IT’S the age of IMG and as all 36 professional clubs submitted their data across various dates in September (dependent on the league), all eyes are firmly placed on those scores that will be revealed later in October.
With the battle for the 12 Super League places hotting up, seven top flight clubs were given a Grade A ruling under the provisional gradings given out last year.
Leeds Rhinos led the way, with a score of 17.49 out of the maximum available 20, following detailed analysis of every club’s performance under five pillars – On-Field Performance, Fandom, Finances, Stadium and Community.
They were followed by three clubs separated by 0.14 points, with Wigan Warriors’ success in winning the 2023 Grand Final lifting them to second on 16.87, ahead of St Helens in third on 16.78 and Catalans Dragons in fourth on 16.73.
Warrington Wolves are fifth on 15.75, and both Hull clubs have earned A grades, with Hull KR sixth on 15.52, and Hull FC seventh on 15.05 – just above the threshold of 15 points required to be graded A.
However, one of those clubs – Catalans – will see a reduction in their points from those indicative grades seen above.
That’s according to Dragons’ owner Bernard Guasch, who has spoken to French publication L’Independant about the situation.
Guasch said: “I know that we lost points for several reasons. We had a grade A with 16.73/20 last year. Except that we finished seventh this season and, above all, the dilapidated stadium and the state of the pitch are not helping us. I hope that a solution will be found for the pitch and that this fungus will no longer appear every summer.
“There is also the financial side. In 2025, we will have to pay for the travel of visiting teams and referees and we will be approaching €400,000. We will not escape it this time. The discussion has been going on for years and we have been postponing the deadline.
“We have managed the feat of bringing a partner to the competition (Vignes du Vent) and that is one of the good points, but the Super League has been waiting for financial benefits from French television for fifteen years. IMG will renegotiate with L’Équipe for 2025 and we will see the result.”
The bad news in that regard doesn’t end there, with the Dragons failing to have their own training centre: “For years, we have been asking the municipalities around Perpignan if we can train on their grounds (Cabestany, Canet-en-Roussillon).
“We are the rare Super League club without a training center, but you know, it’s been going on for 20 years.”
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