According to form, both Hull clubs and an abstention from Wigan.


In principal, moving to a 14 club SL, with a balanced fixture program is absolutely the right way forward.
However, there are two huge issues here. 
Primarily, using IMG gradings for 12 clubs plus 2 clubs chosen by an "independent" panel is just wrong.
Either go "all in" with IMG or, use a different model completely.
More importantly, given the "quality of the bottom 3 clubs in SL, there is an argument that we should be cutting SL numbers and not 
increasing them.
Finally, with Nigel Wood now seemingly running the show, does anyone have faith in the "independent" panel.


Call me a cynic but, assuming they dont have the required number of IMG points, the 2 "wildcard" clubs will most likely be, Bradford and London.


Also, what happens in the following season, is the drawbridge being pulled up or, are we to have promotion and relegation and would the "wildcard" clubs be exempt.


The organisation at the top of our sport is an absolute shambles.
We are in the first full year of IMG and already, we are giving up[ on the process and this is whilst shelling out heaps of cash for their services.


The only positive here is a "balanced" fixture schedule but, the planning and methodology are utterly flawed and the inability of the sport at being able to make a coherent plan
and stick to it is shameful.


Rant over,

If it has to be Bradford, then it also has to be York.

Agreed.  They're a good side and have a nice stadium.  

It’ll be Toulouse via IMG (check their data from last year and this year), then Bradford and London via the ‘independent panel’. I can explain why but I don’t think anyone cares.

Having a nice stadium or a good team isn't the point of IMG.
It is trying to establish financially stable with growth potential.


The stadium, finances and social media type checks establish that.


So I'm not sure what else an independent group is going to use to decide.

Looks like the lower leagues are being merged too. Big fan of that, and hope they go with a Championship East / Championship West format. There'd be a few mismatches (particularly in the short term for Newcastle and Keighley), but better crowds, less money spent on travel, more consistent end to each season, and a proper season for League One clubs. I assume it'd look something like this:


Championship East


Batley
Bradford or York
Dewsbury
Doncaster
Featherstone
Goole
Halifax
Hunslet
Keighley
Newcastle
Sheffield


Championship West


Barrow
Midlands Hurricanes
North Wales
Oldham
Rochdale
Salford
Swinton
Whitehaven
Widnes
Workington


Each team plays home and away. Then top 6 of each division come together for a play off series.