one was shut down due to finances. They are listed at the bottom of the chart below. Salford was relegated from SL. Only two of the six Championship play off clubs from 2025 made it onto the list below. They are Oldham and Halifax. 

Teams marked with a P in the 25 column are clubs that came up from the lower division when it was terminated. They looked like they would be lambs to the slaughter, but not so. Three made the ten team play offs. 

The amazing club is the Newcastle Thunder. They came last in the lower League One with no wins from eighteen matches. This year, rubbing shoulders with experienced Championship sides looked a daunting prospect. Instead, they have come second! Why? Strategic partnerships with SL York and NRL Penrith helped. They have also improved their whole operation in various areas. It just shows the potential when a club is well run and gets strong initiatives in place.

Halifax and North Wales had points deducted for financial issues. North Wales moves to South Wales next year. More travel, but hopefully the southern regions of Wales has more to offer.

The play offs will be covered soon.