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Reading across social media and forum land, it seems clear that there are lots of RL fans who still haven’t really got much of a grasp of what teams will and won’t score points for in the IMG scoring system that will replace promotion and relegation from next year. There are even one or two fans who haven’t realised that traditional P & R ends after this year, but they’re probably beyond help. Unfortunately, if unsurprisingly, there hasn’t been much insight from the world of RL journalism (with a couple of honourable exceptions), so here’s my take on what I think some (not all) people may have missed in terms of the impact of the new scoring system. Not claiming to be an expert here so this is just my own opinion but these are the things that have struck me from reading the handbook. A reminder that the Grading Handbook can be found here https://www.rugby-league.com/uploads/docs/Grading Handbook (Final Version).pdf On-field performance won’t matter as much as many people think: We know that teams are ranked from 1-36 based on league positions (where they finish after the play-offs), and that these numbers are compiled over three seasons. We also know that these positions are divided by 0.1111 point ranges between each finishing position, so for instance the team ranked 7th will earn 3.3333 performance points and the team ranked 8th will receive 3.2222 points. You might think this seems a fairly narrow margin, and you’d be right. But it might be even tighter than that. For instance, if one team finishes 14th in the Championship each of the three years (ie losing Grand Finalist each year), and another team 17th in each of the 3 years, the team that finished 14th might still only have 0.1111 more points than the team finishing 17th. That’s possible if, say, the teams finishing 15th and 16th have one good year (eg a year in SL) that sends their average up above the team finishing 14th. Given all the different criteria that can earn much more significant chunks of points, on-field performance is going to be relatively insignificant when separating teams that are likely to be challenging to be one of the 12 SL teams. It will be a massive advantage to have been in Super League at some point in the last 3 seasons: When IMG first announced the criteria for their points scoring system, some of us thought they must have forgotten to include an important component – how the various figures would be weighted depending on what division a team had been. It gradually became apparent that they hadn’t forgotten that component – they simply were not taking it into account at all. So if a team that has been in SL for the last 3 years has an average home league attendance of 3,010 and a team that has been in the Championship has an average attendance of 2,990, the former will gain 2 IMG points and the latter only 1.5. This makes little sense, surely – both the attractiveness of the opposition, and the away following, means that you are inherently going to attract far bigger crowds when hosting the likes of Wigan, St Helens and Leeds than when facing, say, Whitehaven, Sheffield and London. A case in point is Leigh, who are averaging around crowds of around 7,000 this year having struggled to reach 3,000 against some of the less attractive Championship opponents last year. Additionally, there are other IMG point-related benefits from being in Super League. The massively larger central funding leaves more financial possibilities for spending on infrastructure etc, and being in SL is also likely to provide a boost in areas such as merchandise sales, TV viewership and social media following. And of course, finishing bottom of SL in three consecutive years will still score more points in the Performance aspect than finishing top of the Championship three years running. It doesn’t really matter what your stadium is like… From a spectator’s point of view, anyway. All the IMG points-scoring system is concerned about is whether or not a stadium ticks nine very specific boxes, almost all of which are concerned with the needs of broadcasters and sponsors. It’s all about things like…whether there’s at least 50m x 50m space for broadcasting trucks, whether you can get at least 50 people in the press box, whether the directors’ box has at least 40 seats and is positioned near the halfway line, whether the corporate lounge has at least 200 capacity etc…it’s nothing at all to do with the spectator experience. Having a shiny new stadium with great fan facilities won’t score you any points, nor will you lose any if you haven’t improved it a jot in the last 50 years. Think of the worst stadia in RL…they won’t lose any IMG points. There is the theoretical possibility that you could lose points for failing minimum standards tests, but there have been minimum standards throughout the SL era yet they never seem to be enforced. There are no IMG points for having a Women’s team, an Academy team, an LDRL or wheelchair team You do have to have a Women’s team to be classed as Grade A, and you have to have an RFL-approved Talent & Performance Pathway. But otherwise, zilch. The seemingly random thresholds for the Catchment Area scoring boundaries look extremely suspicious The way that points are awarded for the Catchment Area aspect of the IMG system is that you take the population of the Local Authority District where each stadium is situated, and then divide it by the number of tier 1 and 2 clubs. So for example Bradford and Keighley are in an area with a population of 546,400, which divided by two leaves a Catchment Area figure of 273,200. Featherstone, Castleford and Wakefield, all in the Wakefield district, have a total population of 353,100, which divided by three gives a Catchment Area figure of 117,767. IMG have decided to award three tiers of points in this area, so teams will either score 1.5 points, 1 points and 0.5 points. So where have IMG set their thresholds? A sensible suggestion might have been, say, at 300,000+ for 1.5 points, 150,000+ for 1 point, and 0.5 points for less than 150,000. Or maybe 200,00+ for 1.5 points, 100,000+ for 1 point, and 0.5 points for under 100,000. But no, they have come up with the seemingly arbitrary figures of 260,000 for 1.5 points, and 130,000 for 1.0 points. There is no explanation on their Grading Handbook as to how they arrived at these thresholds. That seemingly artificial threshold is very convenient for the two Bradford-area teams and very inconvenient for the three Wakefield-area teams. It’s almost as if the thresholds have been deliberately chosen to ensure maximum points for the former, and minimum points for the latter. There are other aspects of the scoring system that are questionable too, but these are some of the main ones that struck me. This isn’t intended as an anti-IMG crusade, I hope it will work and overall we have to give it a chance and support it. But when the first set of “illustrative gradings” are announced at the end of this season, my prediction is that there will be bemusement, and maybe uproar, at how some clubs are scoring higher than others, because I just don’t think the scoring system is well understood by fans yet.

What a depressing thread. Why are Rugby League fans so miserable?

Deffo going be signing a half back or two, I reckon...

Josh Wood POTY for me. He’s that good every week, it’s just become the norm for him. There’s a noticeable drop off most of the time when he leaves the field.

I turn my TV off every time Leeds score. It's been on a lot recently......

The problem with the system in general is that it was very clearly devised in order to appease 12 Super league chairmen so it could get the votes to pass. This in essence is what the status quo is but these 12 chairmen can claim that this system is better for the game because an independent body has devised it.

The wife reckons if we'd a quid for every time I've come back from a Wakey game and said " I'm not going again.", we'd have enough to buy the club. Fifty years now and still going and still will be next season.

I love how a thread about Toulouse’s financial plight has, like all others, turned into a thread about Leigh.

Speaking more generally, and not just based on decisions by the RFL, obviously some people make big, melodramatic statements and don't follow through with them. We've seen it plenty on here. Then of course others simply stop posting and very obviously just continue under another user name I think of more concern are the people that simply drift away from the game because they just don't care anymore. This may well be just over yet another seemingly trivial RFL #### up but its final cut in a death by a thousand cuts. They stop posting on forums like this, stop looking for news on social media and stop watching the sport, or at least in the same volume. That's all fine, people move on, but I certainly don't think the sport helps itself in any way. I know there are times I have lost interest and its probably always been the international game that has really rekindled my interest. The less said about the direction of that the last few years the better though.

"Everybody's saying 'Go, go, go! And he goes!'" Every Rugby League fan should know this like soccer fans know Wolstenholme, but we simply don't celebrate our glorious history. Ray French's best was the Hanley "he's still going" one. These guys deservedly got criticism but they could on occasion summon up a memorable phrase in a memorable moment. Our current Sky commentators are more solid plodders but I don't think they can reach memorable heights.

Fordy has so much passion for Oldham. Now there will be some people who will be upset by his passion. Tough sh!t, I'm with fordy. There will be some upset and yes some mistakes. If he can get good players who want to play for the shirt, then I'm with him. Remember he's put his money where his mouth is. I work on the principle that if I'm being slagged off I must be doing something right!

As I have said from the start it is just a back door way of pulling up the drawbridge. It would have been better if they had been honest and just said these are the 12 we want the rest of you go away?

Thank you for your interesting analysis. You raise some very concerning points. I think the catchment area one is going to prove to be a real point of controversy.

Haven't you heard? They've finally scrapped that nonsense and it's points points for LED advertising boardings and social media engagement.

And he does a bit of a boogie-Henderson Gill

ABCDEFGZ doesn't matter this really is totally ridiculous.

The problem we face in terms of signing current Super League players is that if any other Super League club wants them for next season, they'll already be signed for 2024. We're left picking from the players that are unsigned, coupled with the fact that there's no guarantee we're in Super League next year, makes it difficult to sign premium free agents.

Quite correct, Morrisons and a Hotel, plus Gym / fitness suite with the latest training equipment Swimming pool (25m) and spectator seating Fitness studio with a weekly programme of classes Multi-purpose sports hall including 8 badminton courts, 2 basketball courts and 2 netball courts. Fully equipped Athletics complex Olympic size track with top standard surface and all field events, with seated spectator viewing. Leigh Youth Hub, which provides social and learning facilities. Technical College annexe, with multiple class rooms. Two 4th generations full size artificial pitches, Two full size grass pitches. 4 half sized artificial pitches Licensed club house, with 6 changing rooms and showers home to Leigh East NCL club 12,000 spectator Stadium with 9,000 seats, Conferance and Corporate facilities, Home to Leigh Leopards, Manchester United Women's team and U 21's, U19's and U18's games.

You're such a tease Andy

Sadly, that does look to be true. Can any of us remember what Bill Arthur said, for example, when Jack Welsby scored the winning try at Hull in the 2020 Grand Final. On the other hand, "Lachlan Lam is a Leigh legend! Wow!" was Dave Woods' contribution when Lam kicked the winning points in this year's Challenge Cup Final. I would guess that would be memorable for Leigh fans and maybe for the wider audience. It certainly stuck in my memory. If I had negotiated a new Sky contract, I would have made my views very strongly known about the need to find a commentator who could reflect Rugby League's historic moments in his commentary.

I'm sure I read somewhere that the PTB started out as some kind of two man scrum with the ball on the floor and both tackled player and tackler standing to try and hook it back. Makes sense because the marker was allowed to strike for the ball right up until the 1990s.....

I watch some FTA games now. I also had a break from here. I don't go to Odsal anymore nor do I keep tabs on the Bulls. One particular moment stuck out; a Hull FC prop (Taylor?) was sent off because Wigan's McIlorum fell into his elbow a few years ago. Granted other things were going on with me at the time, but I just wondered why am I getting so annoyed with something I'm supposed to enjoy on a Friday night. From then on the drift away began. I'm not even sure I remembered hearing when Catalans won the Challenge Cup. This post is a bit fragmented but that's when I stopped caring.

I am massively disillusioned with the pro and semi pro game due to the self interest of (some clubs) and the ineptitude of the RFL, and as a result have found myself less interested in this year’s SL season than previous ones. It’s just so frustrating how UK expansion fails time and time again, and the p155 poor international game too, that I’m not sure it’s worth my emotional effort to be partisan about the game any more.

If course he could always recognise his strengths, appreciate the opportunity he’s had, have been treated respectfully and honest by his employer, and be happy to return to his previous career path. There’s always that option…

Thing is, the person saying British sports fans turn their noses up at Tonga is wrong. Regardless, constantly playing England v France, or England v whoever, in a 'will this do' budget fashion leads to diminishing returns and calls for the even less appealing county games to come back so they can have their three seasons before being dropped. If you played just one England game outside the heartlands a year, its impact would be significantly larger than four in the heartlands. I honestly have no idea why it's not done.

Griff Rhys Jones did most of Eddie Waring's greatest hits as the commentator in 1998's Up'n'Under. This includes "don't rub 'em lad - just count 'em".

A bit off topic but amusing. Just ripped this from the BBC Sport website regarding the current Man U vs Bayern match: Alan: The game's gone - how on earth is that a penalty? Everything and everyone against Utd. Absolute joke, I'm done with this game.

The games gone, no wonder no one is watching it anymore* *SL announces highest average attendance in years

Has he played over here before? If not then he’ll be a quota player.

I think I’m the same. It’s probably a weird sentence to those with clubs like Saints, Wigan, Warrington etc in their immediate vicinity but there was a bit of an allure when it come to teams like Oldham, Rochdale, Whitehaven, Workington, Hunslet coming down to London to play Skolars and seeing young lads who didn’t quite make it at Super League level, some lower league journeymen and a few elder statesmen who are on their way down. No disrespect to teams like Bristol or Bedford but it’s not the same. Maybe the lack of rugby league will make me miss it and make me go. Right now though, I struggle to have the enthusiasm for it.

Other than he WC, I haven't watched a UK based RL game that hasn't been Fev in absolute years. Same re the forum, of which the AOB and Political Boards are where i spend my time. I occasionally dabble in here, but as i'm not watching the games, there's no context for me. Luckily, the forum rarely talks about the rugby on the pitch

Looks like we're on for some good crowds this weekend. Sell outs at Leigh and Wakefield, Saints are on for 13,000+.

The ground they’ve used at Blagnac does have a swimming pool, actually! Situated at one end just as at Perpignan. It had just the two touchline stands initially with the away end opening not long afterwards (can’t remember whether it was open in time for the Regal Trophy Final). The two-tiered end wasn’t built until the ground had been open for four years.

For me it's the only fair way. Keeps it open. Clubs not up to standard have to raise them. Gives jeopardy and interest for the TV etc.

If Jonno helps us win our last game of the season that will do for me.

With Dewsbury already promoted for winning L1, in your scenario there would be ten Yorkshire clubs in the Championship out of 14 total: Wakefield, Featherstone, Sheffield, Bradford, Halifax, York, Batley, Keighley, Dewsbury & Doncaster.

And it has no character. No comparison to Fartown and Leeds Road in their heyday.

The top mark anyone can get is 20 right? To be guaranteed a place in super league you need 15. In reality only maybe 3 or 4 teams will get that and the rest will be populated by teams with between 7.5 and 15.

It would be great to see Crusaders promoted, if only to broaden the geographical spread. In the possible scenario of Featherstone failing to get promoted and Keighley surviving, with the addition of Wakefield Trinity and Doncaster, that would mean 9 of the 14 Championship teams are from Yorkshire.

Congratulations your play off wins are a credit to all the players and support staff.Donny will be hard but it's what happens on the day that counts.I would be rooting for Donny against any other team but will be neutral for this one.

York in 2020? That took 20+ years to get over the line, mind...

……… and Leeds Rhinos nil!

Booked it anyway, looks nice. Not sure I shall be telling Mrs Kiggy about the ghosts. She's only just getting over my skeletons in the cupboard. Just driven up from Stansted, through a monsoon. Good preparation for Saturday in the lakes.

While there is plenty melodrama in these 'announcements' , there absolutely are people that walk away from the game. Everyone has that tipping point. There ain't much that gets me so riled that I think of sacking the game off, but more and more I feel that the sport doesn't really care too much about the fans, and I find myself caring about the sport less and less. I'm perfectly happy to do other things at weekends, and I look around at other sports for major events far more now. But I also accept that some of that is just my changes in circumstances, age, family etc.

Always loved Jermaine. He's a great story. I remember a few years back hearing him talk about not knowing much about the game as a kid, a late comer to the sport. Hopefully there's more lads like Jermaine that can be introduced to the sport and go on to be world class players. England's best player in the 2017 world cup and a great fella by all accounts.

A fantastic guy and a super wingman over his long career. I thought he was the player of the tournament in 2017, in all honesty. His carries from his line to get sets up and going provided so much yardage. Wishing him the very best in his next chapter.