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How IMG grades are set to shape Super League, the Championship and League One for 2025

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With the IMG grading set to be announced this morning, we will finally have clarity on who will be in Super League in 2025.

It’s the grading that will decide who will be the 12 sides in Super League for 2025, rather than promotion and relegation.

Therefore, we have looked at what the three divisions will look like next year, with our prediction on the twelve teams in Super League included too.

What Super League, the Championship and League One will look like in 2025 due to IMG grading

RFL League One

Goole Vikings

Cornwall, Dewsbury Rams, Goole Vikings, Keighley Cougars, Midlands Hurricanes, Newcastle Thunder, North Wales Crusaders, Rochdale Hornets, Swinton Lions, Whitehaven, Workington Town

A team entirely new to the professional divisions is joining the third division in 2025, with Goole Vikings – previously amateur – being added to the pyramid.

Unlike with Super League, there is still promotion and relegation taking place between this division and the Championship.

Oldham, the title winners in 2024, were promoted to the Championship, as were Hunslet, who won the play-off: meaning Swinton Lions dropped down a division.

Also new to the division are Whitehaven and Dewsbury Rams, who finished in the bottom two of the Championship.

It has already been confirmed that Whitehaven missed the deadline to submit data for the grading, but this won’t impact them as they were never expected to be in the top 12 anyway.

The league will increase to 11 teams in 2025 – and will have 12 in 2026.

RFL Championship

London Broncos Super League

Credit: John Clifton/SWpix.com

Barrow Raiders, Batley Bulldogs, Bradford Bulls, Doncaster, Featherstone Rovers, Halifax Panthers, Hunslet, London Broncos, Oldham, Sheffield Eagles, Toulouse Olympique, Widnes Vikings, York Knights

The Championship loses a team for 2025, dropping to 13 teams from 14, also with the idea to be a 12-team league for 2026.

With Oldham and Hunslet both being promoted, there will be three teams in the division that weren’t in the 2024 edition.

The third is London Broncos, who even after a decent increase expected to their IMG grading, won’t make it into the top 12.

Leaving the division for positive reasons will be Wakefield Trinity after a dominant season that saw them lift the 1895 Cup, League Leaders Shield and Championship Grand Final.

Super League

Old Trafford Super League

Credit: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com

Castleford Tigers, Catalans Dragons, Huddersfield Giants, Hull FC, Hull KR, Leeds Rhinos, Leigh Leopards, Salford Red Devils, St Helens, Wakefield Trinity, Warrington Wolves, Wigan Warriors

This is where IMG grading makes the big decisions, but it likely won’t have the effect many people feared it could have.

It is expected that the only change that will be made to Super League’s make-up for 2025 is that Wakefield Trinity will come in for London Broncos.

The Broncos finished bottom – just – meaning they would have been relegated anyway in a normal campaign.

In addition, Trinity won the RFL Championship, meaning they would have been promoted anyway.

Wakefield Trinity promoted to Super League

Credit: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com

You could certainly argue that the grading stopped the Broncos from being able to recruit for a finish above twelfth, but you could also argue that Hull FC would have put more into their own squad if they didn’t know they had the safety net of their provisional Grade A status.

Ultimately, however, it looks like all IMG has done is cause clubs to make improvements to their facilities and the backroom workings of their organisation, which in turn increases the professionalism of each and every outfit, thus driving standards which cannot be a bad thing.

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