So confirmed we're going to 14 teams next year, London should be one for me. But not sure on the other team?

There will probably be 3 new teams for 2026 season in Super League.

Salford will go into liquidation at the end of this season and will then be demoted to League 1.

Going off IMG Toulouse should already be in the 12 at the expense of Castleford. 


Widened to 14 IMG would include Bradford and Castleford.


IMG Scores


8 Salford      
10 Toulouse
11 Wakefield
12 Leigh
13 Castleford
14 Bradford
15 Featherstone
16 Widnes
17 York


...


24 London




I would be tempted with London, Bradford/Featherstone and York and eject Salford - thus rendering the IMG scores as pointless. 

The Wire have everything to gain & nothing to lose with this decision. Time to throw caution to the wind & start experimenting with the team & maybe some different ideas on the pitch.

That list is for the IMG preliminary gradings before the 2024 season began. 

The final gradings for after that season were -


Grade A: St Helens (17.02), Wigan Warriors (16.91), Leeds Rhinos (16.84), Warrington Wolves (16.27), Hull KR (15.97), Catalans Dragons (15.52), Leigh Leopards (15.13), Wakefield Trinity (15.09), Castleford Tigers (15.02)

Grade B: Hull FC (14.51), Huddersfield Giants (14.4, Salford Red Devils (13.97), Toulouse Olympique XIII (13.5, London Broncos (12.65), York RLFC (12.42), Bradford Bulls (12.15) 17. Barrow Raiders (11.22)  18. Featherstone Rovers (10.75)  19. Keighley Cougars (9.02), 20. Halifax Panthers (8.79)


So, going off that, if Salford drop out, depending on what IMG points other teams receive for this season and what this independent committee says, it should be Toulouse, London, and York. But it seems some of IMG counts and other parts are being made up as we go along, an obvious recipe for success. 


Tbh I'm not sure what the rush is to bring 14 teams in for next season, it seems nuts to me to even think about it without funding in place, and everyone knows exactly how they stand financially for the next few years. Surely they could have negotiated the next deal on the proviso of moving to 14 teams, if that's what SKY want, or that's where the best deal is going to be. Sticking a few teams in SL without proper financial backing etc is a recipe for disaster, whether that happens next year or in the future. It isn't like RL in this country  to not stick to an idea for a few seasons and see how things play out, it's just so out of character 


 For some reason, this site wants to put cool face emojis instead of the number 8, for Hudds IMG score and Toulouse's, weird. 

People must be very naive if they don`t realise that Bradford Bulls will be included in the 14 teams for Super League`26.


Nigel Wood will fiddle the criteria to ensure that they are in the mix.

We’ve got money and quality players coming out of our ears haven’t we with 12 teams, so only right that we go to 14 with a few months notice.  Great plan.

Sky Sports reported that only Toulouse and London meet the criteria for SL? 

Two more teams for us to get beat by then.

From BBC Sport:
Super League's 12 current clubs have voted to expand the competition to 14 teams from next season.
In a statement, the league said the expansion would take place by combining the club grading system with an independent panel.
The panel is to be chaired by Lord Jonathan Caine, who was recently elected to the RFL's board, as well as the strategic review sub-committee.
The top 12 clubs under the grading system at the end of 2025 will be joined by two clubs recommended by the panel "provided there are two applications of sufficient merit against the set criteria".

Don't worry, we will have some new signings for 2026 which we can loan to the new teams by April.

You have to wonder whether York know something, to have signed Vaughan they may have promised him Super League rugby? 


Either way, hopefully this means death to loop fixtures.