IMG UK Ratings

A rating system was created by IMG to determine who should play at the elite level of the sport in the UK. The ratings have been revealed for 2026 and they are as follows.

Category A covers clubs 15 points and over. eight in total. Category B those below that figure, six SL clubs lead the way. 

All present Super League clubs (division one) are covered in the blue and yellow shading I have created. 

The top two Championship (second division) I have shaded in pink. They are some way off the current SL clubs.  

The SL clubs are therefore all safe from relegation. The question is, will they be joined by another club from the division below? On the scoring system no. They are supposed to achieve that through points.

The problem I see with the system is that London Broncos have won  three competitions in the lower level and are financially sound, yet are nowhere near SL admission via points. I'm also surprised Barrow got more, no disrespect to that fine club. 

London may get promoted anyway, as that could be part of a media deal. The issue still remains, could any Championship club ever realistically qualify to be promoted with the IMG points system?

UK Championship Play Offs: 2026

I covered the league* and now it's on to the finals. It's a convoluted affair, spanning five rounds. 

Round 1: It was Whitehaven and Batley that departed. As 9th and 10th in the league, not surprising. Widnes and Doncaster earned byes for the next round.

Round 2: In came London and Newcastle. The Sheffield Eagles and Midlands Hurricanes bade farewell. Seeing that they were 7th and 8th in the league, that meant all of the top six remained. London and Newcastle earned byes. 

Round 3: Widnes Vikings and Barrow Raiders said adieu, with Doncaster and Oldham into the semi finals. The top four league sides all making it through.

Round 4: The semi finals had arrived. League winners London easily and expectedly cruised into the final. Fourth placed in the league Doncaster overcame the second placed league team the Newcastle Thunder to take the other spot.

Round 5: The grand final between hot favourites and massive underdogs. The scoreline reveals the extent of the gap. The only fully professional club in the competition made that count. Well done Doncaster for making it to the grand final. The Broncos should be a Super League Club next season, confirmation surely a formality.

*You can view the league article by clicking here.

A full replay below of a live stream. Best watched on YouTube. You have to slide the progress bar along if you want to avoid the live build up.

NRL 2026 Finals (Men)

If you missed my coverage of the regular league season, you can see it by clicking here.

All the top eight sides hit the first round of the finals. Four have a second life if they lose. For two it's sayonara. 

First round: The two that went were the South Sydney Rabbitohs (6th in the league) and North Queensland Cowboys (8th). The NZ Warriors (2nd) and Sydney Roosters (4th) lost so missed out on a bye. 

Quarter finals: An out of form Cronulla Sharks (5th) were blown away by the Roosters. The Warriors didn't lift enough for the finals and were ousted by the Newcastle Knights in a somewhat controvesial cliff hanger. 

Semi finals: The Dolphins (3rd) had been hot leading up to the finals series but were outplayed by the Roosters. Favourites the Penrith Panthers (1st) were likewise upset by the Knights.

Grand Final: The Roosters were favourites but the diogged Knights were not out of the equation. The Knights led 12-6 at the break but with less possession and a poorer field position, it was always going to be tough. Yet the Knights only lost by one point. That determination summed up how they got there. 

The Roosters played a grand final how it should be played. Give the opposition as little as possible. The stats say they should have won by more but the margin of victory isn't the point. Winning the grand final is, no matter how you do it.

The highlights of the final are below. Best watched at YouTube.