IMG Grading Unveiled

[Archie Gordon]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Exactly Paul, lots of people have been hoodwinked.

Indeed.

We were told IMG were experts in all things digital - and, boy, do we need help there - and yet we've seen zero progress on that front whilst all activity has been focused on stuff they are demonstrably not expert at in any way.

[sweaty craiq]

18 hours ago, gingerjon said:

Covered by the Foundation criteria

Think you missed the point

[Chrispmartha]

19 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Exactly Paul, lots of people have been hoodwinked.

You sound like a conspiracy theorist with that to be honest.

[JohnM]

On 09/03/2023 at 13:46, gingerjon said:

But I wanted to be outraged.

Be patient...it's coming your way, as you can see.

[JohnM]

7 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

You sound like a conspiracy theorist with that to be honest.

Only sounds?

[Chrispmartha]

2 minutes ago, JohnM said:

Only sounds?

I was being polite.

[GUBRATS]

11 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

You sound like a conspiracy theorist with that to be honest.

That's what happens when you don't have clarity

[gingerjon]

46 minutes ago, JohnM said:

Be patient...it's coming your way, as you can see.

True!

I am now very angry that the comprehensive scoring includes things that some teams will score higher on than other teams.

[JohnM]

1.       People with their noses to the grindstone can only see the grains of sand that make it up. To see the full picture, its necessary to stand back from the day-to-day detail.

2.       If Matt Dwyer, a highly qualified, professional (what? In rugby league?) and successful guy, proves not to have a background in rugby league, he is fortunate to be free of the millstone of history around his neck.

3.       IMG don’t dictate, they propose.

4.       From the proposal: “extensive consultation with key stakeholders across Rugby League, including clubs, broadcasters, sponsors, media, players, representatives from the community game and international partners, as well as a survey of supporters attracting almost 20,000 responses. This is the most comprehensive piece of consultation ever undertaken on the sport.”

5.       Similarly, “IMG’s recommendations have the overriding aim of driving the LONG-TERM value and impact of the sport.”

6.       Similarly, “It is very much a direction of travel in these top-line recommendations, with significant layers of detail still to be worked through.”

7.       IMG does have digital media expertise: “In terms of  digital, content production and innovation, domestic and international distribution of media rights, digital transformation powered by IMG’s digital sports arm Seven League.Seven League | IMG Media”

8.       Again, “Brand strategy delivered by Endeavor’s cultural marketing agency 160over90, streaming through Endeavor’s OTT platform Endeavor Streaming and data collection, betting product development and streaming rights via its sports data and betting technology business IMG Arena”

9.       “Super League, RFL Championship and League One clubs will be assessed starting from 2025”

10.   Only 10%? From some posters, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was 90%.  “Catchment (10%): based on area population and the number of clubs in the area, with a view to maximising growth of the sport in the largest markets to generate new fan bases and incentivise investment. 

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

On 16/07/2023 at 08:53, GUBRATS said:

For me it is distasteful that clubs that were formed 140 years ago by pioneers who then a few years later took the massive risk of leaving the RFU to form our sport should potentially be punished due to their location , quite possibly by a system designed by people who have never even watched a game of RL 

Why should Wigan have their score reduced because of Leigh ? , It is obvious that Wigan draw more support from the total Wigan borough than Leigh , it should have no consequence 

I disagree with any grading system , but location should not and never be a part of any grading system whatsoever IMO 

The idea that a group of clubs should somehow be forever revered and genuflected to, like the Founding Fathers of the American Republic, because of something that some Victorian businessmen did 140 years ago, is a hilarious manifestation of the culture that has held rugby league back for so many years.

We stand and fight, live or die, based on the market conditions we are experiencing now, in 2023. The sport's growth strategy has to be orientated towards that reality. I'll happily look at sepia-tinted photos of Wigan and Leigh directors in the hallway on the way to dinner in an executive box one day, but I'm not basing any strategic plan on gratitude for some past deed. 

[Harry Stottle]

19 hours ago, Chrispmartha said:

You sound like a conspiracy theorist with that to be honest.

Just what I glean Chris by listening and reading comments, just my thoughts.

[Harry Stottle]

19 hours ago, JohnM said:

Only sounds?

Says he who advertises Nancyball on a RL Platform!

[Harry Stottle]

19 hours ago, Chrispmartha said:

I was being polite.

It doesn't suit you.

[Harry Stottle]

18 hours ago, JohnM said:

1.       People with their noses to the grindstone can only see the grains of sand that make it up. To see the full picture, its necessary to stand back from the day-to-day detail.

2.       If Matt Dwyer, a highly qualified, professional (what? In rugby league?) and successful guy, proves not to have a background in rugby league, he is fortunate to be free of the millstone of history around his neck.

3.       IMG don’t dictate, they propose.

4.       From the proposal: “extensive consultation with key stakeholders across Rugby League, including clubs, broadcasters, sponsors, media, players, representatives from the community game and international partners, as well as a survey of supporters attracting almost 20,000 responses. This is the most comprehensive piece of consultation ever undertaken on the sport.”

5.       Similarly, “IMG’s recommendations have the overriding aim of driving the LONG-TERM value and impact of the sport.”

6.       Similarly, “It is very much a direction of travel in these top-line recommendations, with significant layers of detail still to be worked through.”

7.       IMG does have digital media expertise: “In terms of  digital, content production and innovation, domestic and international distribution of media rights, digital transformation powered by IMG’s digital sports arm Seven League.Seven League | IMG Media”

8.       Again, “Brand strategy delivered by Endeavor’s cultural marketing agency 160over90, streaming through Endeavor’s OTT platform Endeavor Streaming and data collection, betting product development and streaming rights via its sports data and betting technology business IMG Arena”

9.       “Super League, RFL Championship and League One clubs will be assessed starting from 2025”

10.   Only 10%? From some posters, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was 90%.  “Catchment (10%): based on area population and the number of clubs in the area, with a view to maximising growth of the sport in the largest markets to generate new fan bases and incentivise investment. 

There are banners on the side of Buses that advertise Washing Powder ............ but they don't sell it!

[Chrispmartha]

19 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Just what I glean Chris by listening and reading comments, just my thoughts.

It's the 'people are being hoodwinked' part that's conspiracy territory.

If as you think, nothing is going to change or happen, who's been hoodwinked, by whom and for what gain?

[Harry Stottle]

17 hours ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

The sport's growth strategy

Please explain that to me?

All I have seen up to now is a list of strategic criteria which score points based around what a handful of clubs can perceiveably acheive, is that going to entice the man on the street to go to games, subscribe to TV channels and Streaming services, buy club merchandise, and follow on social media?

All the above can best be acheived with having a winning team on the playing field, and not all can do that.

[RP London]

25 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Please explain that to me?

All I have seen up to now is a list of strategic criteria which score points based around what a handful of clubs can perceiveably acheive, is that going to entice the man on the street to go to games, subscribe to TV channels and Streaming services, buy club merchandise, and follow on social media?

All the above can best be acheived with having a winning team on the playing field, and not all can do that.

To be fair Harry thats not true. 

There has been quite a lot of other announcements previously about other things IMG are looking at including media operations and TV production. It is not just this criteria that they are or have been working on. 

This is about many things that should have been being worked on with gradual and incremental improvements over the last 20 years but that have been left so that we are decades behind the 8 ball. They need improving and its about every single little bit of that coming together over the next 12 years to get us to a point that rather than selling merch or enticing the man on the street of the "small norther town" (to paraphrase the likes of BP) to part with their cash all the time that we are looking further afield to people in towns without RL history knowing the sport and wanting to watch it, support a club etc and much bigger companies than at present wanting to be associated with the game becuase of that. 

I am sure you have seen and commented on these other announcements, there will be more too down the line as the full plan starts to be brought together. But they need to get this grading over the line so that clubs can start to do their part in improvements etc while IMG then continue on with their "selling the game" side of things.

you dont like the grading idea, fair enough, but to think it is all they are doing is just patently wrong. 

[steve oates]

On 16/07/2023 at 08:53, GUBRATS said:

For me it is distasteful that clubs that were formed 140 years ago by pioneers who then a few years later took the massive risk of leaving the RFU to form our sport should potentially be punished due to their location , quite possibly by a system designed by people who have never even watched a game of RL 

Why should Wigan have their score reduced because of Leigh ? , It is obvious that Wigan draw more support from the total Wigan borough than Leigh , it should have no consequence 

I disagree with any grading system , but location should not and never be a part of any grading system whatsoever IMO 

I haven't bothered with this utter nonsense from just after the start, when you and Harry were providing the realistic view that IMG will do nothing for the game, and when the game itself was not prepared to pay IMG anything without results.

The view you take is probably the view many thousands of fans in the pubs, clubs, terraces and seats take. But this forum is more of a "dreams of what could be" place to discuss the great game. T'was on this forum that the North Atlantic League was heavily promoted as the future. Leigh needing to make way for New York

I lost my rose tinted specs reading the history of Rugby League and the reality of how it works only in certain communities. I read the history of "expansion" in Trevor Delaneys books, in which dozens of clubs have come and gone trying to expand the boundaries of our sport.

If the latest nonsense is to "downgrade" Wigan who are probably the games biggest club, then that says it all.  The reality is clubs like Wigan and Leigh, Leeds and Bradford, Hull and HKR, Saints and Wire, Cas and Wakey, Toulose and Catalans add so much more with their hard fought rivalries.  IMG had nothing to offer from the start......

[Archie Gordon]

1 hour ago, RP London said:

...

you dont like the grading idea, fair enough, but to think it is all they are doing is just patently wrong. 

What else are they doing?

[RP London]

10 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

What else are they doing?

its all out there, frankly much of it is on this thread or one of the other IMG ones as we have discussed them before on here, I have outlined some of it in the post you quoted.. I'm not going to do your work for you explaining it all.. they have released press releases which, by the power of the internet, you can find yourself. 

Edited July 18, 2023 by RP London

[Harry Stottle]

3 minutes ago, RP London said:

its all out there, frankly much of it is on this thread or one of the other IMG ones as we have discussed them before on here, I have outlined some of it in the post you quoted.. I'm not going to do your work for you explaining it all.. they have released press releases which, by the power of the internet, you can find yourself. 

Yes populated by anoraks like us, that is why we know about it, from my little straw pole at games the evidence is not a lot of other active RL fans have even heard of IMG.

[GUBRATS]

1 hour ago, steve oates said:

I haven't bothered with this utter nonsense from just after the start, when you and Harry were providing the realistic view that IMG will do nothing for the game, and when the game itself was not prepared to pay IMG anything without results.

The view you take is probably the view many thousands of fans in the pubs, clubs, terraces and seats take. But this forum is more of a "dreams of what could be" place to discuss the great game. T'was on this forum that the North Atlantic League was heavily promoted as the future. Leigh needing to make way for New York

I lost my rose tinted specs reading the history of Rugby League and the reality of how it works only in certain communities. I read the history of "expansion" in Trevor Delaneys books, in which dozens of clubs have come and gone trying to expand the boundaries of our sport.

If the latest nonsense is to "downgrade" Wigan who are probably the games biggest club, then that says it all.  The reality is clubs like Wigan and Leigh, Leeds and Bradford, Hull and HKR, Saints and Wire, Cas and Wakey, Toulose and Catalans add so much more with their hard fought rivalries.  IMG had nothing to offer from the start......

My obvious point , and the most expected would have been for me to challenge Leigh having to share ' catchment ' with Wigan , using various parts of the borough to fight my case , but you don't need to be an expert on RL to know that Wigan are the bigger club , get around double the attendances that Leigh get , hopefully we will start to challenge , that is partly what the rebrand was about , and with the way it has been done shouldn't actually detract from Wigans current support , but indeed enhance it 

Any grading based on location is , was , and always will be wrong , and won't ' help ' the sport one iota 

I said I was done on this and I am 

[gingerjon]

9 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Yes populated by anoraks like us, that is why we know about it, from my little straw pole at games the evidence is not a lot of other active RL fans have even heard of IMG.

Yes, you keep making this point as if it is remotely important.

[Archie Gordon]

31 minutes ago, RP London said:

its all out there, frankly much of it is on this thread or one of the other IMG ones as we have discussed them before on here, I have outlined some of it in the post you quoted.. I'm not going to do your work for you explaining it all.. they have released press releases which, by the power of the internet, you can find yourself. 

Just as I suspected.

EDIT: To clarify, it's a genuine question about what is happening now. What else are they doing - right now? I know they have plans for stuff.

Edited July 18, 2023 by Archie Gordon

[RP London]

31 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Yes populated by anoraks like us, that is why we know about it, from my little straw pole at games the evidence is not a lot of other active RL fans have even heard of IMG.

but thats irrelevant.. it doesnt matter whether people know about it or not. What will matter is the end result when the quality of the comp and presentation is better. How we get there and who knows the ins and outs is not relevant at all.. I dont care how the RFU work with the 6 nations but by god they get it right!