Super League’s quota player expansion is now official, with clubs now permitted to have ten overseas players in their squad, rather than seven.
Many clubs have already started capitalising on this rule change, with Castleford Tigers and Hull FC making the most of it and signing additional players from the Southern Hemisphere.
It’s not something Hull KR will be utilising, though, not for now anyway. The Robins are basically up to salary cap for 2026 after making a number of signings, headlined by the capture of prop Tom Amone.
Rovers have been a club that likes to get its business done early. It’s easy to forget, but they had signed both Arthur Mourgue and Noah Booth for the 2026 season, and both of those deals were done before the season had started. Eventually, they were able to push both arrivals forward.
But with that and a decision on quota changes coming much later, they have not been able to plan for using that extra allowance. As a result, there’s a strong likelihood that they will only have seven overseas players next year, which was the previous number permitted.
However, Rovers will have more room to maneuver heading into 2027., and that is when we may see the Robins recruit more from the NRL.
The Robins automatically have three additional quota spots but beyond that, a number of their existing overseas players are off contract. Peta Hiku, Rhyse Martin, Sauaso Sue and Kelepi Tanginoa are all entering the final year of their existing deals next season, meaning there’s plenty of scope for change should Rovers wish to do so.
Of course, Rovers may want to extend the deals of those players and the domestic players who are also off contract. If they do, using those quota spots may prove difficult as the salary cap hasn’t increased.
But the option is certainly there for Rovers moving forward, and it’s likely to be something they look to use.