Wakefield Trinity owner hints at IMG score and possible Super League return

Wakefield Trinity owner Matt Ellis insists the club have done enough to be awarded a place in Super League in 2025: and believes victory in this weekend’s Championship Grand Final could even secure a Grade A ranking.

Trinity look likely to be awarded one of the 12 top-flight places for 2025 next week when IMG reveal their official gradings system for the first time. The expectation is that Wakefield will replace London Broncos in Super League, with no other changes likely.

But Ellis, who has invested significant sums since taking charge at the club a year ago, is aiming for higher.

He believes that Wakefield have ticked all of the necessary boxes to make the cut: and says it would be a ‘kick in the teeth’ if they are not in the top 12 given how they have done everything asked of them by IMG on and off the field.

“I’m confident,” he said. “We’ve done everything possible. We’ve submitted a score that we think is enough. You’re never, ever in total control with this but we’ve done absolutely everything we could have.

“We couldn’t have done any more. It’s been a big investment year and every possible point we could have got, we’ve got. I would imagine that what we’ve done is everything IMG wanted a club to do.

“I don’t want to say too much more.. I wouldn’t say it’d be a joke, but what more could anybody do? We’re over budget on investment in terms of what we anticipated spending but we’ve pushed the boat out.

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“There’s been no expense spared this year to get to this point where we’re in the (Championship) Grand Final and done everything we needed to do: LED boards, a new gantry.. it would be a kick in the teeth if we didn’t get there.”

Furthermore, Ellis believes Trinity are not just in a position to return to Super League – they are on track to potentially secure the highest grading possible by achieving a score in excess of 15 in the modelling. That would guarantee Grade A status and ensure they are immune from relegation.

Victory in this weekend’s Championship Grand Final would secure an extra 0.25 points – and Ellis suggested that could be the difference between Grade A or Grade B: making the game significant in Wakefield’s eyes.

When asked to predict their score, Ellis said: “We’re not a million miles off a Grade A. We’ve submitted very close to a Grade A and with a Grand Final win, we feel we can get a Grade A. It’s in the hands of the administrators and IMG but we’re really confident we’ve done enough to be Grade A or be very close to it this year.

“You’re starting to hear a few rumours of what other clubs have got and you can’t always believe it, I take it with a pinch of salt. IMG said it would be 5-10 years before there would be 12 Grade As so if we’re on the border of that now, you’ve got to be confident.”

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