Hunslet RLFC continue calls for conference format after Championship promotion
If there was any notion that Hunslet's calls for a conference format in the lower leagues were self-serving, that can be put to bed following the club's promotion to the Championship.
The Parksiders are preparing for their first season in the second tier since 2015 after defying the odds to win two finals in the space of a week.
Hunslet could be forgiven for leaving League 1 behind but chief executive Neil Hampshire remains committed to supporting every club in the professional pyramid.
"I've been pushing for a conference underneath Super League because you've got to have regular derbies to boost finances and get fans to come back," he told The Yorkshire Post.
"Even if you said to Super League, instead of 12 clubs let's go to 14 clubs and have a conference below whether that's east and west or north and south with interconference games as well.
"Everybody then starts from the same level and it's an open competition. Anybody could play a Featherstone, Bradford, Halifax or Widnes and it's a different scenario altogether with more fans and sponsors interested.
"It'd get that interest back. League 1 is a great comp but very, very difficult to get out of. I just think there's a better way of doing it than simply splitting between Championship and League 1."
The third tier comprised only nine teams in 2024, including Newcastle Thunder who lost every game following their brush with extinction.
Dewsbury Rams, Whitehaven and Swinton Lions – the club Hunslet beat in last week's promotion final – will drop down from the Championship and Goole Vikings' arrival boosts League 1 to 11 teams for 2025.
Ahead of the return of the Super 8s, Hampshire feels the Rugby Football League are missing a trick by not throwing their weight behind American-style conferences.
"We've had a lot of support at League 1 level but the Championship clubs are really concerned that they'll lose money if they go to clubs like Cornwall and Midlands," he added.
"That's where I sometimes think the RFL have got to be brave and give this idea a go.
"What we're doing is just having league after league after league. If you're not driving the interest now, how exactly are you going to reinvent the game?"
As rugby league continues to follow IMG's lead, Hunslet have done their bit to get eyes on the sport thanks to their remarkable promotion run.
The Parksiders' hopes appeared to be over after losing to Rochdale Hornets in week one of the play-offs – but Dean Muir's side are made of stronger stuff.
Hunslet survived a scare to beat Midlands Hurricanes on home soil before winning on the road at Rochdale, Keighley Cougars and Swinton.
An improbable scenario a few short weeks ago, the Parksiders now find themselves planning for life in the Championship.
"It's never easy to plan, not even when it's involving just the teams in your league," said Hampshire.
"You've got to have a promotion budget and a League 1 budget. You're thinking about what kind of contract to offer to players and sponsors will say they'll give you so much if you go up or leave it at what it is if we stay in League 1.
"Other sponsors would say that they'd be really interested if we were in the Championship because that's a lot of local derbies and exposure.
"We do feel ready because we were hoping it would be last year. It's not something that's taken us completely out of the blue.
"We know we need a little bit more in the playing budget. We're getting there on that.
"It'll be a challenge but it's one we're meeting head-on and one we want. You can't be in this game if you don't want promotion and to play at the highest level you can get to."
Super League has always been out of reach for Hunslet, even when they won the second-tier Grand Final in 1999.
Like any club, they still have their goals while Hampshire dreams about a future where the Championship and League 1 join forces.
"What we want to be is a solid mid-table Championship club and build from there for a good few years," he said.
"Realistically, are we looking at Super League? Absolutely not.
"You've got to be realistic about where you are but we've got plans. We are growing our business and talking to the council about more ownership of certain parts of the stadium.
"It'd be great to have one competition outside Super League and let's all get excited about it. There might be a different way to do it with 16 teams in Super League and two conferences of eight.
"Whilst ever you're going to say you need 15 IMG points to get to a Grade A licence, the vast majority of Championship and League 1 clubs are just not in a position to do that. That's not a way to run a sport."