Warrington Wolves CEO, Karl Fitzpatrick, has never been afraid to voice his opinion on key matters in rugby league, and once again he has hit out at the current IMG grading system and the potential for Super League clubs to become feeder teams to the NRL.
Super League’s expansion to 14 teams in 2026 will be made up of the top 12 teams on the IMG grading criteria, with the final two teams selected by an independent panel led by Lord Johnathan Caine, and he will decide who the final places go to.
The initial model, which grades clubs on pillars such as stadia, on-field performance and finance was brought in to help teams see what they needed to improve on and how they can move to becoming more sustainable and better run clubs.
Now, IMG state that any club that receives ‘Grade A’ status, will automatically be in Super League, regardless of how many teams achieve that. From the most recent gradings in 2024, nine clubs are ranked as Grade A including Castleford Tigers and Wakefield Trinity.
Fitzpatrick disagrees with the current model, saying whilst on the whole it is a good idea, the criteria needs to be adjusted to make it more effective.
“Nigel [Wood]’s come in with a number of other panel members to go through the RFL, to go through the commercials and to ensure we maximise on commercial potential,” Fitzpatrick said to City AM. “I think it’s the right direction of travel in terms of minimum standards, but it probably needs looking at, if I’m being honest.”
He added: “Let’s say you take your car for its MOT and you know the car’s a banger and probably shouldn’t pass, but you’re going to patch it up just to get it through its MOT – that’s what it’s like in the grading criteria.
“Some clubs have been given a Grade A license, which I would say is probably not reality – they shouldn’t be really getting the Grade A.”
The Warrington Wolves CEO rejected any ideas that Super League would become a feeder league for the NRL.
Fitzpatrick’s Warrington took on Wigan Warriors in Las Vegas earlier this year, in a ground-breaking matchup for the clubs and Super League as a whole.
Next year, Leeds Rhinos will take on Hull KR in Sin City, as the NRL and Super League’s partnership continues.
Reports emerged earlier this year that the NRL were preparing to buy a 33% stake in the Super League competition, but that talk died down when the RFL brought back Nigel Wood to be the interim chair of the RFL.
Fitzpatrick still believes that that is the way forward, however only if it is treated with the correct amount of respect and not to be used as a development league for the Australian competition.
“From a league perspective, our experience with the NRL going back to the Vegas game was extremely positive for a number of reasons,” he said.
“From conversations we had in Vegas, there was a great deal of appetite for getting involved in Super League. But the devil is going to be the detail. What does that actually mean for Super League and what is it? Equity?
“We’re not in the business of being anybody’s feeder team, absolutely not.”
Eric T Cat
August 13, 2025 at 9:21 am
IMG grading achieved a number of things, an improvement in the culture of clubs towards sustainability, fiscal responsibility, growth, improved facilities, and match day experience. It has levelled up the quality of the teams through improvement. But, the process is harsh, onerous, complex, and the owners have revelled, they’ve watered it down, two new clubs isn’t IMGs suggestion it’s a unsustainable fait accompli by certain clubs! IMG have done nothing to raise the profile of the game, there is no global strategy across Super League to develop in such a way to overtake club Rugby Union for instance, to become the predominant code at club level, then through that increased viewership, grow new clubs to meet a need. There are no superstars promoting the sport, no body in a well known wanders on to stage in a team shirt! There is no promotional material like “Simply the best” back in the 1990s with Tina Turner and NRL players, why not? That worked wonders!
Two new clubs, put your 50p on Gary Hetherington getting a Super League spot for his new club London. It is my opinion that it is a nailed on certainty to the point this committee will only be meeting long enough to rubber stamp it., it is my belief he os the prime motivator behind this uncalled for expansion. The other club, they should be the winners of the Championship if they meet the IMG B grade with a view to A grade inside three years, with demonstrable existing funding to complete 2026 fixtures. I would add a rule to this expansion, no individual currently involved at a director level, or involved with such a person, within the Super League, may form any part of, influence, own, advise, or otherwise be involved with any club to be added to the Super League other than as a paying spectator. Just to remove any possibility impropriety, or of the optics not being quiet all square and on the level.
MRPJT
August 13, 2025 at 8:23 pm
Rugby league is a sport loved by those who know, and led by those that don’t.