Super League grading announcement date revealed as RFL consider captain's challenge

Qualification for the competition will be determined by a grading system from 2025 onwards. Clubs will be rated on five factors - on-field performance, fandom, finances, stadium and community - with all those graded A and the best ranked B-grade sides going into the elite division.

Seven clubs, Leeds Rhinos, Wigan Warriors, St Helens, Catalans Dragons, Warrington Wolves, Hull KR and Hull FC, were categorised as A when indicative gradings were revealed last October. The five highest-ranked B-grade clubs were Salford Red Devils, Huddersfield Giants, Toulouse Olympique, Wakefield Trinity and Leigh Leopards.

RFL chief executive Tony Sutton today (Thursday) revealed clubs will submit data from September 2 to September 30. They will be told their grading under embargo on Tuesday, October 22, with the information to be announced the following day.

Meanwhile, the governing body’s director of operations and legal , Robert Hicks, says this season’s crackdown on high tackles is working. Hicks, a former top referee, said over the opening nine rounds of men’s Super League there have been more play-the-balls per match, the speed of play-the-ball has increased and direct contact to the head is down by 67 per cent.

Penalties and red/yellow cards are up, but Hicks said that is “starting to settle”. There were no sin-binnings, dismissals or charges following round nine last weekend and Hicks insisted: “That is nothing to do with a slackening off [by referees], it is because player behaviour is improving.”

Newly-appointed referees boss Phil Bentham confirmed that, with a video referee now in operation at all Super League matches, a captain’s challenge could be introduced to Super League from next year. The process, used in the NRL and the 2022 World Cup, allows teams to query one decision per match, with correct challenges being retained.

Bentham revealed: “Lots of players and coaches think it’s a great idea. We couldn’t do it [previously] because with two video refs and four games without, we didn’t think it would be a fair playing field. I am working with the NRL to get their feel on it.

“There’s a few critics of it over there and we don’t want to bring something in that they then drop, because internationally that looks foolish. We need to work with them and try to reach an agreement so the international game actually looks like both competitions.”

The refs’ boss also said he is looking at the on-field call system where a referee has to make a ‘try’ or ‘no try’ decision before referring to the video official. That could be retained, but Bentham is keen for more communication between the man in the middle and his off-field assistant.