The agreement to expand to 14 Super League teams was met with concern and apprehension by both fans and stakeholders of the sport, with flags raised as to the quickness of the decision a key talking point.

Of the 12 current top division teams, the vote was won by a 9-2 majority, with Hull KR and Hull FC opposing the increase, and Wigan Warriors abstaining completely.

Wigan Warriors CEO Kris Radlinski has been very vocal since the meeting at the end of July, saying he believes there was not enough information for his club to made such a significant decision.

Talking to TalkSport this week, the former Warriors full-back once again stood by his decision, and admitted that there has still been no further information given to him regarding the projection of the sport.

He said: “Our club abstained on the basis that we didn’t have the required information. As I sit here in front of you today, we still have not received that information, if I’m being honest with you.

“The process has started, clubs have applied to come into Super League, but my club is strongly concerned about the financial sustainability moving forward, and until we have that information, we’re pretty much in the dark to see what that looks like.”

A major concern of Radlinski’s is the fact that clubs will have mere weeks to build and prepare a full Super League ready squad and have the facilities to be competitive. The biggest factor, he believes, is the financial aspect, and how the newly promoted clubs don’t end up in the same situation that Salford Red Devils currently find themselves.

He said: “This year we’ve got a very live example where one of our great clubs with an incredible history in Salford are struggling to get to the end of the season. So we need to make sure that instances like that aren’t repeated, and that can only be done with rigour and financial analysis and conversations. All we want is to get into that detail and I don’t believe that has been presented at this time.”

Wigan Warriors Chief expresses concern over decision timeframe and “level of detail” regarding Super League expansion

In 2023, the NRL brought in their most recent franchise, as The Dolphins made their debut in Australia’s top competition. The announcement for that was made in October 2021, giving them a full year to build a squad and put plans in place so that they can be stable and self-sufficient.

Similarly, in 2027, Perth Bears will become the 18th NRL team, with that announcement being made in May of this year, again allowing them to prepare. Radlinski’s biggest problem is the lack of time given to making such a huge change, as he continues to press for answers on how the powers that be believe the new structure will work.

He said: “There are a couple of clubs who want a bit more information, but it was the vote, the vote was passed and I think the new clubs coming in will be announced after the grand final. I think it’s around about October 16, and in this interim period, we’ll keep pushing for answers. I don’t believe we’re being difficult and I don’t believe we are being disruptive. What we are trying to do is secure the future of the sport and not rush into decisions, which I believe we are doing at this time.

“The NRL have announced new teams going in, but that was done on the back of two years worth of due diligence, lobbying local government, regional government, putting business plans in, player pathways, sponsorship etc. and I don’t think we’ve gone to that level of detail at this moment in time.”