'Creating elite cartel': Clubs react to IMG grading criteria recommendations

On Thursday, global sports management giant IMG unveiled a 20-point plan that will underpin the move away from automatic promotion and relegation.

Five factors – ‘fandom’, performance, finance, stadium and catchment – will ultimately determine the fate of each club from the 2025 season.

The recommendations will be put to a vote on April 19 and if accepted, illustrative grades for the 2024 campaign will be released at the end of this year, including feedback on areas for improvement.

Category A clubs would be guaranteed a place in Super League, with any remaining spots taken by the highest-ranked Category B clubs.

Minimum standards will be in place alongside the grading criteria, including the requirement for Category A clubs to run academy and women’s teams.

Keighley – the only club to vote against the initial proposal last year – remain far from convinced after discovering how the grading system would work.

Cougars co-owner Ryan O'Neill said: "I feel it's worse than expected.

"You've got to have a PHD in astrophysics to understand the grading system they've put in place.

"It's not sport. It's so technical that it's going to turn the fans away in droves.

"We came with an open mind. We were sceptical but came with an open mind and that open mind closed very quickly when we learned of the technical detail clubs have to go through to be graded. It's just absolutely crazy.

"What they're creating is an elite cartel. The whole thing is elitist and it's protecting the few. They want to get to 12 Category A's and once they get there, that's it. That's what I understood it to be."

Under the proposals, performance, finance and fandom – which will take into account a club's support in stadia, at home and digitally – will each contribute 25 per cent to the overall weighting.

The recommended grading criteria also covers stadium (15 per cent) and catchment (10 per cent).

O'Neill believes the new system would close the door on Keighley's chances of ever reaching Super League.

"It's dispiriting," he added.

"Why would I work my guts off and throw my money into it for them to say 'Well done Keighley, you've won the Championship but London who finished 6th are going up'?

"I love our town and our club so we'll keep fighting but it's dispiriting."

Eight-time Super League champions Leeds Rhinos are widely expected to be given a Category A licence.

While chief executive Gary Hetherington admitted more work needed to be done to avoid a scenario feared by the Cougars, he refuted the claim that the shutters would be pulled down once there are enough Category A clubs.

"That's not correct," said Hetherington.

"What has been articulated is that the hope and ambition is to grow the number of Super League clubs and grow the size of the competition. The size of Super League is only limited by the number of A clubs that are developed.

"There may be other clubs that come into the game in years to come that can also get to that standard.

"A lot more thought has to go into it. This is a recommendation caveated by the fact it is a work in progress."

York Knights – one of the clubs that stand to benefit from expansion – have pledged their support to the recommendations.

Chairman Clint Goodchild believes the Cougars are very much in the minority.

"I think they made their mind up that whatever opportunity that came along wasn't going to be good enough for them – and that's their decision," he said.

"It's not a fairytale for us and we've got a lot of hard work to do – but I think the clarity, communication and opportunity is fair across the board.

"If you can't tick those boxes, should you be in the top tier?

"From the standpoint of balance in the system that builds the rank, I think it's fair that the performance and facilities elements are each a quarter of it.

"There are zero surprises. The great thing is that it reassured a lot of the hopes that myself and a lot of other clubs shared. It's built on sustainable growth and getting the beautiful product into new markets but doing it in a way where you don't lose the old ones.

"That's the balance and they've given a decent standing to do that."

Wakefield Trinity, who are in danger of dropping out of Super League after a nightmare start to the new campaign, were left encouraged by the detail provided by IMG.

Chairman John Minards expects the redevelopment of Belle Vue to boost Trinity's score.

"We still remain broadly positive about the criteria and the general direction of travel," he said.

"We think we're in the mix. With all the things we're doing back at Belle Vue, we still remain in a good place.

"We're happy with taking it away from it being completely based on performance and taking a lot of things into account.

"There were no shocks or surprises and we're still happy with where we're going."