I was chatting to some Huddersfield fans in a pub before the Grand Final, and they were suggesting that there are moves to build a smaller ground on the old Fartown site.

They’ll have to or they will rapidly find that the Mcalpine becomes their undoing and ticket out of SL.

Chances are next year will may drop to a B grade without the 0.35 bonus points we got this so yes we could feasibly be relegated if there are 12 clubs who score higher than us (which as it stand would be the case if there were 13 grade A clubs also. Ultimately it's the top 12 highest scoring clubs who will compete on SL each season.

That 0.35 purely needs to be compensated for in 2025 finishing position. I believe if we finish 9th or above we will have similar to this years so should be grade A. If we fish bottom 2/3 though it may be a high B. You may lose some performance points but you can make them up in 2025.

If we perform as Ellis expects then A should be maintained. The plan is to be around the edge of playoffs next season and possibly get in it.

Also if we improve in other areas which it seems Ellis is pushing for then we could be higher.

The other side is that I can’t see Hudds/Salford/York/Toulouse/Bulls amassing enough points to force a high B just shy of 15 out.

Salford and Hudds scores will be quite stagnant I’d expect.

Not that we should or will rest on our laurels.

Best way to describe it is that a Grade A guarantees you the following year superleague rugby. As long as it is retained that is the case. If you’re not a grade A you must be in the top 12 to retain SL status following year as you say.

We just have to do the business on the field next season and try grow other parts of the business.

Most importantly as fans we need to buy season tickets and keep interacting social media. I went through the clubs Facebook page and Twitter recently and liked a few hundred posts from the past months…. Laborious yes but I feel like I did my part.

Glad you mentioned that Trojan as whenever I look on our Youtube site, there are currently 3,460 subscribers and usually over 1000 views per video clip but less than 100 likes Look at this one here - 2,900 views but only 186 likes Come on people, how hard is it to click on the like button ??....this all contributes to our IMG score for next year !! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yciux3np7NY

Glad you mentioned that Trojan as whenever I look on our Youtube site, there are currently 3,460 subscribers and usually over 1000 views per video clip but less than 100 likes Look at this one here - 2,900 views but only 186 likes Come on people, how hard is it to click on the like button ??....this all contributes to our IMG score for next year !! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yciux3np7NY

Have done. Now 189

Yep. That's one area Cas wipe the floor with us. They always click.

Cas got thousands and thousands, i think probably 100,000 + plus of clicks on social media when one of their young players Jacques O'Neill appeared on Love Island,in i think the 2022/23 season, i think he's still signed on with Cas and they still get thousands of social media interactions just searching his name as "Castleford Tigers RL Love Island contestant"

Good marketing then. Even if it was gifted to them.

One thing that’s surprised me is why we haven’t collaborated with some influencer or minor celebrity on social platforms.

The importance of our grand final victory cannot be underestimated because not only did it remove the question of our legitimacy with regards promotion but the IMG points received gave us an A rating.

I don't know if it's correct, but someone who should know said that we scored full marks for social media.

Maybe that's an area where IMG will change the boundaries?

They shouldn’t change anything until they have 13 grade A teams. Then you look to have a full review.

You have to be very careful. You are asking 30+ clubs to invest in areas to meet criteria to get placement or funding.

Just changing the boundary for marks is not straightforward as you could be directly impacting teams who have almost achieved it.

It’s something to look at in review though but absolutely not after year 1 of the process and new format. Maybe after year 3 then 5 then 7.

I am excited by the prospect of the league expanding at the top. Be great to see 14 and loop fixtures removed.

More fingers, more clicks?

Just been reading that IMG has been sold to the owners of WWE for $3.25 billion,wonder if that will have any effect on future dealings with the RFL ,who are currently paying them £400K a year on a 10 year contract. Very expensive advice, I am sure that some posters (and moderators) on this forum would have offered their services for less !