Ex-Super League boss on the change he’d make to promotion under IMG

Former Super League head coach Craig Lingard has given his thoughts after the proposal to alter promotion under IMG was rejected.

An RFL Council meeting saw the proposal, put forward by Batley Bulldogs and Dewsbury Rams, knocked back with the vote ruling 63% against.

It was a proposal that called for the Championship Grand Final winner to earn promotion to Super League and replace the lowest placed Grade B club (on the provision the Championship winner was also Grade B). In the event that every Super League club was already Grade A then the competition would be expanded.

It was a proposal designed to create more movement between the divisions and give Championship sides a real reward for winning the division, however, it was firmly rejected.

The newly-appointed Sheffield Eagles boss Craig Lingard has now given his verdict on the system and his reaction on the vote, conceding that he’s not a fan but that it does have merits.

“It’s the system that we voted in,” Lingard explained. “We can’t vote something in and start moaning about it. I wasn’t massively in favour of it.

“I think it potentially does need modification because what the IMG system has brought is that clubs are improving facilities, their stadium, the infrastructure of the club.”

Lingard’s condition on clubs being promoted to Super League

However, he did concede that there needs to be a viable pathway from Championship to Super League but quickly highlighted the biggest issue that had caused lots of contention.

“I think if you are a Grade B club then you should have the opportunity to get into Super League,” Lingard told media.

“I guess the issue that you’ve always got is that you could have 11 Grade A teams and one Grade B team in Super League but the Grade B team could win it.

“If a Grade B team wins the Championship and gets promoted then the team that gets relegated is a Grade B team that won Super League.”

Proposing a change, Lingard suggested that if promotion were to return in some form then the Championship winner must have a full-time squad, in order to avoid a situation like London’s where the club were unable to recruit in time.

He explained: “There are always pros and cons to every system but I certainly think I’d maybe change it a little bit for Championship as well, but you must have a full-time squad to be considered for promotion and you’ve got to win the Championship.

“I think it’s too far-fetched to expect a Grade B club to win the Championship and then recruit a full-time team to compete in Super League the following year.

“I’d make sure for anybody to be considered to be going into Super League, you’d have to have a full-time team in place so that the transition isn’t as difficult.”

Currently, that would limit plenty of the Championship sides including Lingard’s own Sheffield Eagles.