Leeds, Hull and Warrington get 'A' licences

Three Super League clubs awarded one of the 14 new licences have been given 'A' grades for their bid submissions, the Rugby Football League (RFL) has announced.

Leeds Rhinos, Hull FC and Warrington Wolves were all given a top grading for their licence bids, which marked on a range of criteria including average crowds, on-field performances and club infrastructure.

Three further teams - Bradford Bulls, St Helens and Wigan Warriors - were given 'B' grade licences.

No specific details were published as to why these clubs failed to achieve the top grade.

However, it has been confirmed they failed to comply with all the required criteria, which also includes adherence to salary cap rules and possession of up-to-date stadia and facilities.

The remaining eight clubs, including newly appointed Super League representatives Celtic Crusaders and Salford City Reds, all received 'C' grades for their submissions to the RFL.

Executive chairman Richard Lewis said Leeds, Hull and Warrington "deserve special commendation as they are impressive both on and off the field".

And he added: "The goal for the other 11 teams is to look at the detailed feedback they have received this morning from the RFL on their licence application and work out what they need to do to achieve an 'A' grade next time round.

"The hard work for many starts here.

"For clubs who have ambitions for new stadiums, they need to ensure by 2010, when the next licence application process starts, that they are more than just plans.

"The clubs that have missed out this time round will be even more determined to win a licence in the future."

Reacting to the news, Hull FC's chief executive James Rule said he is "delighted".

"It is recognition of all the hard work that the directors, with their tremendous investment in the early days after the merger to provide a solid financial foundation, staff, players, coaches and fans have contributed to the development of our club both on and off the field," he said.

"Our fans will no doubt take pride in the fact that their club has been rated one of the top four clubs by the RFL in their assessment."

inthenews.co.uk sources believe there will be no plans to announce licence grades for the teams that failed to achieve Super League status for 2009.

However, there will be follow-up meetings in the near future to go through the detailed feedback they have received from the RFL and to clarify the decisions that were made.

Leigh Centurions yesterday slammed the appointment of Celtic Crusaders to the top flight of rugby league, saying they are "thoroughly disgusted" at the decision.

Full licence grade listings:

Bradford Bulls - B
Catalans Dragons - C
Castleford Tigers - C
Celtic Crusaders - C
Harlequins RL - C
Huddersfield Giants - C
Hull FC - A
Hull KR - C
Leeds Rhinos - A
St Helens - B
Salford City Reds - C
Wakefield Wildcats - C
Warrington Wolves - A
Wigan Warriors - B