BY MARTYN SADLER
IMG’s consultancy is costing the RFL £450,000 per year.
And the cost of the non-executive directors of the RFL and RL Commercial adds around another £300,000 annually to the costs being borne by the game.
I really don’t know what benefit most of those NEDs bring to the game.
Are we getting a bang for our buck?
And, quite frankly, I’m struggling to understand what IMG do for their £450,000 per year.
We put it to the RFL last week and they responded by mentioning the “digital transformation” and that they were “building the profile of Super League’s star players”.
I can see that there has been a significant improvement in the game’s digital profile and, in so far as IMG have been crucial in doing that, then that is good to see.
But I can see little evidence so far of the profile of Super League’s star players rising significantly, although I hope we do see more of it as time goes on.
It’s no secret that the RFL is strapped for cash.
So an outgoing of £750,000 annually when we’re not sure about the benefit it gets in return looks very expensive to me.
This Wednesday the RFL Council will meet and I get the feeling from speaking to some club owners that many of them feel the same way.
Will the RFL be questioned about the value for money it’s enjoying from IMG and its NEDs?
It should be, but I won’t hold my breath.
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