Bradford Bulls earn Super League spot as 2025 IMG gradings confirmed in full

Bradford Bulls are back in the big time after earning themselves a top 12 spot in the 2025 IMG Gradings. The Bulls haven’t played Super League since they were relegated from the competition in 2014.

Since that point they has been through the wringer, with the club going into liquidation in January 2017. But, the Bulls were revived just a few weeks later and after almost nine years of building, consolidating and ambitiously pushing ahead, the club have returned to where many in Bradford will feel they belong.

Their return to Super League will conjure up memories of the Bullmania in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with the Bulls winning three Grand Finals and establishing themselves as the best team in the Northern Hemisphere for a period.

It also brings about the return of one of the fiercest rivalries in the sport with Bradford being in the same division as Leeds Rhinos for the first time since their relegation. And, the Bulls, who finished third in the Championship, will receive a full share of central funding next year after earning a spot in IMG’s top 12.

In fact, Bradford claimed 10th in the Gradings with a score of 14.81, which sees them rise by almost three points and jump up six spots in the space of the last 12 months. They haven’t quite done enough to claim Grade A status, but they do sit above Castleford Tigers and Huddersfield Giants in the gradings with the Tigers losing their Grade A status.

Of course, with Bradford coming up, one team has to drop out of the top 12 and that team, perhaps unsurprisingly is Salford Red Devils. Salford have fallen to 15th in the gradings which ensures they lose their spot in Super League, after losing just over a point.

Hull KR sit on top of the gradings list with a score of 17.85 after winning the treble. That will come as no surprise given the progress they have made on and off the field over the last year and claiming top spot just seems to hammer home that they are a club built to stay at the very top of the game.

Leeds Rhinos are second with a score of 17.28, while St Helens (16.74), Wigan Warriors (16.37) and Leigh Leopards (16.33) make up the rest of the top five, with Leigh gaining an extra point this year.

Hull FC have regained Grade A status after a promising season under John Cartwright and sit ninth with 15.06 points.

Toulouse Olympique (13.25) and York Knights (13.04) sit 13th and 14th respectively, while London Broncos are 16th with a score of 11.65.

Keighley Cougars and Newcastle Knights have not been given scores after failing to return data in time. That means League 1 champions North Wales Crusaders are the team with the lowest actual score, with the club sitting 33rd with a score of 4.88.

The two clubs who will make up next year’s 14-team Super League will be announced on Friday morning at 10am.