Every club whose IMG grading increased including surprise League 1 club and Super League duo

When IMG’s gradings were released on Wednesday morning, only four clubs saw their actual grade increase compared to the provisional one they received this time last year.

Plenty saw their score – out of 20 – rise, but just four clubs across the pyramid saw their points increase to an extent which also altered their grade for the better.

Here’s a look at the quartet and how they reacted to IMG‘s verdict…

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Castleford Tigers

Castleford – who sacked head coach Craig Lingard earlier this week – are one of three Super League clubs who are new to the Grade A club having been elevated up from Grade B.

In 2023’s provisional scores, the Tigers only received 12.91, but 12 months on, they’ve ticked enough boxes to warrant a return of 15.02.

A score of 15 gets you into Grade A, so they’ve crept in by the thinnest of margins, but notably, that means they’re now exempt from relegation.

New owner Martin Jepson said: “I am thrilled to be announcing to Tigers fans that we will be a Grade A Super League club for the 2025 season.

“The whole team have worked hard on securing the grading but I would like to give a special mention to Mark Grattan (Managing Director) who has made it his mission this season to ensure the club’s future in Super League is assured.

“This is very positive news for Castleford Tigers and I look forward to working with the team to continue improvements across all areas of the club.

“I can’t wait to work with investors, sponsors, fans and all the staff, as we build towards the excitement of the Super League 2025 season.”

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Keighley Cougars

Keighley missed out on promotion from League 1 with defeat in the play-offs having finished 2nd, but have done enough off the field over the last year to warrant a Grade B from IMG.

To earn it, they’ve seen their score rise from the Grade C equivalent of 6.58 up to 9.02. The Cougars have jumped 11 spots in the IMG table as a result, and now sit 19th out of the 33 clubs that received a grading on Wednesday afternoon.

Keighley‘s Chief Operating Officer Steve Watkinson said: “We’ve been working hard on our internal systems and procedures all year, making operational changes which help us collate the large amount of data required to complete the IMG Grading Form accurately.

“It’s no secret the gradings are complicated, but taking more time to better understand the terminology and what’s required has played a big part in achieving a much improved score.

“One of the biggest increase in points has come from the Fandom pillar and it is testament to our fans who turn up to Cougar Park every week and engage with our content on our website and social media channels.

“We now need to look forward to the next 12 plus months and plan to maintain our Grade B status whilst starting to work on the other areas within the grading pillars to identify where we can pick up further points.”

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Leigh Leopards

Leigh owner Derek Beaumont made clear the fact he believed they’ve receive a Grade A long before Wednesday’s announcement, was proven correct, with the Leopards boosted up from last year’s Grade B score.

With a points return of 12.45 in 2023, Leigh managed to obtain a score of 15.13 this year and that’s even without maximum points for attendance due to the system’s three-year rolling average rule.

Beaumont’s comments on Wednesday’s announcement were centred around IMG and what needs to change for the structure to improve.

He said: “I have been outspoken and critical of the IMG grading process, and indeed their involvement in the sport, since finding out the relationship between the RFL and IMG was one where we were a paying customer of theirs, paying monies that as a game I do not believe we can afford, nor get ‘bang for our buck’ from.

“That of course is just my opinion, and others may disagree, but I thought we were tapping into a global resource, driven on making vast changes, investing in our game to prosper from significant growth from that investment of resource.

“I can already sense the minds ticking on the alterations to the thresholds, some to deal with discrepancies like the zero points for a big screen with pixels too large equalling that of no screen at all, and a method of measuring the reach of a club rather than that of its population, something in which it has no ability to change its performance.

“However, I also sense there will be movements in pillars to lower clubs scores and make it less likely to get more than 12 clubs with a Grade A score to protect the current position, at least until a better deal is done that can expand the competition, something that can be done by introducing Grade B clubs anyway.”

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Wakefield Trinity

Lastly, Wakefield saw their return to Super League confirmed and it was confirmed in style, with Matt Ellis’ investment both on and off the field seeing the West Yorkshire outfit elevated from a Grade B to Grade A.

Things couldn’t be more different at Belle Vue than 12 months ago when Trinity were relegated, and Daryl Powell’s side look like they could be somewhat of a force in Super League next season with some eye-catching recruitment already completed.

Now with a score of 15.09 against their name having been at 12.52 this time last year, Wakefield CEO Craig Barrass said: “We’re all delighted with the news and it’s been a long road with IMG this year.

“The announcement has come with a mixture of relief and elation to finally confirm that we’ve got back to the Super League.

“The whole process has been one that has been ongoing all year long, and IMG runs alongside what we are doing on the field and there is more to it than meets the eye.

“We’ve put a big focus into each and every category of IMG and looked to maximise points where we can. The work that we have put in this year also helps set us up for future years.”

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