BY JOHN DAVIDSON
Breaking: The RFL has revealed its IMG grading submission and announcement deadlines for 2024, and says it will resist any changes to the kick-off as part of the plan to reduce concussions.
The RFL top brass held a media briefing earlier today on a number of issues. On the IMG grading, which comes into force at the end of this year, CEO Tony Sutton said data for 2024 will be submitted by the clubs between September 2-30.
The RFL will then do moderation sessions with each club on their prospective score, not their grade. IMG has a forecasting tool that clubs can access where they might end up according to the data they know.
The timetable following the submission of data is the men’s Super League grand final on October 12, the Championship grand final on October 19 and then the full grading announcement on October 23.
This will determine which 12 clubs play in Super League next year and which teams compete in the Championship and League 1.
There will be a 24-hour pre-announcement for the club results under embargo. Sutton stated there is a strategy ongoing for the Championship grand final and League 1 grand final to be enhanced by more prize money, grading bonus points and a trophy lift.
Sutton insists clubs cannot end up with the same score because of the performance pillar (they can’t finish on the same spot on the table). He also says the RFL is committed to 12 clubs in Super League next year, confirming there will not be 14 in 2024.
On the proposed Samoa tour, Sutton said: “We remain in conversation and are hoping to have an answer relatively soon. We remain hopeful.”
During the briefing Phil Betham, the new head of match officials, also revealed that the RFL is considering bringing in the Captain’s Challenge from the NRL, now that every Super League game has a video referee:
“It’s certainly something I’m working with the NRL on,” he said.
Betham wants to try and come to some agreement with the NRL on the Captain’s Challenge for the international game.
During the briefing Rob Hicks, director of operations and legal and company secretary, explained that the RFL has looked at the occurrence of concussions that are caused by kick-offs during the game.
In the NRL at the moment there is a debate about whether the kick-off should be changed or limited because of the brain injuries related to them.
However, Hicks showed research of 200 concussions in UK rugby league over the past five years that displayed that kickoffs only result in 8% of all concussions in that period, compared to 72% from line tackles, 5% from unstructured play, 5% from off the ball incidents, 4% from try scoring, 3% from set pieces and 3% from dropouts.
“Kickoffs have a high incidence rate of concussion,” Hicks said.
“But there are relatively few kicks off in a game. So while the rate is high, there aren’t actually many concussions [from them] in a game.
“The line tackle creates the most concussions in our sport.”
Hicks said the RFL has no plans to change the kick-off.
“You can’t take away the gladiatorial part of the sport.”
