Super League club have “got no chance”

The beloved former commentator Mike ‘Stevo’ Stephenson has revealed on his podcast with partner in crime Eddie Hemmings which Super League side that he “feels sorry for” just seven rounds into the Super League season.

Stevo was a legendary player before turning into a legendary pundit with the iconic voice being a member of Great Britain’s World Cup-winning side in 1972, however, fans of the sport throughout the Super League era will be far more familiar with him for his one-of-a-kind punditry.

His booming voice and love for the sport made him a fan favourite before he hung up the mic but since then he has created a podcast with fellow pundit and commentator Eddie Hemmings.

Speaking recently on the Eddie and Stevo Podcast, Stephenson has spoken on which Super League club he feels “sorry for” having reacted to recent losses.

“They just don’t have the top quality players you need in Super League, I feel sorry for The London Broncos,” Stevo explained.

“Mentally they got no chance because even before a ball was kicked people say they will get relegated due to the demand of the IMG grading”.

“Now that is not a positive culture to be playing Rugby league in”.

How does IMG affect Super League?

The Rugby Football League confirmed that they had signed a 12-year partnership with marketing agency IMG in a bid to improve the sport and make it more financially viable with one of the key recommendations and incoming changes being the introduction of grading criteria.

All professional clubs will be scored and handed a grade with those scores reflecting where each club will be in the league system with all Grade A sides guaranteed a spot in Super League.

When IMG announced their initial preliminary rankings. there were seven Grade A clubs with Leeds Rhinos topping the charts ahead of Wigan Warriors, St Helens, Warrington Wolves, Catalans Dragons, Hull KR and Hull FC.

From 2025 the gradings will be implemented and the top 12 sides will form Super League with the remaining teams filling out the Championship and League One which has created a frenzy for sides to improve their off-field position such as the improvement of stadium facilities.

Only this week, Castleford Tigers confirmed that they were set for more work on their stadium in a bid for much-needed grading points.

Under the system London Broncos are certain to not be in Super League with the recently-promoted side being the lowest-ranked Grade B team and sitting 24th among the 35 teams, meaning they’re almost certain to play in the Championship in 2025.

That’s what Stevo has alluded to in reference to the ‘negative culture’ of rugby league and why the Broncos have no chance in Super Lerague this year, an opinion that holds plenty of weight.