Super League warned against becoming 'closed shop' ahead of IMG grading announcement
Super League chiefs have been urged not to turn the top flight into a closed shop ahead of the expected 2026 IMG grading announcement later this week.
The make-up of the competition’s top 14 clubs is set to remain unchanged, according to the points system which was introduced in 2023 to replace automatic promotion and relegation and drive an improvement in standards on and off the field.
In addition, London Broncos are expected to be elevated into an expanded 15-team Super League for next season despite ranking behind at least one other current Championship club in the standings, the Press Association understands.
London’s promotion – which still needs to be ratified and voted through by fellow clubs and will not be confirmed until next month – is part of the terms of a significant cash injection into Super League by Australia’s NRL.
Bolstered by major Australian investment, London cruised to the Championship title last season then wrapped up the play-offs with a thumping 78-6 win over Doncaster.
Barrow Raiders chairman Steve Neale, whose club are likely to sit above London in 15th place, warned that any deal must leave open the opportunity for clubs like his own to earn promotion to the top tier in the future.
Neale told the PA: “I’ve got no qualms about London going up. I believe that clubs should go up based on performance, and they have been absolutely exceptional this year.
“But I would be massively disappointed if the drawbridge was pulled up. Teams like Barrow need to have that opportunity to rise through the ranks, and there should be the flexibility to say to clubs, if you don’t meet the minimum standards we shouldn’t be denying Championship clubs promotion.”
Neale’s case has been strengthened by the success of newly-crowned Super League champions Wakefield Trinity, who won the title just three years after becoming the last club to be relegated based on performance alone.