The IMG Gradings Thread - Post all your IMG Gradings related questions or comments here

[Gates1]

17 minutes ago, dboy said:

The player sales aren't income on a balance sheet.

The "share scheme" is a one-off, so yes, agreed, gets them through the short term.

But only the short term. Which doesn't count.

Salford going bust is Castleford's best hope of staying in SL.

Can't see anything in the handbook about it not counting, it's non centralised income and turnover no stipulation about where it comes from that I've seen.  EDIT - most of the figures are a three average though which does make Salfords a bit puzzling (to get to the higher thresholds based on selling players and the shares scheme).

Cas should do a similar share scheme and play from Donny next year with the money raised,  be on cusp of an a grade A (obviously the second isn't viable, although if by some miracle the ground got the go ahead they potentially would in the short term).

Edited October 25, 2023 by Gates1

[HawkMan]

15 minutes ago, Monkeymagic22 said:

 alienating large number of existing fans. It’s a shambles and needs stopping.

Interesting comments on BBC Sport  website RL HYS thread. Fans asking for action similar to soccer fans stopping ESL, protesting,  some actual direct action, demos outside grounds, sit- ins etc. Peaceful obviously, but if the footy powers bowed to pressure no reason the jellyfish at RFL shouldn't too.

[Gav Wilson]

Just now, GUBRATS said:

And you think the clubs didn't already know what makes them better/bigger ? , that more people through the gates = more money , better sponsorship = more money , more merchandise sales = more money  

And yet...

[Chrispmartha]

Just now, GUBRATS said:

And you think the clubs didn't already know what makes them better/bigger ? , that more people through the gates = more money , better sponsorship = more money , more merchandise sales = more money  

Yet they’ve not all been doing it have they. 

[Chrispmartha]

2 minutes ago, HawkMan said:

Interesting comments on BBC Sport  website RL HYS thread. Fans asking for action similar to soccer fans stopping ESL, protesting,  some actual direct action, demos outside grounds, sit- ins etc. Peaceful obviously, but if the footy powers bowed to pressure no reason the jellyfish at RFL shouldn't too.

Not sure a few fans sat outside post office road with a few banners will have much impact to be honest.

[paul hicks]

4 hours ago, binosh said:

So if Salford finish bottom next year, and Bradford finish top of the championship then nobody moves leagues?

no  the grading table which is all that matters stays as it is now Toulouse and Wakefield would be promoted and Castleford and London would be relegated regardless of position of any of the teams in the leagues.

of course, clubs will be trying to get more grading points to improve their own position but if say castleford finish 10th but do not improve their grade they would go down. really, it's the top 12 teams in the IMG grading that will be in super league in 2025 regardless of their league or position in that league

[dboy]

29 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

And you think the clubs didn't already know what makes them better/bigger ? , that more people through the gates = more money , better sponsorship = more money , more merchandise sales = more money  

But it's taken this IMG exercise to make clubs wake and do something!

They were happy in their own small pond, but now...

Edited October 25, 2023 by dboy

[Toby Chopra]

1 minute ago, HawkMan said:

Interesting comments on BBC Sport  website RL HYS thread. Fans asking for action similar to soccer fans stopping ESL, protesting,  some actual direct action, demos outside grounds, sit- ins etc. Peaceful obviously, but if the footy powers bowed to pressure no reason the jellyfish at RFL shouldn't too.

The vast majority of the clubs voted for it, in every tier. A small number of aggrieved fans of a small number of clubs are shouting loudly, despite the fact that all this has been known for months. It'll barely make a ripple.

[Tommygilf]

2 minutes ago, dboy said:

But it's taken this IMG exercise to make clubs' wake and do something!

They were happy in their own small pond, but now...

Absolutely. If nothing else this should open some eyes and scare some butts into action.

[paul hicks]

4 hours ago, RigbyLuger said:

Do they get points knocked off for fans chants racist stuff against Bradford?

no more than for Bradford fans chanting racist stuff about a section of the Leeds fans i would presume

[dboy]

6 minutes ago, Gates1 said:

Can't see anything in the handbook about it not counting, it's non centralised income and turnover no stipulation about where it comes from that I've seen.

Happy to be proven wrong.

Cas should do a similar share scheme and play from Donny next year with the money raised,  be on cusp of an a grade A (obviously the second isn't viable, although if by some miracle the ground got the go ahead they potentially would in the short term).

The "share" income is on this year's balance sheet. It doesn't count next year.

Salford rely almost entirely on central funding = RFL hand-outs.

They are not sustainable.

An counter-example would be Leeds - they are probably self-sufficient financially.

The fly in the ointment would be a Huddersfield = don't rely on central funds, but do rely on a sugar grand-daddy.

[GUBRATS]

2 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

Yet they’ve not all been doing it have they. 

That's what I've been asking everybody on here , HOW ? 

It's easy to say " do this , do that " , it's the HOW , so the Giants haven't been lying to build their crowds for the last 20 years have they ? , Ken's been saying " oh it's all right , we'll manage on 5 K , I'll chuck the rest in till I die " , seriously 

" they'll all know what they have to do now " , yes they will , they'll fiddle the figures , any way they can 

It's not knowing what to do , it's HOW to do it that's the issue 

[Hello]

14 minutes ago, HawkMan said:

Interesting comments on BBC Sport  website RL HYS thread. Fans asking for action similar to soccer fans stopping ESL, protesting,  some actual direct action, demos outside grounds, sit- ins etc. Peaceful obviously, but if the footy powers bowed to pressure no reason the jellyfish at RFL shouldn't too.

Yep,  nearly every fan voting on posts regarding this on the BBC is against what's been announced today and rightfully so.  Check out the comments section at the bottom of the link.

 

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/67215216

 

Edited October 25, 2023 by Hello

[dboy]

7 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

Not sure a few fans sat outside post office road with a few banners will have much impact to be honest.

Banners or hammers??

 

[Tommygilf]

Just now, dboy said:

The "share" income is on this year's balance sheet. It doesn't count next year.

Salford rely almost entirely on central funding = RFL hand-outs.

They are not sustainable.

An counter-example would be Leeds - they are probably self-sufficient financially.

The fly in the ointment would be a Huddersfield = don't rely on central funds, but do rely on a sugar grand-daddy.

In the criteria, there is some level of reward for clubs that have diverse income sources. I can't remember how much but its in there basically to account for the inherent vulnerability in the single benefactor clubs you describe.

[Tommygilf]

3 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

HOW to do it that's the issue

These are professional organisations, they employ good rugby league coaches and players to win rugby league matches, they should employ good commercial and marketing people to do that too.

[Chrispmartha]

2 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

That's what I've been asking everybody on here , HOW ? 

It's easy to say " do this , do that " , it's the HOW , so the Giants haven't been lying to build their crowds for the last 20 years have they ? , Ken's been saying " oh it's all right , we'll manage on 5 K , I'll chuck the rest in till I die " , seriously 

" they'll all know what they have to do now " , yes they will , they'll fiddle the figures , any way they can 

It's not knowing what to do , it's HOW to do it that's the issue 

If they can’t figure out how to do it they might get overtaken by a club that does. We then might end up with more teams that know how to do it in the top tier of the sport, meaning better run clubs.

[Derwent]

One thing that I can’t see anywhere in IMG’s guide is at what point can a current positive turn into a negative ? Let’s say a club currently gets maximum points for catchment area due to being the only club in that location. Is it fair that they should get those points in perpetuity ? Surely at some point there has to be an assessment of how that advantage has been exploited. If your crowds stagnate and you aren’t exploiting that catchment area then you should be penalised for that, not rewarded just for your location.

[Smudger06]

If the system is so great we will see 2 new clubs joining in short order to replace Newcastle and London S. 

[Chrispmartha]

4 minutes ago, Hello said:

Yep,  nearly every fan voting on posts regarding this on the BBC is against what's been announced today and rightfully so

That’s because those with grievences shout the loudest.

[GUBRATS]

Just now, Chrispmartha said:

If they can’t figure out how to do it they might get overtaken by a club that does. We then might end up with more teams that know how to do it in the top tier of the sport, meaning better run clubs.

So you don't know either , just admit it 

[Tommygilf]

1 minute ago, Derwent said:

One thing that I can’t see anywhere in IMG’s guide is at what point can a current positive turn into a negative ? Let’s say a club currently gets maximum points for catchment area due to being the only club in that location. Is it fair that they should get those points in perpetuity ? Surely at some point there has to be an assessment of how that advantage has been exploited. If your crowds stagnate and you aren’t exploiting that catchment area then you should be penalised for that, not rewarded just for your location.

How would that work? Where would you stop increasing the expectations?

[GUBRATS]

2 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

These are professional organisations, they employ good rugby league coaches and players to win rugby league matches, they should employ good commercial and marketing people to do that too.

Maybe try that IMG company , they're experts in sports marketing apparently 

 

[Fevrover]

Just now, Chrispmartha said:

That’s because those with grievences shout the loudest.

Well if your club hasn't got any grievances you aren't going to shout,it's not rocket science.

[paul hicks]

4 hours ago, Griff said:

Wow.  How far can we go?  Can a club finish bottom of League One and get promoted to Superleague?

What about the Pennine League?

nope the pennine league is a winter league so could not enter without first moving to a summer comp.  nice try though and i recon a couple of those teams could do better than a couple of league teams