York Knights boss makes IMG admission as he talks Super League potential

York Knights boss Mark Applegarth says his side are playing for silverware – not IMG points – in Sunday’s Championship Grand Final.

Knights face visitors Toulouse Olympique on Sunday in their biggest game since the club was founded – out of the ashes of the defunct York Wasps – 23 years ago.

Applegarth’s side have already won the 1895 Cup at Wembley, as well as finishing top of the table and  21st successive victory would strengthen their case to be in Betfred Super League next year.

The IMG ranking system will determine the first 12 clubs in the 2026 top flight. Two more will be chosen by a panel based on factors including finance, sustainability and their prospects of being competitive on the pitch.

York have applied to be part of that process and also harbour hopes of securing enough ranking points to qualify in the top dozen.

But while victory in the Championship title decider is worth a quarter of a ranking point, Applegarth insisted that’s not what his men will be playing for this weekend.

“One thing I can’t thank Clint [Goodchild, the club owner] enough for is he has never once brought any of that stuff into our environment,” the coach stated.

“I don’t really give that any thought. All I’m bothered about is preparing these boys and making sure they feel supported.

“All that other stuff is for you boys [the media] to write about and for the operations team to worry about. We’ll just focus on playing a game of rugby league.”

York Knights on the possibility of Super League promotion

Even if York win on Sunday, they will have an anxious wait to hear if they have been promoted.

The composition of Super League for the 2026 season will be announced on Thursday, October 16 – 11 days after the Championship Grand Final and Applegarth admitted: “It’s a surreal scenario, isn’t it?

“But for me, everything is settled on Sunday. It would be nice to have the other stuff sorted, but that is out of our hands and something we can’t control.

“Ultimately, we have high expectations of ourselves and if we take care of what we expect, the rest takes care of itself.

“I think everything is there for York to make that step up. I would be very excited if that does happen, but it’s up to the powers that be to decide.

“I think we’ve shown [Super League potential] all year. We’ve got a lot of players who will make the step up to Super League – I can tell you that without a shadow of a doubt. I am just glad the lads get to showcase their talent on a big stage on Sunday.”

Applegarth described the home Grand Final as a “real proud moment for the club”. He stressed: “We’re obviously happy we’re in the final, but at the same time we know there’s 80 minutes of tough work to come to achieve our goal.

“It’s a great occasion for the city of York and we’re really proud we’ve got to the final for our fans, but as coaches and players, all we’re focusing on is the 80 minutes and getting on the right end of the season.”

Knights lost four of their opening six games in all competitions, including a 7-6 home defeat by Toulouse in February and were seventh in the table when their winning run began with a 26-12 result against Widnes Vikings on April 27.

The French side finished runners up on the table, just two points behind York and Applegarth warned: “It’s a final so you’d expect it to be a tough game.

“We’ve got a lot of respect for Toulouse. I think they play a great brand of rugby league with some excellent players in there.

“We’re well aware of their threats, just as they’ll be well aware of ours. It’s two pretty evenly matched teams and it’s whoever nails it on the day.

“One thing we’ve done all year is focus on bringing the best version of what we can deliver and it’s no different this week.

“As a group it’s rare you have opportunities like this. We’ll be doing everything in our power to make sure we get that last goal.”