They are a bigger challenger to us than Cas I think in IMG terms.

It’s was never a given from the start that we are guaranteed promotion , there’s a hell of a lot of water to go under the bridge before we get to that point. But I’m sure we will leave no stone unturned to grab that super league place from the rest of the pack

They can, but they've still to fit them under the salary cap.

Think Cleary, Fisher Harris and Luai would bust SL Cap.

Yeah, it's close at the moment but I don't recall anyone saying that this was going to be a given at all. Firstly though we haven't been given our points for the new stand and facilities etc, we are also primary tenants, unlike Toulouse should put us above them when it opens.
I remember ME not being happy at all about how our catchment area got designated. Plus if I remember correctly because it can seriously confusing at times, I think I remember a PT post where he said they'll lose the points from when they won their place to SL or something along those lines.

Our attendance looks like it could potentially move a few decimal points up, as long as we get some decent traveling fans from the likes of Bradford, Featherstone, Leigh, Widnes, etc that'll want to come and check out the new and improved home stand LOL.

In the Championship you can sign up a team of NRL players if you can afford them and it's under the cap and they want to play here, they can sign players from down under just like we've signed a few in a relatively short time.

I think all anyone has been for a change is hugely positive about next season and if anything journalists and other fans have almost made it seem it's a given we're gonna be up next season, they've put us as favorites because of our already decent score plus the wealth of the owner and all his plans that he's spoken about from improving the west side to the Social/ Online engagement which we've seen already after a few weeks.
Ateotd we just have to keep picking up the relatively easy points on offer from IMG. Then as long as the team doesn't make balls up of next season it'll be hard for Toulouse to overtake us when the 2025 scores come in. That's as long as we're up there in the finals and hopefully winning them.

I kinda don't mind Toulouse being competitive with us.
I know it sounds great to think we'll walk through the league but the crowds need a but if chance in the game to keep coming

Just looking at the Bradford squad. They are no mugs either.
The top 5 I reckon are a pretty tough opposition.

Our attendance score won't change at all.

Why's that then? is it anything to do with the average over 3 years? I'm guessing even if we average 5500 next year our score won't change till we get back into SL.

We don't have the ground capacity (or indeed the fans), to take our 3 year average to the next threshold, in one season.

On the flip side, our score can't go down either.

Indeed. Using the average attendances you posted we'd need an average this year of 13,629!!

population is 110,000 according to 2021 census,Castlefords around 45,000 and Featherstone 18,000,yet we all get equal points for catchment area, i.e all 3 clubs in WMDC are classed as a "Small catchment area"

Absolutely agree with that. At the last membership shareholders meeting, John Minards did say he was in communication with Tony Sutton at the RFL (think that’s his name) regarding this very matter. Unfortunately, John doesn’t appear to be connected with this matter now, and I don’t know if anyone else within the club has taken up this batton. I do hope someone has, if not, then Trinity and the other 2 clubs are disadvantaged as there is no way they can increase this IMG score simply because catchment area numbers are beyond the clubs control.

We need enough IMG points to be in the top 12 to be in Super League.
15 points means we would be in SL no matter what others do.

The Community points around catchment area are based on the local authority District....from 2021! They won't change it before the first audit so we are just going to have to live with it.
No one is affected as much as the 3 'calder' teams but a few have 2 in the district.

Maybe all three clubs could put out a joint statement asking fans, where possible, to have another child?

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We need approx. 30,000 population increase to WMDC over the next 18 months, that should take us to around 390,000, divided by 3,equals 130,000 each club, Get bonking folks !!!!

If it's based on the 2021 census, you'll need a time machine too.

I like the look of York this season. Blooded a lot of young players who went well last season and will be better for it this season.

We still need to pull in a handful of quality players to be challenging for finals with more certainty imho. The squad hasn’t nearly enough depth either.

We absolutely need a pack leader.

York, Bulls, Fev, Toulouse will be tough opposition next season.

I don’t think that would help, the full total population of WMDC. Would still be divided by 3 clubs in the area, that is what I referenced to, there is nothing the clubs can do to increase their catchment points, while ever this requirement stays as it is.

It’s building up nicely into a cracker of a division, should be some right games to entertain us fans in the championship

Its going to be an excellent League next season and you can certainly add several other teams to your list. This is good news, I don't want to see blow out scores, I want to see close matches, I want to see the league leadership change and the top 6 change on a weekly basis, I want to see the bottom four sides one or two wins away from a top 6 position. If the bookies were setting their odds today I think they would struggle to pick an odds on favourite for the title.

Nah. We are favourite.
I want it to be competitive but I'm happy to bet on us winning.

I don't think the squad as it stands would suggest so. York are looking tasty, Featherstone will be there again. Toulouse look ambitious and Bradford have recruited well.

One thing I will say about Toulouse, I don't feel they can up there score significantly more than what it is now, where Trinity can.

Back to the IMG population figures. Huddersfield must be in the same boat as us. Kirklees has three teams Hudds, Dewsbury and Batley. I think the lucky West Yorks team to come out of all this farcical counting method is Halifax as they are the only team in the Calderdale District.

each at least,Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Batley get more points than us, Cas and Fev Rovers