LEIGH LEOPARDS chairman Mike Latham hailed the “incredible” growth of the club after rising to fifth place in the grading table.

Their score of 16.33 points out of 20 was an improvement of 1.2 on last season, with only Bradford Bulls and Hull KR making greater strides, and moved them up two places.

It’s an even more remarkable accomplishment considering that in the first indicative grades released in 2023, Leigh came 12th with only 12.45 points.

Leigh improved this year in the performance category, having reached the Super League play-offs for a third successive season, plus the finance and stadium metrics.

And Latham, who hailed the support of club owner Derek Beaumont, has predicted further growth, claiming that the Leopards could reach 17 points next year.

“To be ranked as the third-best performing club (on the field) over the past three years is an incredible achievement for a recently promoted club when you consider many of the clubs have had 30 years of Super League and central funding,” sad Latham.

“Behind it all, though, was the importance of the IMG grading which consumed our thoughts and effectively decided the club’s future irrespective of on-field success.

“The grading is based on a three-year average and it’s desperately hard to achieve a Grade A status with one or more Championship years in the equation.

“The growth of our sponsorship portfolio, our fanbase – especially through the membership scheme – and the tremendous overall support of our many stakeholders cannot be understated.

“Our fantastic stadium and community departments underpin the club’s infrastructure. The vital role of our media department in increasing total social media followings and engagements year on year is reflected in that vital pillar score.”