Wakefield Trinity chairman John Minards hopes for Super League return ticket through IMG grading system

After 25 seasons in Super League, Wakefield are on the brink of losing their top-flight status.

Trinity are four points adrift of nearest rivals Castleford Tigers with two rounds remaining, leaving Mark Applegarth's side needing a minor miracle to avoid the drop.

Bradford Bulls and Widnes Vikings head the list of clubs that have struggled to find their way back to Super League but there is hope for Wakefield as they map out their return journey in the shape of IMG's grading system, which will come into effect from 2025 in place of automatic promotion and relegation.

Whereas currently the only way to get back into Super League is through Championship Grand Final success, Trinity can work just as hard off the field to secure an immediate return.

Chairman John Minards has stressed that everybody connected with the club can play their part to ensure it is a brief stay in the Championship should the worst happen.

"It is still alive," he told The Yorkshire Post. "We're not talking as if we're down but you have to be realistic about the fact four results need to go in our favour for us to survive.

"People should be rest assured I've been intimately involved in working through what the grading criteria means and where we stand.

"The ultimate objective is to get to 15 points (Category A) and establish a permanent place in Super League, subject to retaining 15 points. I do believe that's attainable for our club but there are many variables on that.

"In the short term, it seems like what we'll need to be is somewhere close to 15 in order to be one of the better Category B clubs. That's something I'm optimistic about.

"We're hoping very much that our fans stay with us. We think the vast majority will because that's what they do and they always have.

"We have some very loyal and hardcore fans at Wakefield Trinity. We're hoping and expecting that they'll stay with us."

Clubs will be scored across five areas: fandom (25 per cent), performance (25 per cent), finance (22.5 per cent), stadium (15 per cent) and community (12.5 per cent).

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

Wakefield's timely stadium redevelopment is one reason for optimism.

"With the plans that are firmly in place and will conclude, we will be as close to full marks as we could possibly be," said Minards, who will learn Trinity's illustrative grade at the end of this season.

"To have full marks, you'd have to have 100 per cent utilisation – in other words selling out every week. Nobody is going to do that no matter what their capacity is.

"My illustration on that is the difference between having a stadium that is Super League compliant and one that is not is worth one whole IMG point. We believe we're going to be in that place.

"The difference between sixth and seventh or 14th and 15th is 0.1111 so therefore having the stadium up to the right level is worth about nine league positions in the currency of IMG points.

"In addition to the basic facilities, you've got security of tenure and primacy of tenure which we have now having bought the stadium."

Minards also expects Trinity to be competitive in other areas.

"There's a lot to be positive about in terms of the stadium and a lot to be positive about in the finances section," he added.

"We've looked at the results that were posted by all clubs for the 2022 season. We posted a loss before the contribution to fund the stadium but – from what I've seen – it was a lower loss than anybody bar one other club.

"It was about £600,000. This year will be a loss again but it won't be of the same magnitude.

"The loss that we post has always been one that is manageable in cash terms, and our balance sheet is in a much stronger position than it has ever been.

"I'm having a conversation about catchment area. Community foundation is solid.

"In the fandom domain, we're pretty good. We'd always like bigger crowds but our social media engagement is pretty strong."

In the performance pillar, teams are ranked from one to 36 based on where they finished in the leagues and play-offs over the previous three seasons.

Minards believes a Championship campaign could aid Wakefield on that front.

"We're around a high two," he said. "This year is looking like 12th and the previous two years were 10th.

"If you finish top of the Championship, win the Grand Final and 1895 Cup as well, you would receive more points in that year than the team finishing 11th or 12th in Super League.

"That will clearly be another area of focus so whilst there isn't automatic promotion to the team that does that, it gets some good points that would hopefully put it in a good place.

"If we don't get to Category A at 15 points, we've got to be one of the better Bs. That is obviously a relative game and I'm not aware of where every other club is but I know where I think we are.

"It's possible the team that finishes 10th or 11th next year could end up not in Super League in 2025 because of the points system.

"Whilst it's absolutely not where we want to be, it's a better year to finish bottom."