The Rugby Football League has already received expressions of interest in taking over the sponsorship of the Super League next season after agreeing with Stobart to write off the existing three-year agreement as a disastrous mistake.

The Stobart deal was controversial from the start as it did not involve any cash, with the 14 Super League clubs split and only the strong support of the RFL chairman, Richard Lewis, persuading a small majority of them to vote for it ahead of an alternative offer from Betfair.

But now Lewis has gone, having left the RFL for the All England Club in April, and the growing discontent at Stobart's lack of visibility as sponsors left little or no enthusiasm for keeping the fleet of several dozen trucks that have been advertising the Super League competition and its clubs on the road.

In a face-saving but unconvincing press release, both parties pointed to an increase in television audience figures of 45% as evidence of the success of the deal – although there is no evidence specifically linking that increase to the Stobart trucks, which have been branded with the badges and leading players of each club.

More significantly for the RFL and the Super League clubs, the early indications are that the damage done by giving away the naming rights to the flagship competition for free can be contained. The long-term sponsorship of the Challenge Cup by Leeds Metropolitan University under its Carnegie brand also expires this year, and James Mercer, Super League's commercial director, confirmed that initial discussions have already begun over securing new backers for both competitions.

"They are two very different competitions, and we are talking to brands informally and formally at the moment," he said. "The sport will be better presented next year in all sorts of ways, and we have the prospect of hosting the Rugby League World Cup in the autumn of 2013, which provides us with another great opportunity.

"The construction of the agreement with Stobart just didn't suit in the end, but there were positives from it in the way it showed us as being prepared to be innovative and look for a marketing collaboration. The other thing that can't be denied is that there are some very positive figures this year, which leave us in a good position to properly commercialise the sport."