How every Super League club’s IMG score is impacted by this year’s position with Salford and Leigh among big winners

There’s barely a month to go until IMG will reveal their gradings that determines who will be in Super League in 2025 and who won’t: and for some clubs, there’s going to be a nervous few weeks ahead.

Of course, a number of sides are assured of Grade A and immunity whatever happens – but if it does go down to the wire, league position could be all-important.

A fifth of the 20 points available comes through performance based on league position, meaning that whether it’s a club looking to secure Grade A instead of Grade B, or a club looking to get over the line and get into Super League, league positions could be decisive.

And based off the provisional gradings from last year, it’s possible to work out whether every Super League club stands to gain points, or lose points in this particular aspect of the criteria. Before we jump into each club though, an explainer on how it all works.

How the league rankings translate into points

As mentioned, a club’s league position over the last three seasons can earn them a maximum of four points. The side at the top of this ranking gets the full four points, second gets 3.8857 points before the system goes down incrementally all the way to the team in 35th, who score just 0.1143.

This year’s official gradings will take in final positions in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons before working out an average. The side with the lowest average is top, and the side with the highest average is bottom.

But it isn’t just on league position. Finishing 1st in Super League this season does not mean you finished 1st in this part of the criteria: ranking number 1 is given to the side who wins the Super League Grand Final. The side who loses the Grand Final is 2nd, while the two teams who lose the semi-finals are 3rd and 4th, with the higher league finish getting 3rd.

Then, the two sides who exit the play-offs in the first week are ranked 5th and 6th with again, the team in the higher league position getting 5th. 7th-12th in Super League are straightforward enough.

Then in the Championship, the system is the same. It is the Championship Grand Final winners, not the team top of the Championship, who are ranked next, in 13th. That means London, for example, are ranked 13th in last year’s order, not the side who finished top, Featherstone.

Championship Grand Final losers are 14th, and the same methodology applies for the play-offs. So while we have a rough idea of where every team is going to rank as it stands, the play-offs could yet change it all. But for now, here is every single Super League club and their likely points outcome.

Castleford Tigers: Lose points

The Tigers are losing a seventh-placed finish off their gradings score this season, by virtue of just missing out on the play-offs in 2021 under Lee Radford.

Unable to make the play-offs in 2024, Castleford’s final position this year will not be able to be improved upon and as things stand, a tenth-placed finish would see them drop one place in the performance rankings: a drop from 3.0857 points to 2.9714.

They are one of only a handful of clubs whose position is locked in too: they cannot finish in any position other than 10th on this particular aspect of the ranking irrespective of what happens in their remaining Super League games and where they finish this season.

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Catalans Dragons: Lose points

It’s been a difficult season on the field this year for Catalans – and they’re about to have a significant drop-off in their performance score unless they achieve something extraordinary in the play-offs.

Catalans reached the Super League Grand Final three years ago, which put them second on the rankings for that season. They will have to match that this season to keep their score constant but as it stands, they’re on course to miss out on the play-offs altogether. If they finish where they are now, their score in this part of the criteria would drop from 3.7714 to 3.6571.

Huddersfield Giants: No change

The only Super League club who wouldn’t move either way in this part of the criteria? Huddersfield. As it stands, the Giants will trade a ninth-placed finish in 2021 for a.. ninth-placed finish in 2024. So their average score, and indeed their ranking, wouldn’t change.

Hull FC: Lose points

Perhaps unsurprisingly, one club who will suffer in this aspect of the criteria is Hull FC.

A dismal season, one of the worst in their history, will have consequences for their IMG score: though, as a Grade A club, not enough to cause any sort of jeopardy. They will trade out an eighth-placed finish in 2021 for, as it stands, an 11th-placed finish this year. That could yet get worse if they finish bottom.

But as it stands, their performance score will drop from 2.9714 to 2.8571.

Hull KR: Gain points

On the other side of the city, it’s probably no shock to learn that the current Super League leaders will almost certainly get an uptick in IMG score: dependent on their performance in the play-offs.

This is where the system becomes complex. They finished fourth in 2021 on the criteria based on their performance in the play-offs; they were the lowest ranked side to lose in the semi-finals. But this year, they’ll almost certainly be in the semis no matter what and even if they lost, would be in a high enough league position to be 3rd.

But if Rovers go all the way, they’d jump from 3.5429 to 3.7714 points.

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Leeds Rhinos: Lose points

Leeds are going to be defending healthy scores in this part of the criteria for the next two years. In 2022, they reached the Grand Final, meaning they were second in the criteria; the year before – the season they’re defending this year – they were ranked 3rd, given how they were the highest-ranking team to lose in the play-off semi-finals.

Should they finish where they currently are in 8th, it’ll mean a drop in score from 3.6571 to 3.4286.

Leigh Leopards: Gain points

Leigh are one of the big winners as things stand. For the next two seasons they’re going to lose finishes of 12th and 13th – Championship Grand Final winners – from their ranking, with the former dropping off this season.

Should Leigh make the play-offs it will be replaced by a minimum of 6th and, depending on their progress in the play-offs, it could be even better. If it were to be 6th, the points they’d be awarded would jump from 2.8571 to 3.0857.

London Broncos: Gain points

Another big winner, unsurprisingly, is London. The three seasons which counted on their ranking last year were 19th, 23rd and 13th, the latter owing to their Championship Grand Final win.

As it stands, they’ll swap a 19th place in 2021 for 12th at the very least this year, ensuring they get a bump up the rankings and above a number of Championship teams.

Salford Red Devils: Gain points

The Red Devils finished 11th in 2021 – a total which will be removed from the three-year average at the end of this season. They look good value to make the play-offs, meaning a minimum of 6th will take the place of that 11th from three years ago.

Of course, deeper progress in the play-offs means more points. If they were to get 5th, they’d jump from 3.3143 points to 3.5429.

St Helens: Lose points

The Saints got the maximum 4.0000 points in this part of the criteria last year, owing to their Grand Final wins in 2021 and 2022, and their semi-final defeat in 2023: their finishes were 1, 1 and 3. This year, it’ll be slightly different you would expect.

St Helens could still go on and win the Grand Final and defend their finish from three years ago but it looks unlikely as things stand. Should they fail to reach the Grand Final, they’d drop from 4.0000 to 3.8857 but as a Grade A club, it won’t impact them too much.

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Warrington Wolves: Lose points

Warrington registered a 5th-placed finish in 2021 by virtue of where they exited the play-offs and while they’ll almost certainly improve on that this year – they will LOSE points due to a quirk of the system.

The thing that hurts Warrington here is their dismal 11th-placed finish in 2022: it massively impacts their average score and means that they will be leapfrogged by Salford as it stands and drop a place, from 3.4286 to 3.3143. Win the Grand Final though, and they’d go up.

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Wigan Warriors: Gain points

As it stands, Wigan will go to the top of this particular aspect of the criteria. The play-offs could change that yet but with Wigan having a 3rd-placed finish in 2022, and a 1st last year by virtue of winning the Grand Final, they’re in a strong position.

A top-two finish would mean a semi-final exit at the bare minimum for Matt Peet’s side: meaning they’d almost certainly improve their standing and leapfrog St Helens at the top – so long as the Saints don’t win the Grand Final.

As we said at the top, it is going to get a bit confusing from hereon out! Here is how things stand at present – again, with the caveat the play-offs could change it slightly.

All understood?

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