The Boundary Line: Super League reaction

The Boundary Line is back, with chairman Bill Quinn and managing director Mike Ford joining host George Riley to give exclusive insight and reaction into the club's recent Super League bid and IMG grading.

The Roughyeds hierarchy also update fans on recruitment - with Ford promising imminent new arrivals - pre-season dates, squad news, commercial opportunities as well as a detailed run down from Bill on several aspects of the 2026 season ticket strategy.

Oldham learned this month that they had reached the very final round in voting for the 14 clubs to form an expanded Betfred Super League for 2026. York and Toulouse were selected by the panel, with Bradford promoted courtesy of their improved IMG score.

Ford reveals how the message was delivered by Rugby Football League Chief Executive Tony Sutton on the day prior to the public announcement.

"I actually thought when he rang me on Thursday afternoon - the way the conversation went in the first 10-20 seconds - I thought we'd got it!" Ford tells George on the latest edition of The Boundary Line, free to view for subscribers of our YouTube channel Roughyeds TV.

He was so positive and wanted to congratulate us on a super Super League bid. They commented on Bill's commitment and how fantastic that was for the club. They had five rounds of voting and clubs got chopped along the way. We were in the last round so my understanding is that we were there with Toulouse and York. That just shows not just the ambition of the club but the smartness of the club. Bill and (directors) Jim Minton and Liam Norbury on the financial side alongside what we are doing on the rugby side of things - to be in that position and be able to get to the last round after just two and a half years is phenomenal."

Quinn believes that the right three clubs have been elevated into the top tier, and vows that Oldham will continue their upward trajectory to tread the same path.

"I do think that the three teams that have gone up are the right teams to have gone up," said Quinn.

"That was pleasing and I wish them all the best. None of us were ready, I don't believe they're ready, we weren't ready but we would have jumped at it and I am sure they will as well. There was also comfort in the knowledge that we will now progress this season, we will go forward and it will give us another year to put plans in place and we will be in a better standing for what we need to do for going up."

Ford also confirms that Roughyeds will be making new signings in the coming days and weeks, aiming to assemble a slightly smaller squad for 2026.

"We have players that we will be announcing soon and then before they start back on the 10th November we will look to have 25 or 26 players in our squad.
Loans will be a bit easier to get next year so along the way we will put together a good competitive squad to do what we did last year and get into the playoffs.
We started with 30 players this year and are going with 25 or 26 this year on the understanding that we can get some loans in easily. We will put a squad together to try and win it but along the way we will keep on recruiting towards the playoffs. There are some great teams in the Championship and it is going to come down to the Grand Final and always does. We have to put ourselves in the same position to get there."

Watch the brand new episode of The Boundary Line here