Super League expansion, IMG grading and promotion – Everything you need to know ahead of this week’s announcement

The next 48 hours look set to be extremely interesting with Super League set to grow from 12 to 14 teams.

A raft of Championship clubs have applied to claim a spot in next year’s Super League and while it looks like Salford Red Devils are dropping out of the 12, only three second tier teams look set to make the jump up.

The top 12 will be decided by grading, with one Championship club set to leapfrog Salford and claim their spot organically. However, the 13th and 14th teams will be decided by a panel led by Lord Jonathan Caine.

That panel will take IMG points into consideration and will also judge applications against a further set of criteria relating to finance and sustainability.

So, with clarity about the 2026 Super League line-up now just around the corner, we’ve taken a look at what you need to know ahead of the announcements.

When will the IMG scores be announced?

The IMG gradings will be revealed on Thursday, October 16, at 10am. That means we’ll know which 12 clubs will definitely be competing in Super League next season with a full share of central funding.

We’ll also find out who is best placed to make the step up to Super League later in the week and which sides have improved and declined according to IMG’s criteria.

What do we know so far?

Well, it looks like Salford will drop out of the top 12. They never applied for their Super League status and that means they are the side expected to drop out.

As All Out Rugby League reported earlier today, it looks like Bradford Bulls will be the side taking their place, with the report being backed up by Serious About RL sources. The Bulls have made strides towards improvement in a number of areas and it is claimed they could even break into the top 10.

We also know that 13 clubs have improved their overall score, with three of them improving by a full point or more. Having won the treble this season, Hull KR will have made big strides when it comes to performance, while Hull FC are expected to jump up a grading after losing their Grade A status last time around.

How are the IMG scores determined?

As has been the case in previous years, clubs are measured by IMG on five pillars: Fandom, performance, community, finance and facilities.
Performance scores are relatively simple to work out, but only the clubs know how they can expect to score on the other pillars.

When will the other two teams be announced?

The panel’s decision on the final two Super League teams will be announced on Friday, October 17, at 10am.

Who is the running?

Well, Hull FC and Huddersfield Giants submitted applications but they’re both expected to be in the top 12. And, if Bradford are indeed considered to be a top 12 club then that means just six teams will be in the running for the final couple of spots.

Doncaster, Oldham and Widnes Vikings are among them, but the clear favourites are London Broncos, York Knights and Toulouse Olympique.

Toulouse won the Championship Grand Final and they’ll fancy their chances of getting the nod, while York Knights and London Broncos both have their merits, too. They’ll all be optimistic, but London are the side that seem to be outwardly projecting most confidence with the signings of Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Siliva Havili catching the eye.

Indeed, the likelihood is that two of Toulouse, York and London will be in Super League by the end of the week.