Workington Town have responded to the grading assessments released by IMG this week.
Whitehaven and Workington Town have been graded in the C category under new guidelines set out by RFL partners IMG.
Both Cumbrian clubs are in the bottom five of the 35 clubs graded for the 2024 season.
Only seven Super League clubs have been awarded an initial Grade A status as the top flight will be restructured in 2025.
Seventeen clubs, including Barrow Raiders, are in the B category with the other 11 in C.
Only three of the newer entries to professional rugby league Midlands Hurricanes, Cornwall and North Wales Crusaders are below Workington and Whitehaven in the list which reveals the points each club received.
Town have considered the implications and have issued a club statement on their views.
It read: “As a club we constantly strive to be better on and off the pitch. Whilst disappointed with our indicative IMG score, please be in no doubt that we deliver many positive things at Town and will continue to do so as a club at the heart of our local community.
“Sometimes it is difficult to assess these activities against stark data alone.
“Our rating is based on an average of years that included a rather difficult Championship season. Since agreeing to the IMG proposal we have started to shape our club activity towards getting a far better IMG rating next year and are in a far more stable financial and organisational position
“Whilst agreeing with this framework that looks to drive improvement in rugby league, we also think that there are areas where the IMG assessment approach can be improved and built upon, particularly in terms of independent audit of all submitted numbers, and more personal interaction, club visits from RFL/IMG representatives to help give a qualitative as well as a purely quantitative assessment.
“A decent league structure that helps us deliver across the five themes, rather than hinder progress is also imperative.
“We can also jump a few places if someone fancies buying us a big screen….”
