Bradford Bulls will be back in Super League from 2026 after finishing 10th in the gradings system, with Salford Red Devils now out of the top flight.

In last year’s gradings, Bradford Bulls finished 16th with a Grade B score of 12.15 but have now increased that score dramatically to 14.81, jumping them six places to 10th which moves them into Super League’s automatic positions.

It sees the Bulls back in Super League for the first time since 2016 prior to their liquidation and relegation.

Championship Grand Final winners Toulouse, Championship table-toppers York and the star-studded London Broncos all missed out via the gradings system and will be hoping to secure the two remaining Super League spots which will be announced by an independent panel on Friday.

Bradford are rated ahead of current Super League clubs Huddersfield Giants and Castleford Tigers. Castleford were Grade A in 2024 but have dropped to Grade B with a score of 14.66.

In their heyday in the early noughties, Bradford were one of the Super League giants and picked up four Super League Grand Final victories in 1997, 2001, 2003 and 2005.

Now, they make their return as they continue their quest to be one of Super League’s big clubs once again.

Meanwhile, after a tumultuous season financially, Salford Red Devils have dropped from 12th to 15th with a Grade B score of 13.97 down to 12.65.

They had 0.25 points taken away from their score as a result of the deduction of two competition points for breaching operational rules in their team selection for the Round One fixture at St Helens in February.

Their finance score reflects information submitted for the 2022-24 seasons and does not include the 2025 season.

Salford also did not apply to be considered as one of the two extra teams for 2026 which means they will definitely not be in Super League next season.

The grading system was introduced in 2024 and is now used to decide the top 12 clubs competing in Super League from 2026 onwards.

This is because the Super League clubs voted to expand the competition to 14 for 2026 and therefore, instead of using the gradings for all teams, an independent panel – chaired by RFL board member Lord Jonathan Caine – was created to decide the additional two teams. These two clubs joining Super League for next season will be announced on Friday.

The original idea of the gradings was that Grade A clubs would automatically be in the competition, with the best of the Grade B clubs making up the rest of the spots. This has happened for the top 12 clubs but it is uncertain whether Toulouse Olympique and York Knights, who finished 13th and 14th in the gradings, will be the two clubs picked by the panel.

They are thought to be in the running alongside London Broncos who have finished behind Toulouse, York and Salford Red Devils.

Toulouse Olympique won this year’s Championship Grand Final, edging out York Knights who enjoyed a record season to date as they finished top of the Championship table. Meanwhile, London Broncos have undergone a star-studded takeover headed by NRL legend Darren Lockyer.

This has seen them bring in head coach Jason Demetriou and start putting together a team of stars in the capital, including NRL signings Siliva Havili and Reagan Campbell-Gillard.

However, with Bradford in, one of those three clubs will miss out via the panel decision.

What do the rest of the gradings look like?

Elsewhere, Hull KR sit at the top of the gradings after completing their historic treble in 2025, taking over from St Helens who drop to fourth.

There are nine Grade A clubs, who in order are: Hull KR, Leeds Rhinos, St Helens, Wigan Warriors, Leigh Leopards, Warrington Wolves, Catalans Dragons, Wakefield Trinity and Hull FC.

There are then three Grade B clubs that make up the automatic 12 spots in Bradford, Castleford and Huddersfield.

Other Grade B clubs include Featherstone Rovers, Barrow Raiders, Widnes Vikings and Sheffield Eagles.

Complete gradings

Grade A: Hull KR (17.85), Leeds Rhinos (17.28), St Helens (16.74), Wigan Warriors (16.37), Leigh Leopards (16.33), Warrington Wolves (16.26), Catalans Dragons (16.11), Wakefield Trinity (15.47), Hull FC (15.06).

Grade B: Bradford Bulls (14.81), Castleford Tigers (14.66), Huddersfield Giants (14.65), Toulouse Olympique XIII (13.25), York RLFC (13.04), Salford Red Devils (12.65*), London Broncos (11.65), Featherstone Rovers (9.75*), Barrow Raiders (9.62),Widnes Vikings (9.39), Sheffield Eagles (8.47), Batley Bulldogs (8.16), Halifax Panthers (8.15*), Doncaster RLFC (7.85), Oldham (7.51).

Grade C: Hunslet RLFC (6.87), Dewsbury Rams (6.74), Workington Town (6.57), Swinton Lions (6.54), Whitehaven RLFC (6.23), Rochdale Hornets (5.52), Goole Vikings (5.46), Midlands Hurricanes (4.89), North Wales Crusaders (4.88).

No score: Keighley Cougars, Newcastle Thunder.

How have Bradford made it into the top flight?

Sky Sports’ Megan Wellens…

So, Bradford Bulls are back in Super League. A name well known but not one many expected to return so soon.

Why you may ask? Well, let’s break it down.

On last year’s gradings, Toulouse Olympique XIII were next in line on 13.58 but Bradford’s dramatic jump from a 16th-placed score of 12.15 to a 10th-placed score has seen them pip the others.

This has left many wondering how they did it.

Fundamentally, they have increased their scores due to on-field performance, the fact they stream their matches, added new screens at the ground, LED signs, a directors’ box, and they have bolstered their finances.

However, there is the perception element. Nigel Wood sold his shares in the Bulls to return to the top echelons of the Rugby Football League (RFL) just recently.

Bradford fans credit Wood with financially stabilising their club and on the gradings they have done all the work required.

But, with Sport England withholding funds until it ensured Wood’s return to the RFL followed all the proper steps required in a change of governance, the picture is a complex one.

Ultimately, the Bulls have made sure to just tick the boxes.

The question will rage on about how the system was used but it is the system in place and, from it, Bradford have made sure to make themselves a Super League club once again.

What are the grading criteria for the top 12?

The grading system has 20 points on offer for clubs. To be a Grade A club, you need to achieve at least 15 points. To be a Grade B club, you need 7.5 points.

The five pillars are:

1: Fandom (25 per cent of grade, five points available)

This sees clubs get 2.5 points based on attendance, one point for viewership and 1.5 points for digital (0.2 social following, 0.8 website visits, 0.5 total engagements).

2: Performance (25 per cent of grade, five points available)

On-field performance is another key criteria for clubs, with these points on offer to clubs in the top three leagues of the men’s competition.

These top 36 teams will be ranked 1-36 based on where they finished both in the league and play-offs over the last three seasons that they have played.

3: Finance (22.5 per cent of grade, 4.5 points available)

Finance is broken down into the three areas of: Revenue Diversification (3 points), Profitability (0.5 points), and Sustainability (1 point).

4: Stadium (15 per cent of grade, three points available)

There is 1.5 on offer for the facilities score. This means that your ground has a minimum capacity of 5,000, has a minimum of 2,000 seats, has sufficient facilities for sponsors, corporate partners, directors, broadcasters, media and photographers. If a club’s stadium does not meet these standards, they will score 0.5.

Then, a club can get a point for “utilisation” of their stadium. This is just their attendance as a percentage of their capacity. For example, a 50 per cent attendance gives a score of 0.5.

Additional points are on offer for owning your stadium (0.25), having LED advertising boards (0.125) and having a big screen (0.125).

5: Community (12.5 per cent of grade, 2.5 points available)

The 2.5 points on offer in this category are split into 1.5 points for how well the club represents its local community (population of local area divided by the number of clubs in the area) and a point for how well the club interacts with the local community (annual turnover of the club’s charitable foundation).

The top 12 clubs via this system will automatically be in Super League.