American media company IMG signed a 12 year partnership with the Super League in 2022, and it only took a year to make a radical proposal.
In March 2023, it was announced that a grading system will be introduced to rank all clubs in the top three leagues to determine where they will sit in the pyramid, meaning traditional promotion and relegation will be scrapped.
Clubs will be graded on 5 basis; fandom, on field performance, finance, stadium and community.
Meaning that grade A clubs will be guaranteed a spot in Super League, while grade B will have the chance to play in the division, leaving grade C outfits in the Championship and League One with no hope of progressing further unless their grade improves.
Unusually, only one team per league abstained and refused the new strategy, IMG proposed the idea with hopes it will boost the finances of the sport through sponsorship and television deals.
But this change will undoubtedly hurt the competitive aspect of the game, as opportunities for clubs lower down will be even more scarce with on-field performances taking a back seat.
Ethan Brookesbank is a life-long Leeds Rhinos fan and he had this to say about the new system:
