The 7 clubs set for biggest IMG performance score rise including York and Leeds

It’s fast approaching the release of the IMG gradings later this year – and some clubs are set to benefit hugely in the performance aspect of the criteria.

This year there’s a maximum of six points on offer, as opposed to five. The criteria has been tweaked slightly this year, with all the changes revealed by Love Rugby League earlier in the season.

Clubs were ranked on their most recent three seasons beforehand, with an average worked out from all their league finishes in each of those campaigns. But this year, it’s two: and the most recent season is weighted heavier in the average.

If it sounds confusing.. that’s because it is. But we’ve crunched the data – and while a lot of clubs will get a rise of some sort due to there being an extra point on offer, here are the clubs set to jump the most.

NB. The performance scores are based on a club’s league position after the weekend of August 1 and 2 (Round 21 in Super League).

York Knights

There are a lot of clubs, particularly those at the top of the gradings, who won’t be too worried about their league position and performance score. But for some teams, it’s going to matter massively – and that includes York Knights.

With the performance criteria getting an extra point allocated to it and York being in a higher league, it stands to reason their score would go up. But at the time of writing, their league position of 10th is big: as it means their performance score goes up by 0.9967. For context, London’s is only going up by 0.3941 as it stands.

Finish 9th, and it’ll go up even more. Every win is going to be crucial for York.

Wigan Warriors

Matt Peet’s Warriors do not have to worry about IMG, in all honesty. They’ll be a Grade A club as long as the system exists; if they’re not, something has gone badly wrong.

But they’re also getting a huge jump thanks to a couple of key things. They benefit from the extra performance point allocated to the criteria, but they also get 0.25 points thanks to winning the Challenge Cup (bonus points only count for the most recent season, so in this case 2026).

That means right now, Wigan’s score goes up 1.1029 points.

Midlands Hurricanes

There are a few Championship teams who do really well in this aspect of the criteria this year – and one is Midlands.

Thanks to a very strong campaign, and the system now only counting the two most recent years, the Hurricanes go from the 33rd-ranked club in performance to the 24th as it stands. That’s yielding a huge increase of 1.2747 points for them.

Newcastle Thunder

Another club in this bracket, who benefit for the same reasons, are Newcastle Thunder. Sitting second in the Championship currently, the Thunder go from the 34th ranked club to the 22nd, meaning they jump up by 1.6832 points in performance.

Oldham

Perhaps no surprises again that a club who lose their two League 1 finishes from 2023 and 2024, and are now judged solely on their two most recent seasons at the top of the Championship, jump up massively.

Oldham’s performance score in IMG will go up by 1.6841 points as it stands today.

Leeds Rhinos

The Super League leaders definitely don’t need to worry about IMG; like Wigan, they’ll almost always be a Grade A club with the system in its current guise.

But the Rhinos stand to leap up massively, thanks in no small part to sitting top of Super League right now. That, coupled with their fifth-placed finish last year, actually means Leeds are ranked first overall as it stands out of all the clubs.

And it means they jump up a whopping 1.6857 points – which will go up even more if they win the Grand Final and collect 0.75 bonus points.

Wakefield Trinity

But the big winners are Super League’s newest force: Wakefield Trinity.

With the system rewarding the last two years compared to three before, it means Wakefield’s season in the Championship is erased from their performance score, and their (likely) back-to-back top six finishes in the Super League play-off spots are what counts.

Altogether? Their IMG performance score is going up by 1.8488 points – the biggest rise of any club.