LEIGH LEOPARDS owner Derek Beaumont has said that an independent panel is required to choose the final two Super League spots next season to ensure clubs with “financial sustainability” enter.
While twelve teams will be decided by the grading system – as was the case for the 2025 campaign – the remaining places to inflate the top flight to 14 will be chosen by an independent panel chaired by Lord Jonathan Caine.
Though concerns have been raised about the validity of using two different methods, Beaumont – who was one of the biggest advocates of change and a key driver in Nigel Wood’s return to power – has explained why both methods are needed.
“The IMG model of selecting the teams has proven that it doesn’t offer financial sustainability,” said Beaumont.
“The twelve teams with the highest score that can see out a season are the best teams in there but that becomes even more vulnerable when you go to number 13 and then 14. Look how marginally close the scores were (last year).
“Bradford, we can see all the visible things that the club has done but we don’t know the finances. Salford’s finances for this year won’t affect the score as it’s a year behind.
“Bradford and York have changed things that will affect their score so there’s nothing to say that the twelve teams in Super League (currently) don’t need to have a careful look at becoming part of the application process as well.
“You could find that Toulouse, who were 13th at the last gradings, have outscored Salford and that let’s say Bradford have now outscored Huddersfield.
“The reason why the first twelve teams have to be decided by grading is that you can’t change the rules of the race after setting off the starting pistol.
“Use the rules at the beginning of the game which are transparent with IMG and then use a legitimate process with the panel.
“The two teams that are being invited into Super League or to even make an application, they do not get the same central distribution as other clubs (in 2026). It could be that no one applies.”
Little is yet known about the panel that will make the decision and the criteria that will be used.
But it will be chaired by Lord Caine, a former political aide – including as advisor to six Northern Ireland secretaries – who also chaired a panel which determined the team to enter Super League for the 2021 season, when Leigh replaced Toronto Wolfpack.
Beaumont said: “I had never heard of him until I put in the application in 2020. He had been a massive negotiator in Northern Ireland.
“Someone like that would never compromise their reputation unless they can robustly stand up and justify that decision – that gave me comfort.”