HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS say their grading score for next season has been boosted by new electronic advertising boards at the Accu Stadium – even though the club don’t plan to play there next season.
With their Super League place currently under scrutiny, Huddersfield need to maintain a top-14 placing in the club grading table to stay in the top division.
The installation of a new LED system is set to provide a 0.125-point increase in their score, which was 14.65 out of 20 when the last gradings were released in October, placing them twelfth of all clubs.
That’s because the previous advertising boards at the stadium, shared with football club Huddersfield Town, who now own the ground, did not meet the required specification to earn points.
However, the uplift may prove controversial because the Giants intend to leave the Accu Stadium, their home since the 24,000-capacity venue opened in 1994, at the end of the season.
While chairman Ken Davy’s plan to buy The Shay in Halifax to use as an interim base has fallen through, they could still play there as a tenant.
The FLAIR Stadium in Dewsbury, which has hosted a Huddersfield fixture in each of the past two seasons when the Accu was unavailable, is also an interim possibility.
Longer term, they remain in discussions with Kirklees Council over a site for the new stadium the Giants have said they will be playing in by 2030.
It is believed that Huddersfield can use the Accu Stadium for their points scoring under the IMG-devised system if it remains their home when their data is submitted.
That’s allowed managing director Richard Thewlis to say: “Small improvements such as the LEDs have a profound influence at the end of the year when the marks are calculated.
“Early forecasting shows our mark to increase in every category bar that of community where we hit the maximum mark anyway, showing that the work off the field remains of a very high standard, and that must remain the case.”
Huddersfield sit bottom of the Super League table having collected just two wins from their opening 17 matches.
London Broncos’ dominance of the Championship under ambitious ownership has led to questions over who may be demoted from Super League to accommodate the capital club.
Also potentially vulnerable are Toulouse Olympique and York Knights, the clubs promoted to an expanded top tier for this season via an independent panel after coming 13th and 14th respectively under grading.
Rugby League Commercial managing director Rhodri Jones recently reiterated that the grading system will continue to determine Super League participation.
He also told the Press Association: “At this point in time there is no intention to be a 15-team Super League next season.”