I think my point is about Rugby league rather than Wakefield.
The thing for me that holds rugby league back is that sub standard clubs moan there isn't enough money but then try and block things that would move everything along but leave them behind if they don't keep up with the progress.

I don't know IMG will be better, but it is potentially better and no one else has proposed anything else, apart from staying right where we are.

Wakefield is a city with a population fit for a big city club. But we aren't one.
Would we be upgrading the stadium if we didn't have to?
A lot of teams need to be dragged into the 21st century and we should try and be part of that.

Of course Leeds and Sts are going to be fine, but only because they've done the work already.
We are very unlikely to get an A based on the criteria, but we should plan to be the best B with a road map to A.

And if we do progress we can leave the likes of Cas or Salford behind. If we don't we deserve to be in the championship with a team from York or Gloucester taking our place.

I completely get what you’re saying PT. Unfortunately as this is the only option on the table as of now, I know we as a club have to do whatever we can to be there or their abouts.
My concern is fundamentally what you said. Small minded club/owners(and we have been guilty of this too like it or not) looking after number one.
But I personally really do feel this is the system that at the start will look and feel good but then once it’s a closed shop that is when RL will then die as a sport. Because what’s the point if you can’t advance and once the lower leagues go then who’s going to feed the big clubs as grass roots will die too I’d think.
We all want rugby league to be here for longer than us and I do believe the fans have the good of the sport at our hearts but I’m not sure clubs look any further than their own books.
When this starts to happen, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s another new RFL mark 2 breakaway. We have form for this don’t we? and then we weaken again because of people in glass houses just like Union was all those years ago.
Maybe lol but it could…

I don't see the lower leagues declining because of lack of promotion. It was only ever available to 2 maybe 3 at the most.
Having stability gives teams a much stronger base to build on.
I would vote for money being diverted to support that division too. It shouldn't just be about Super League.

But as always, it doesn't matter how good the idea is, it's the execution that counts.

As much as I disagree with your views on it PT. One thing I completely agree on is that it’s all about execution or lack of.

Doubt it, it's shut.

It seems more club’s beginning to question IMG proposals, it would appear currently they would favour the current 12 SL clubs, even if Trinity were relegated This season.

The statement below is taken from The Featherstone Rovers Chief in today’s total RL.

THE latest IMG proposals in order to ‘re-imagine’ rugby league have created some heavy debate.

In order to achieve Grade A, B and C clubs, IMG set out a number of criteria that were sent out to the 36 professional clubs at a meeting a number of weeks ago at Huddersfield Giants’ John Smith’s Stadium.

In that criteria, five main areas were outlined: fandom (25%), performance (25%), finances (25%), stadium (15%) and catchment (10%) with different weightings in each.

For Featherstone Rovers chief executive, Martin Vickers, the plans were a ‘disappointment’ after what he feels was a change in the rules.

“We were disappointed with the latest iteration of the model. We had some clear messages previously that whilst B category teams were in Super League, B clubs in the Championship could get promoted,” Vickers told League Express.

“It is now that you have to be a B plus a score. That means it is all skewed towards a a current top 12 club so there is no way you can beat the bottom end of Super League on performance even if they are bottom of the league because they will be 12th out of 36 as opposed to our 13th.

“So we were disappointed. We felt there was a tweak in the rules that seemed to be skewed in favour of the bottom end of Super League who in every way have had their chance.”

For Vickers, he believes there is a “ceiling” for Championship clubs that should be done away with.

“We have such a strong model here for continuous improvement so this is not anything of us being fearful of improvement. We have aspirations and goals to be a category A.

“We do feel, though, that we have to have a level playing field and have a chance because the same four or five teams dwindling at the bottom of Super League have had their chance already.

“I feel there is a ceiling of a B Championship club on reaching the same score as those clubs, this is our chance.

“We know we can hold our own against those clubs but we know we have to have improve. We know we are not a category A club which you see against the benchmark of Leeds, St Helens and Wigan but you don’t necessarily get it with some other clubs.

“It’s obvious why some clubs are A star clubs, they have the crowd, stadium and have invested in their teams and academy teams. It’s those kind of fine lines as you get past those six or seven clubs.”

Among Championship and League One clubs, there have been a number of conversations in order to establish the opinions of various officials with dialogue ongoing.

“We have been in lots of consultation with other clubs because there definitely seems to be a strength of feeling on some of these issues and that was gathered after the last council meeting.

“We need to be clear that some of these standards are creating an accessible kind of game for the future. And that’s all we want.

“The consultations haven’t been massive in terms of detail but there was a big talk at the start of this that the game has got overly focused on structure in the past and I agree with that.

“But now we are all talking about a scoring system. Where do you have an exam system where someone is a B16 or a B12? What we are doing is creating another monster in my view that could be far more simplistic.

“There is certainly lots of dialogue in a constructive way. Clearly everyone wants the game to flourish and everyone knows it can’t go on as it is. It’s just good collaboration and making sure some of these voiced are heard.”

Problem is, until some of the SL clubs kick-off about the criteria, it won't mean a jot what the likes of Fev or Keighley say about it to IMG.
That will only happen if/when the current SL clubs get a B rating....

It does not come in until the end of season 2024 therefore do they mean the 12 SL clubs at this point which could include Featherstone because it does not make any sense to take the 12 now. If it is the former then it makes our squad selection even more strange because we could find ourselves out of SL.

Why do you think it make more sense to include Fev than us?

If it is based on 2024 final league positions then based on current form Featherstone will be promoted this season and we will be relegated.

Well they've only played 7 games so the other teams might have something to say about that but that's just P&R.
That's not the same as 'making sense' to have Featherstone in SL instead of us from IMG standards point of view. Each should be judged on its merits.

Although there is promotion and relegation this year, currently, the grading system is so complex that as far as I’m aware, the grades will be provided before this season ends, and at this moment, or until the current criteria is changed then it’s quite possible that this season’s relegated cub could possibly receive higher grades than the promoted club, which would mean the club promoted this year will then be relegated next year with the relegated team returning to the top tier, this one of many reasons clubs outside of SL are meeting amongst themselves to bring changes to the current criteria. Not my theory, this whole IMG was discussed last night on the “full eighty minutes” don’t laugh without listening to the program, a lot is said that’s plausible.

A little pedantic but I gave Featherstone as an example which I am sure you realise it could be Toulouse this part doesn’t matter but the bit about us being relegated that is relevant.

I hope they are correct.