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.

Well I think that’s what clubs outside of SL believe, and that’s why they want the current criteria changed, interesting times ahead, who will blink first, IMG or none SL clubs, keeping in mind that the Sky deal ends this year, and nothing’s been announced re new deal, MCs comment re clubs returning to part time if there is no new deal, then why would clubs outside SL vote for an IMG scheme that excludes those clubs. As I have said, interesting times ahead.

Some updates from the Keighley fallout
Tweets taken from the “Game Caller” past couple of days

Keighley Cougars go to Parliament. The Sports Minister, Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP together with Robbie Moore MP met with Cougars owners Kaue Garcia and Ryan O'Neill to hear their objections to the IMG proposed cartel.

Keighley and the consortium of clubs against the IMG proposals now have cross party Parliamentary support fully behind them in their fight against IMG and their Reimagining Rugby League proposals. Worrying this is now playing out in Parliament.

Worth remembering that we are in a crucial consultation period and IMGs Reimagining Rugby League proposal announced at Huddersfield was the first draft so to speak. Good to see the consultation process working well between the RFL/IMG for these changes/revisions to be made.

There has been an important update on IMGs Reimagining Rugby League proposals. The RFL have told clubs this morning that there will be changes/revisions to the proposals announced at Huddersfield. The clubs will be discussing these changes/revisions at a meeting next week.

Ive read today thst some of criteria changing mostly around academy and it been more in the points

Whilst a sensible u turn (of sorts) we are so far down on performance, fandom and location it hardly matters. Also we will post a £400k+ loss on the finance front for last year. We're going down this year and we certainly will not be in a position to dislodge the worst SL B grade team for the 2025 season and thats optimistically assuming we'll finish high enough in the championship to challenge for the promotion spot.

Featherstone now taking the p!ss out of us (and Cas). Not only are we the joke of SL, championship clubs are piling in too. That's how far we have sunk this year.

What date is Khlav?