If we're going to fourteen teams surely it has to be the first fourteen in the gradings list. Selecting the addition two by any other means makes the whole IMG process a mockery and redundant.

The only reason I would accept a 14 team league not made up of the top 14 teams on IMG table is if one of the new teams said they weren't ready and wanted to stay back.

Hetherington isn't in London for the sightseeing.  

Agree with all three of the above posts! You're absolutely right Bullseye, but London being ready for SL in 6 months just seems madness to me, unless he's already got a massive financial backer lined up.

Who knows eh?  All this "behind closed doors" stuff is a real turn off and just encourages RL supporters to distrust the game's custodians even more.    At least Wakefield made it up in a fair and square way.   The two or three clubs that come up this time will be forever accused of being "RFL pets".  

In many ways it's fairly typical of how the game has been run since 1995.   Plenty of clubs have been promoted or avoided relegation or been denied promotion due to opaque arrangements off the field.   Fans of London, Huddersfield, Widnes, Keighley and Hunslet spring to mind.  


The IMG arrangements were meant to bring things out into the open.  I happen to believe they're flawed but the way of thinking was broadly correct.    Now we're back to the smoke filled rooms and shady deals by the looks of it.  

This site is poor. No idea why it’s posted inside a quote when I typed after the closed quote text… 

Other than Odsal I don't have a problem with Bradford being brought in as I expect them to be in the top 14 IMGs anyway.  Was thinking the other night how frustrating it must be for Bradford fans to watch the likes of Trueman and Myers not being in Bradfords colours as they helped us beat Leeds. 

According to form, both Hull clubs and an abstention from Wigan.


In principal, moving to a 14 club SL, with a balanced fixture program is absolutely the right way forward.
However, there are two huge issues here. 
Primarily, using IMG gradings for 12 clubs plus 2 clubs chosen by an "independent" panel is just wrong.
Either go "all in" with IMG or, use a different model completely.
More importantly, given the "quality of the bottom 3 clubs in SL, there is an argument that we should be cutting SL numbers and not 
increasing them.
Finally, with Nigel Wood now seemingly running the show, does anyone have faith in the "independent" panel.


Call me a cynic but, assuming they dont have the required number of IMG points, the 2 "wildcard" clubs will most likely be, Bradford and London.


Also, what happens in the following season, is the drawbridge being pulled up or, are we to have promotion and relegation and would the "wildcard" clubs be exempt.


The organisation at the top of our sport is an absolute shambles.
We are in the first full year of IMG and already, we are giving up[ on the process and this is whilst shelling out heaps of cash for their services.


The only positive here is a "balanced" fixture schedule but, the planning and methodology are utterly flawed and the inability of the sport at being able to make a coherent plan
and stick to it is shameful.


Rant over,

I'm not counting any chickens here.   York have a great chance, they're the best team we've played this season.  They have a tidy stadium and seem well run.   As said above I reckon London will be in with shout due to Hetherington getting on board.   Despite Toulouse being top I'm not sure there's a big appetite for a second French club in SL - could they afford to pay the travel expenses of 13 other clubs like Catalans would?   


A lot depends on if Salford get relegated.   A lot of people are making assumptions.


On the Bradford juniors in SL there's a decent starting 13 spread across the SL clubs now.   I just wish them well, it helps if they're in a side that beats Leeds too!

And Wood isnt in post to allow Bradford to be "overlooked"
Hetherington will get London up to speed but, they shouldn't be gifted a SL spot when they are performing so badly on the field of play

One or two journo's have been saying for a few weeks that its Salford out, Bradford, York and London in.


Getting rid of the loop fixtures is a positive, but there isn't enough quality players IMO to sustain 14 clubs - which is one of the reasons we cut back to 12 teams I think?