So....IMG came in promising a new era of fairness and strategic growth for rugby league but what we’re seeing now feels like business as usual. The expansion to 14 Super League clubs in 2026 might sound sensible on the surface but it reeks of behind-the-scenes manoeuvring. After effectively condemning the London Broncos to relegation before a ball was kicked in 2024 killing any chance of David Hughes investing, IMG lost a great deal of credibility. The grading system, supposedly built on transparency and long-term sustainability, now seems more like a tool for getting certain clubs in and others out. The fear is it will be used to shoehorn Bradford back into Super League despite their years of financial ruin and that murky Odsal deal.


Nigel Wood’s continued influence only deepens the unease. His ties to the Bulls and their resurrection raise serious questions about who is really shaping the sport’s future. Meanwhile, clubs like York, Toulouse and even a potentially resurgent London have tried to play by the rules only to find the rules are bendy when the “right” teams are involved. If IMG’s plans end up reinforcing old power bases instead of genuinely growing the game then nothing has really changed. This was supposed to be a reset not a rerun.

And at the end of that triumphal season, we challenge Bradford & stuff em again. 

The 1895 is our best route to Wembley (Sod’s Law it’s cancelled). It would be funny though if we got Bradford in the Cup and turned them over. Let’s see who we recruit first before we get ahead of ourselves. 

Met with Grant Wechsel and Paul White on Saturday. Really impressed with what they said. 

Talking of RL management decisions. 
I’d somehow managed not to hear Nigel Wood speak but there was an interview with BBC sports guy today so I thought I’d get some value from my licence fee and take a watch. Hmm. You know those execs who people say ‘talk a good game’ or ‘look the part’ but aren’t all that. He’s not that kind of guy us he. And they say the sport is tin pot!