All 14 Super League clubs will remain in the competition next season after the release of the yearly gradings, but second-tier treble winners London Broncos again miss out. The Broncos won the Championship Grand Final, the 1895 Cup and were runaway champions in the regular-season standings. Despite the backing of Australian businessman Grant Wechsel, former Brisbane Broncos star Darren Lockyer and a squad full of internationals, they finished only 16th in the gradings, below fellow Championship side Barrow Raiders.
Following their Super League Grand Final success, Wakefield Trinity have come top of the ratings for the first time. The scores are based on criteria formulated by media giant IMG, covering five factors: fan experience, finance, stadium, community and on-field performance. Wakefield have matched 2025 champions Hull KR's record grading score of 17.85, continuing their rise on and off the field under Matt Ellis' ownership. A year ago they were eighth with a mark of 15.47.
RFL chief executive Ian Nolan praised the achievement, saying Wakefield's rise "is a fascinating story for rugby league" and reflects encouraging movement across the sport, including growing attendances and digital audiences. Leeds Rhinos remain second with 17.03, while Warrington Wolves jumped from sixth to third after reaching the Grand Final at Old Trafford, where they lost to Wakefield. Wigan are fourth, just above Hull KR and Leigh Leopards. St Helens dropped from third to seventh after missing the play-offs for the first time in the Super League era.
Castleford Tigers rose from 11th to eighth and complete the Category A clubs, despite finishing 13th in Super League. Catalans Dragons and Hull FC fell from A to B grade. Toulouse Olympique and York Knights, the two newcomers, occupy 13th and 14th with higher scores than last year. Only six of the 14 Super League clubs scored higher than they did 12 months ago. London scored 9.77, down from 11.65, while York's 13.24 sat well ahead of Barrow's 9.85. Overall, 26 clubs were graded across categories A, B and C.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing