Leigh Leopards Owner Confident About Super League Spot Despite IMG Challenges
Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont has provided his assessment on the team’s prospects of remaining in Super League next season. With the new IMG system now governing the selection process for the 2025 Super League, on-field performance is no longer the sole determining factor this year.
In their fourth season in the top flight, the Leopards secured promotion from the RFL Championship in 2022 through the Million Pound Game. As many clubs work to improve their IMG scores for the upcoming year, Beaumont has addressed concerns about Leigh’s potential relegation.
“That is 100% not going to happen,” Beaumont asserted. “In the preliminary grades, our financial aspect was scored at 1.35 out of 5, and our overall score was 12.45. We were initially ranked 12th, but there was a suggestion that Castleford’s score had not been accurately assessed, which would have placed us 13th.”
Beaumont further explained that after the financial work was done, Leigh’s score increased to 15.05, securing their place in the final Super League spot, 0.29 points ahead of Castleford Tigers. However, a subsequent correction to Castleford’s score would have placed them above Leigh and Wakefield Trinity, potentially pushing the Leopards out of the top-flight.
“Of course, we lose the points for the Challenge Cup, but our crowds have been pushing up,” Beaumont continued. “Whether we’ll reach the next attendance milestone, maybe not, depending on our league position. If we don’t make the playoffs and finish higher, we could fall short of the 15-point threshold, but we’ll most certainly be in a Super League place. So, there are no concerns whatsoever from me.”
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