IMG / Licensing / Grading

[The Grinder]

I thought someone might have mentioned the first "official" IMG proposal snippet on what the grading for licensing might be under their IMG proposals, which you can see here on the love rugby league site.

Though the bit about the fact to get a Category "A" grading you will need to have a team in the women's super league 1, and that will only consist of 8 teams next year (which means that only Huddersfield, Leeds, St Helens, Warrington, Wigan, York and two of Barrow, Bradford, Castleford, Featherstone, Leigh or Salford could get category "A" ratings) is interesting in its own right. The bit I found really interesting was that the "B" category clubs will be ranked as B1, B2, B3, etc. with the implication that the remaining places in SL will be made up of the clubs in that ranking order, i.e. B1, then B2, then B3, etc. until all the remaining SL places are filled. 

It was also interesting that love rugby league are referring to the proposals as "...new look licensing system to come in to place for the 2025 season...", which implies that though clubs may move in and out of SL on a yearly basis, this will be decided by grading rather than on field performance. Though given that we don't know what the other grading criteria will be yet, therefore it is possible that on field performance might be one of the factors in the grading process.

All in all it still feels like SL/IMG will be able to manipulate the grading to get the teams they want in SL.

Interesting that Bradford see a successful women's team as a way towards getting back into SL via a category "A" grade rather than the men's team earning it on the pitch (okay a bit editorial on my part), but see here. And that DB at Leigh see's it as a way of Leigh keeping a SL place by taking over the Leigh miners women's team (again my own commentary ). Not that having a women's team in the women's super league 1 will guarantee a club having an "A" grading.

I wonder if we'll be seeing Fev start up a wheelchair team any time soon?

[POR]

10 minutes ago, The Grinder said:

I wonder if we'll be seeing Fev start up a wheelchair team any time soon?

And  a Physical Disability (PDRL) team G

[Michael Bates]

No matter what system is in place, people will look to "game" it. I believe social media interactions is a metric. Some more sceptical than me are suggesting Leigh's rebrand is Beaumont increasing their interactions and not just having a bit of a breakdown.