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.  

Yet because the IMG points scoring had an inherent bias to SL teams many other clubs could make improvements but it wouldn't matter.    I'm in agreement that IMG needed to get clubs to improve off field matters but there should not be bias towards SL incumbents who could rest on their laurels by virtue of the benefits of already being in SL so already had bigger crowds and featured more on TV (just two examples).    If the metrics were a bit smarter those clubs making the most effort would get more points than those that bumped along.  

Anyway, it might all be academic now.

Apparently, they are using a criteria based again on the 2020 system....
Why can't they just say the championship and grand final winners get into SL?

Well, that clearly changed with the inclusion of Wakey in SL for 2025 and becoming a Grade A club along with our good friends the Inbreds down the road.....Also the fact that teams already in SL in 2024 slipped down the rankings for 2025......

I don’t think they are using the 2020 criteria, I think that’s Aaron Bower just musing on it. No one knows the criteria yet. 


I guess they can’t say the winner of the final comes up just in case Fev, Doncaster, or even Toulouse wins it. In practice, if York or Toulouse win it, it’ll probably give them enough IMG points to come into the 12 anyway. 


I’ve followed the game’s governance/old boys club too long - I can see the scenarios playing out already, and happy to have this thrown back in my face if I’m wrong!:


If Toulouse win it, then Toulouse, Bradford and London will come up.


If York win it, it’ll be York, Bradford and London.


If Bradford win it, it’ll be York, Bradford and London.


There’s only one scenario in which York and Toulouse both make it, which is if Huddersfield have dropped enough points under IMG to drop into 13th place, and Toulouse make 11th and York 12th.


Then Huddersfield and Bradford will be bounced back up.