Leeds Tykes managing director David Howes believes his side have a lot of work ahead despite the English Rugby decision that no club will be relegated from the top flight this season.

Only an unlikely home win over Gloucester on Sunday will prevent the Headingley outfit finishing the campaign at the foot of the table.

However, Thursday's announcement that National League champions Rotherham do not meet Premiership entry criteria has given Leeds a stay of execution and they can look forward to a second term in the elite 12-team competition no matter what the outcome of the final league game.

"If you wanted to bounce back you have to maintain the level of spend while accepting that your income is going to drop dramatically," said Howes.

"Effectively you would be subsidising the club for a year because it doesn't matter how well you market yourself, there is no comparison between playing Leicester and Bath to clubs in National League One.

"Even this year a lot of people have stood off, expecting us to be the whipping boys and in an ideal world, you would be given a two-year spell on promotion, first to learn what the game is and then to improve.

"What happened yesterday is unfortunate for Rotherham because any team who wins a championship would like to think they will be promoted, but thecriteria and red tape have been known for a long time."

English Rugby administrators have given Howes his wish, although he knows there must be an improvement next year if Leeds are to survive. Howes though feels the club can improve, given the lessons learned in their first season among the big boys.

"We said it was a quantum leap - and it is," he said. "It is a massive jump in every aspect; crowds, sponsorship and the product on the field.

"In fact, the difference on the playing side is more like a chasm. You cannot get away with lesser calibre players.

"Existing players such as Mike Shelley and Dan Scarbrough have responded to the challenge, while we have injected two South Africans during the season in Braam van Straaten and Japie Mulder.

"But there is a continual need to strengthen your squad. Hopefully six wins so far this season shows we can compete and that will make people more likely to commit to us next year."

Leeds' average gates have increased from 700 to 4,500 this term, with a club record close to 8,000 turning up for the November visit of Leicester.

Those gates prove there is an appetite for union in an area dominated by the 13-man code and Howes is confident the club can continue to build.

"We only had a month to get our act together last summer, but we have sown some of the seeds which will grow again next year," he said.

"Providing we can deliver on the field, I am confident we can attract gates of 6-7,000. We have won a lot of friends with our approach this season. Our community programme is about people coming in from all over the county and people have responded.

"We might have been a rugby league club initially but we have done a major job for union in Yorkshire."