Is it a possibility this season? My last understanding of the new rules was that it is if a grade b club finish bottom and a grade club win the championship play off. Is that right?

I think we can be relegated yeah. I can’t remember though did they announce the gradings last year before officially announcing Londons relegation? So in theory could we finish bottom but be a grade A due to off field improvements and avoid relegation? I can’t remember which way round they did it such a complicated system.

It’s all on IMG scores. Where you finish in the league only matters in as much as it impacts your IMG score (and sporting pride, obvs). Your current score was enough to secure participation in this season’s SL as one of the better Bs. All clubs will get a new score at the end of this season for 2026 - A means you’re in, B means you need to check 12 teams don’t have a better score.

But let's get two games into the season before we think about that eh?

[quote="Jake the Peg":ojxxvxlg]Is it a possibility this season? My last understanding of the new rules was that it is if a grade b club finish bottom and a grade club win the championship play off. Is that right?[/quote:ojxxvxlg] I think the grade B club that win the championship need to be a higher grade B than the lowest club in SL to gain promotion / relegation, maybe I am making that up

[quote="homme vaste":17i3sa7j]I think the grade B club that win the championship need to be a higher grade B than the lowest club in SL to gain promotion / relegation, maybe I am making that up [/quote:17i3sa7j] Lol. No. It's all on the score. League position is just 25% of the score so is relevant, but there is no relegation based solelh on coming bottom.

[quote="PopTart":2tjlby7q]Lol. No. It's all on the score. League position is just 25% of the score so is relevant, but there is no relegation based solelh on coming bottom.[/quote:2tjlby7q] SL status primarily based upon pixel quality, length of your TV gantry and match day burger vans. Thankfully Academies, number of stands (and if covered) and on field success over the past 40 years have no place within the IMG spreadsheet.

[quote="Mild Rover":1bigwxfk]It’s all on IMG scores. Where you finish in the league only matters in as much as it impacts your IMG score (and sporting pride, obvs). Your current score was enough to secure participation in this season’s SL as one of the better Bs. All clubs will get a new score at the end of this season for 2026 - A means you’re in, B means you need to check 12 teams don’t have a better score.[/quote:1bigwxfk] Thats what I don’t understand. Hull have given a high grade B for 2025 so didn’t and wouldn’t have got relegated had we finished bottom 24, it was always going to be London to make way for Wakefield. Say we finished bottom again, but improve our overall score to grade A with off field criteria does that mean we’d be safe for 26? On the flip side Wakey got an A for 25 so automatically went into SL. Assuming they don’t win a major trophy they won’t get the bonus points and could easily drop to a B, does that mean they could be relegated for the 2026 season despite having a grade A in 2025? Does the grade A only make you exempt for that one season?

[quote="DSJ1983":2zduxkyr]Thats what I don’t understand. Hull have given a high grade B for 2025 so didn’t and wouldn’t have got relegated had we finished bottom 24, it was always going to be London to make way for Wakefield. Say we finished bottom again, but improve our overall score to grade A with off field criteria does that mean we’d be safe for 26? On the flip side Wakey got an A for 25 so automatically went into SL. Assuming they don’t win a major trophy they won’t get the bonus points and could easily drop to a B, does that mean they could be relegated for the 2026 season despite having a grade A in 2025? Does the grade A only make you exempt for that one season?[/quote:2zduxkyr] Grades are re scored every year with slight changes year on year to keep it fresh

[quote="Rugby Raider":3a4ylcpk]SL status primarily based upon pixel quality, length of your TV gantry and match day burger vans. Thankfully Academies, number of stands (and if covered) and on field success over the past 40 years have no place within the IMG spreadsheet.[/quote:3a4ylcpk] But you're not bitter right

[quote="Theeaststander1":276wysgz]Grades are re scored every year with slight changes year on year to keep it fresh[/quote:276wysgz] So while Wakefield are a grade A now it’s possible they could be relegated for the 2026 season? I use Wakefield as an example because they scored 15.09, but 0.35 of those points were for winning the championship and 1895 cup, they could easily be a grade B in the next rankings.

[quote="DSJ1983":f9db1zmo]So while Wakefield are a grade A now it’s possible they could be relegated for the 2026 season? I use Wakefield as an example because they scored 15.09, but 0.35 of those points were for winning the championship and 1895 cup, they could easily be a grade B in the next rankings.[/quote:f9db1zmo] Wakefield are currently at a stage in which they have much room to improve, Matt Ellis has already started building plans for the away stand And yes the only blurred lines is the league finish, in the championship it mirrors the super league pretty much Salford are the ones who need a good league finish and some off field magic, 0.38 separated them from tolouse

[quote="DSJ1983":1m57egu0]Thats what I don’t understand. Hull have given a high grade B for 2025 so didn’t and wouldn’t have got relegated had we finished bottom 24, it was always going to be London to make way for Wakefield. Say we finished bottom again, but improve our overall score to grade A with off field criteria does that mean we’d be safe for 26? On the flip side Wakey got an A for 25 so automatically went into SL. Assuming they don’t win a major trophy they won’t get the bonus points and could easily drop to a B, does that mean they could be relegated for the 2026 season despite having a grade A in 2025? Does the grade A only make you exempt for that one season?[/quote:1m57egu0] Basically, that is right / the answer is ‘yes’ for all of the above. I think the grades thing confuses things. Until there are more than 12 A grades, it is kind of irrelevant. It is about getting one of the top 12 scores. Some years it might be that the composition of SL remains exactly the same. In theory, at least, multiple teams could come up and go down in other years. Unless 2 or 3 other clubs improve quite a bit, and no others go backwards, Hull FC will be fine barring events that would mean they weren’t fine under any system.

My reading is that for as long as the current grading system stays in place then a 12th place finish is unlikely to result in relegation for us, due to other factors ensuring we remain one of the twelve highest scoring clubs. Of course, a sudden about turn in SL/RL strategy could alter all of that, but for the time being we should be safe! The easiest way for us to avoid this scenario is to stay clear of the bottom spots on the ladder, don't think any of us want to go through the hell and misery of last year ever again

IF Huddersfield move to The Shay would they not lose points as that ground is not at the same standard as their current ground and should IMG be grading their new home if that is where they intend to play next year?

[quote="Liam666":vd41xn7d]IF Huddersfield move to The Shay would they not lose points as that ground is not at the same standard as their current ground and should IMG be grading their new home if that is where they intend to play next year?[/quote:vd41xn7d] Ken davy has already said he'll pump money into the Shay to get it up to a grade A standard his hands are tied with the john smiths as he cant touch the ground without a lot of time/conversations with the council/football team

Hudds would score more playing at the Shay wouldn't they? The ground would be fuller as a percentage, and they'd score more points for owning the ground and having fax as tenants?

Also wasn't the promotion/relegation amendment suggested by Batley and got voted down by the clubs?

[quote="Steve0":3i9ba8fe]Hudds would score more playing at the Shay wouldn't they? The ground would be fuller as a percentage, and they'd score more points for owning the ground and having fax as tenants?[/quote:3i9ba8fe] yep 100%, utilisation scores would shoot up and i dont think the halifax owners are gonna stop any of ken days wants when he gets there win win for both clubs

playing out of another town/clubs ground to improve your img rating whilst waiting for a new ground to be built is another farce! your stadium rating should either stay the same, or lose points imo. could we see a 14 team league in 2026?

[quote="number 6":27p10ppy]playing out of another town/clubs ground to improve your img rating whilst waiting for a new ground to be built is another farce! your stadium rating should either stay the same, or lose points imo. could we see a 14 team league in 2026?[/quote:27p10ppy] I've long wanted a 14 team league and the end of loop games, but if SKY keep reducing the TV deal there's no chance the clubs will split the money into more slices

[quote="number 6":o5ycj9my]playing out of another town/clubs ground to improve your img rating whilst waiting for a new ground to be built is another farce! your stadium rating should either stay the same, or lose points imo. could we see a 14 team league in 2026?[/quote:o5ycj9my] Itll take years to find a suitable site, get planning permission and get it built, they could be at the Shay for a while, during that period surely their support will dwindle given how they struggle to get crowds in Huddersfield itself now, then when they move back they'll have to rebuild the fanbase again, doesn't seem sustainable really, wonder if a merger with Halifax is a possibility

[quote="number 6":1bkth6p4]playing out of another town/clubs ground to improve your img rating whilst waiting for a new ground to be built is another farce! your stadium rating should either stay the same, or lose points imo. [b:1bkth6p4][u:1bkth6p4]could we see a 14 team league in 2026?[/u:1bkth6p4][/b:1bkth6p4][/quote:1bkth6p4] No.

[quote="Steve0":3ngimapl]Itll take years to find a suitable site, get planning permission and get it built, they could be at the Shay for a while, during that period surely their support will dwindle given how they struggle to get crowds in Huddersfield itself now, then when they move back they'll have to rebuild the fanbase again, doesn't seem sustainable really, wonder if a merger with Halifax is a possibility[/quote:3ngimapl] He's ruled a merger out but you do wonder, there are questions marks if Halifax RL and Football can afford to buy the ground back when Huddersfield are done (and the council wants shot of the ground) West Yorkshire Giant Panthers anyone?