Predicted Sky Sports Boots 'N' All, the magazine programme broadcast on Sky Sports, the primary Super League broadcaster, sent a reporter to each of the nineteen applicants to evaluate them.
Code 13 Monthly British rugby league magazine Code 13 also evaluated all the licences, apart from Toulouse, in their April 2008 issue.
Outcome The 19 applicant clubs met with the RFL's board of directors at 0945 BST Tuesday 22 July 2008 to be told the outcome of their bids for licences. The executive chairman of the RFL, Richard Lewis, publicly announced the 14 clubs to be licensed at 1000 BST. The press conference had been described by some as British rugby league's most significant since the switch to a summer Super League was first mooted in 1995. In the lead up to the announcement, Rod Findlay, the RFL's in-house lawyer, stated that he believed the process of preparing the applications would benefit each of the 19 applicants due to the level of scrutiny required for so much of their operation. The club financial situation was praised for an ability to operate without shareholder support. Match attendances had fallen in comparison to past seasons but the club was still one of the better supported of the applicants. Bradford had a record of recent success in competition; this was tempered by what was considered a "slight overseas reliance" in the playing department. ;Catalans Dragons The Catalans' home ground,
Stade Gilbert Brutus in Perpignan, was considered to be a "sound functional stadium" with further development planned for the year ahead. The RFL found the club's financial forecasts to be of a lower standard than preferred and also that the club had been "reliant on shareholder input". Attendances and merchandising at the club were judged to have improved, as expected, over the three years since the Catalans' entry to Super League, from a low starting point. It was noted that the team were achieving positive match results and that more French trained players had been introduced, but that club needed to improve its youth development programme. The RFL felt that the commercial success of the club and an increased player pool proved a vindication of the decision to introduce a French team to the competition. ;Castleford Tigers Castleford's Wheldon Road ground,
The Jungle, was deemed to be "limited and old fashioned" though well maintained. The club had noted the standard of the ground and possessed "relatively advanced" plans to build a new stadium. The financial projections submitted by the club were based on a new ground. The RFL believed the club to be financially well managed and for use of external borrowing and shareholder funds to be "limited". Castleford had produced a "holistic" commercial plan, having a record of achievement in this area, and had enjoyed strong support previously when the club had been relegated from Super League. Relegation, though, had had a detrimental effect on the club's playing staff, despite the club maintaining youth pathways, it had not been able to sign the best of the local rugby league prospects. ;Celtic Crusaders The club's
Brewery Field home ground was considered to be "limited and old fashioned" though well maintained and there was a commitment to improve the facilities immediately. Celtic Crusaders acknowledged the necessity to develop a new facility in the future. The RFL considered the club's financial projections to be subjective as a consequence of the enterprise being a new venture but noted that the club had shown stability financially since formation. The RFL noted positive relationships had been developed between the club and commercial partners and that there were opportunities to be exploited through a relationship with Welsh language television channel
S4C. The RFL noted that independent market research had found support for Super League in South Wales, but acknowledged that only reality would provide full testing. The club has scholarship and academy team development at an early stage but the RFL noted playing infrastructure was "very good in places". ;Featherstone Rovers The
Chris Moyles Stadium in Post Office Road was assessed as being well maintained but in need of further investment to meet Super League minimum standards. The club was judged to have good community initiatives and to have generated some positive and creative media coverage in the previous year. The club was proximate to several current Super League clubs and so faced competition. Featherstone's player development pathway was below the standard needed for Super League and would require investment. The club's finances appeared to be stable. ;Halifax It was felt that the incomplete state of
The Shay stadium "significantly restrained" the club and their application because it made financial and marketing plans quite hypothetical, though the past positive contribution to Super League of the Halifax club was noted. The RFL also noted that Halifax had consistently performed at the higher end of National League 1 in recent campaigns. It was stated that player development investment would need to be increased to reach Super League standard. ;Harlequins RL Harlequins' home ground,
The Stoop, had all-round good facilities and it is hoped stability at this stadium will lead to an increase in attendance as the club attempts to attract the population within their "catchment area" and utilise a "robust" community programme. The club relied on "significant" shareholder support. The club had been "reasonably successful" in Super League and there were local players emerging through player development schemes but the club's junior players are "not regularly attracting national honours". ;Huddersfield Giants Huddersfield's
home ground was deemed to be "excellent", though not quite state-of-the-art owing to its opening in 1994. Huddersfield were judged to be dependent on the support of its shareholders and to need to meet the aims of its commercial planning to negate this. Attendance at matches has risen, this was attributed to improved on-field performance as well as the recruitment of commercial staff. The club's talent development structures for scholarship and academy players was noted an area that needed close monitoring by the club so that they could meet quotas for club-trained players. ;Hull Hull were commended for their "excellent stadium" and attendances. The club were deemed to be well-run and to have good community programmes. Hull showed that they were operating in profit and required little external financial funds. Playing strength was high. ;Hull Kingston Rovers Rovers were said to have strong potential. The club had invested in improving their facilities, with further improvements planned. The club's commercial plans and community work were praised. The assessors considered that further evidence of player performance strategies would have been useful but that this area had improved since the club was promoted to Super League. ;Leeds Rhinos Leeds Rhinos'
Headingley Stadium was noted to be an older stadium but one that had undergone "significant improvements" with additional ones planned. The Leeds club had historic and projected profits in addition to "strong" net assets. The clubs was praised for good performance commercially, in match attendances, playing record and in producing quality Club Trained players. ;Leigh Centurions Leigh's new stadium at
Leigh Sports Village was close to opening and through inspection of the site and a review of plans, the facility was predicted to be "excellent". The assessment team believed the stadium would aid the club in developing its structures and in developing into a strong candidate for Super League. It was judged that Leigh would need to recruit to be able to deliver their "good, reasoned" commercial plan. Leigh was predicted to be reliant on its shareholders. The club had shown evidence of investment in youth production, though this was judged to need improvement to achieve Super League standards. ;Salford City Reds The club's ground,
The Willows, was assessed to be "limited and old fashioned" despite having good corporate and disabled facilities. The assessment noted "relatively advanced" plans for a replacement. Salford had long record of financial stability and their commercial and marketing plans "appear[ed] well developed" with intentions to exploit their planned stadium and access to Salford and Manchester. The club was judged to have been "very diligent in every area" of their player performance strategy although problems with under 16s player development were noted. ;St Helens The club's
Knowsley Road ground was described as "old and tired" and as causing the financial position and commercial activities of the club to be "constrained". It was noted that planning permission had recently been secured for a
new stadium. The club's financial plans were based around this new stadium. St Helens had a strong playing infrastructure and were market leaders in junior production. ;Toulouse Olympique The acceptance of Toulouse would have meant geographic expansion. The club was considered to have a "commendable commitment" to the production of new players but there was a concern regarding limited numbers of Super League standard talent in the area. Toulouse's financial projections were thought to require hard work to achieve. Toulouse's application included a plan to use two "quality facilities" while redeveloping their own ground. ;Wakefield Trinity Wildcats Wakefield's ground,
Belle Vue, was considered to be "limited and old fashioned". The club had plans for a new stadium that they predicted to occupy by 2010. The club was acknowledged to have made an improvement in on-field performance, increased investment in the playing department, made progress with community development, improved attendances and also to have youth development working "reasonably well". ;Warrington Wolves Warrington play in a "quality new stadium", the
Halliwell Jones Stadium, which is "excellent" in all but "one or two aspects". Warrington had plans to improve their ground further. The club's financial projections were considered challenging but it was noted that the club had performed well in that area in the past and had a good commercial plan. Warrington was judged to perform well on the field after investment in its playing infrastructure. It was noted that the next step for Warrington was to begin to contest finals and semi-finals as well as to produce Club Trained international. ;Widnes Vikings The Vikings'
Stobart Stadium Halton ground was considered a good size and well-appointed following investment. The club's application suffered from its recent financial history, insolvency in October 2007, and the new company not being established long despite showing early progress. The
National League club had a "reasonable" playing department, though further investment to achieve competitiveness in Super league and to meet Club Trained rules would be needed. ;Wigan Warriors Wigan's stadium was considered "excellent" with the club attracting good attendances. Strong commercial plans and being a market leader in some areas were positive, though some reliance on the new majority shareholder detracted from this. The club had an excellent playing infrastructure and expressed a commitment to turning more juniors into first team players. ==Response to announcement==