Relegated after winning? Making sense of the bizarre new Super League grading system

Under the new initiative, 'Reimagining Rugby League,' media company IMG has introduced a new grading system to reward Super League, Championship, and League One clubs.

The UK Rugby League's grading system now rewards teams for off-field performance rather than just on-field.

The grading has already been started to decide who will make up the Super League in 2025 and beyond.

Clubs in the top three divisions will be graded either A, B, or C, and are rewarded points based on five categories.

The five categories are Fandom, performance on the field, club finances, the stadium infrastructure, and their work in the community.

Hull FC, Hull KR, Warrington Wolves, Catalan Dragons, St Helens, Leeds Rhinos, and reigning champions Wigan Warriors have all secured grade A, guaranteeing their spot in the Super League for 2025 despite their results this season.

For those seven clubs, it will be business as usual, but for clubs on the fringe of the Super League, their on-pitch performance could mean nothing if their off-the-field services are not up to scratch.

The London Broncos shocked the UK a few weeks back, beating Toulouse in the Championship Playoff Final and being promoted to the Super League.

Based on their on-field performance, the London Broncos deserve to be in the Super League. However, their appearance in the top-division will be short-lived due to their grading in the new system.

The Broncos joined the Super League on October 15th, but their score of 8.07 out of 20 on the grading system ranks them 24th out of 35 teams. This means that they will not be participating in the Super League in 2025, even if they perform well.

As for Toulouse, who lost to the London Broncos in the final, they are ranked tenth in the new grading system, giving them more of a right to be in the Super League than the Broncos due to their off-the-field services.

Teams are rewarded for factors that do not affect players who sacrifice their blood, sweat, and tears every weekend, making the grading system unfair and detracting from the beauty of sport.

The new rules stop the rise of the underdog stories like Luton Town playing in the Premier League and keep the elitist clubs together and safe from relegation despite their results.

The new system provides stability by guaranteeing financial security and infrastructure longevity for each club in the Super League.

According to bbc.co.uk, RFL Chief Executive Tony Sutton said: "The beauty of this model is that you can look at a one-year, two-year, even a five or 10-year plan, see where those points are, see where the system or model says this is a good area to progress in."

"If we're getting to the point where there are 12, 15, or 20 Grade A clubs, then what we've put in place has absolutely worked."