IT’S been long-mooted that only as many as four Super League clubs will be granted Grade A status by IMG ahead of their ‘re-imagining’ of the sport.
If that is true, it means that a few big names in the top flight will only be given Grade B status, meaning they will be at risk of relegation.
Potential criteria could focus on concrete facilities, on-field performances, governance and finances, digital growth, academy and community work whilst the potential for growth will also likely feature.
Before Christmas, Vice-President of IMG, Matt Dwyer, denied claims it was another licensing experiment, saying: “We are not trying to find 15 clubs that fit into a league.
“We will base the grading system on clear criteria. The model that we have created needs to be objective, transparent and clear to everyone and not subjective.
“The difference is that the licensing system was based on business plans rather than what clubs had actually achieved.
“One of the challenges was that the clubs claimed to make plans for their future development, but they weren’t sticking to those plans.
“In contrast, we are looking at what clubs have actually done. So a club that claims to be planning to build a new stadium will only get credit for its plans when the stadium is actually built.
“We have been doing an enormous amount of work to gather the data we need to establish the criteria. The initial iteration to reveal the criteria is expected to be in early February. And we are looking at 2025 when the new system will come in.”
Here, we look at the four potential Super League clubs who could be given Grade A status.
Leeds Rhinos
A model Super League club, Leeds Rhinos will likely walk into the Grade A status given their might. Not only did the West Yorkshire club achieve the highest average crowd attendance in 2022, the Rhinos also have the biggest social media following on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Add into the mix brilliant community work, a superb academy and a side that made the Grand Final last season and Leeds are a fantastic example of how to run a top-flight side. The redevelopment of Headingley is one of the greatest pieces of modernisation ever seen in rugby league as well, whilst Leeds’ women’s side will be paid in 2023. Gary Hetherington and Paul Caddick have also been incredibly stable owners.
St Helens
With on-field performances likely to be given a lot of thought by IMG, St Helens will likely walk into Grade A status with their heads held high. As well as a ruthless Super League side, Saints have a brilliant women’s side, an outstanding academy and first-class facilities that blow most rivals out of the water. With a loyal backer in Eamonn McManus on side as well, you can’t say a bad word about Saints and how the club is run. One thing that Saints has always prided itself on is its conveyor belt of youth and that is in motion now more than ever with the likes of Jon Bennison, Regan Grace, Jack Welsby and Morgan Knowles making their way through to the Super League first-team in recent years.
Wigan Warriors
There would be no contention about the Wigan Warriors being a Grade A club either. The Lancashire club is perhaps one of the most vocal in the community, whilst its academy and Super League sides have been at the top for a number of years now. Add into the mix a brilliant facility at the DW Stadium and Wigan tick every box. With Wigan and both Leeds and St Helens, the focus has been on developing young players right the way to the first-team and the Warriors have done this aplenty with the likes of Morgan Smithies, Liam Marshall, Liam Byrne and Harry Smith just some of those to have made the progression. Ian Lenagan has also brought security to the Warriors.
Warrington Wolves
Of course, the disaster of 2022 may well have dented hopes a little bit of being awarded a Grade A, but the Warrington Wolves get everything else right. In music mogul Simon Moran, Warrington have an incredibly dedicated owner with the club playing out of a wonderful facility at the Halliwell Jones Stadium. The Wolves have also made important community and academy strides in recent seasons with the likes of Connor Wrench and Josh Thewlis impressing when given a chance. Warrington arguably have one of the greatest marketing teams in Super League on their side as well, with innovative initiatives such as ‘Whizzy Rascal’ performing superbly on social media.