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

[GUBRATS]

52 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

I was just answering a question. 

And I was just giving an opinion as a result of your answer

[GUBRATS]

23 minutes ago, dead man inc said:

Designed for big city clubs? IMG insists Londons a massive target for growth, RFL have all the demographic of cross london ticket sales about challenge cup & London internationals, yet they use the catchment area of ‘Merton’ in the catchment score calculation. London’s other scores are fair reflection, but way catchment has been used for them is laughable.

Either way it's laughable , what do they use ? , 6 million ? , of which 100K know about RL and fewer than 1 in 10 of them have ever been to a game ? 

Basically the catchment criteria is nonsense 

[DemonUK]

8 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Either way it's laughable , what do they use ? , 6 million ? , of which 100K know about RL and fewer than 1 in 10 of them have ever been to a game ? 

Basically the catchment criteria is nonsense 

Don't tell Wigan but Leigh will have got credit (IMG points) for half the population of Wign Borough and not just the population of Leigh. Hey! A positive from being in Wigan Borough 

[JonM]

9 minutes ago, DemonUK said:

Don't tell Wigan but Leigh will have got credit (IMG points) for half the population of Wign Borough and not just the population of Leigh. Hey! A positive from being in Wigan Borough 

Yes, AIUI, Wigan and Leigh both get a point for catchment area (326K divided by two) puts them over the 130K mark, even though Leigh is much smaller than many of the places that only get 0.5 of a point. Presumably Keighley get 1.5 points as Bradford council's 537K is divided over 2 clubs?

[phiggins]

Barrow have been doing the hard yards on their catchment area: https://www.totalrl.com/championship-club-barrow-raiders-set-to-be-awarded-another-0-5-points-in-img-grading-following-council-mix-up/

[Griff]

12 minutes ago, phiggins said:

Barrow have been doing the hard yards on their catchment area: https://www.totalrl.com/championship-club-barrow-raiders-set-to-be-awarded-another-0-5-points-in-img-grading-following-council-mix-up/

Good example of why council areas are such a blunt instrument.   Barrow is hard up against one corner of their area.  Most of the population aren't genuinely in their catchment.

Population within a certain radius might be a better measure - IF you can get reliable data.

[GUBRATS]

2 minutes ago, Griff said:

Good example of why council areas are such a blunt instrument.   Barrow is hard up against one corner of their area.  Most of the population aren't genuinely in their catchment.

Population within a certain radius might be a better measure - IF you can get reliable data.

All catchment is daft 

[Griff]

3 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

All catchment is daft 

I wouldn't disagree.

[Harry Stottle]

2 hours ago, Chrispmartha said:

Perpignan (not huge but a city) and Toulouse Are probably the 2nd and 3rd biggest cities?

I was waiting for someone to mention Perpignan by any stretch of the imagination it can't be classed as a big city, and Toulouse just as I said will not be ready for SL in 2025 and something you mentioned the other day Chris about Audits, I would love to see the  figures and how Toulouse have gained 10th place but IMG refuse to disclose figures and findings.

But I should imagine under this system it won't matter one bit if a club is not ready for SL, they will not be asked to compete on the field it won't matter.

[Harry Stottle]

2 hours ago, GUBRATS said:

Looks like we're stuffed then , doesn't it 

Yep, 

[Chrispmartha]

2 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

I was waiting for someone to mention Perpignan by any stretch of the imagination it can't be classed as a big city, and Toulouse just as I said will not be ready for SL in 2025 and something you mentioned the other day Chris about Audits, I would love to see the  figures and how Toulouse have gained 10th place but IMG refuse to disclose figures and findings.

But I should imagine under this system it won't matter one bit if a club is not ready for SL, they will not be asked to compete on the field it won't matter.

Why would Toulouse not be ready in 2025?

[Harry Stottle]

18 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

Why would Toulouse not be ready in 2025?

Why will they? I am a disbeliever in this system and until all the figures are disclosed and audited I will be in doubt.

PS Not just Toulouse all clubs.

Edited October 30, 2023 by Harry Stottle

[Chrispmartha]

16 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Why will they? I am a disbeliever in this system and until all the figures are disclosed and audited I will be in doubt.

PS Not just Toulouse all clubs.

Regardless of the gradings, why would Toulouse not be ready? They were in SL last year and almost got promoted this year.

[İzmir Rugby League]

Genuine question, why can't Bradford work out a way to play out of Valley Parade?

Surely this would give them atleast full stadium points and secure a place in Super League. İt seems clear that nothing is going to change with Odsal so there seems to only be one option moving forward, atleast in the next couple years. Frankly, it would likely be a cheap option for the council to play part as well. 

 

[Harry Stottle]

27 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

Regardless of the gradings, why would Toulouse not be ready? They were in SL last year and almost got promoted this year.

Almost got promoted from the Championship, and that is good enough to compete at SL level? Leigh ripped up the waiting till promotion happens last year before amassing a squad and wrote the new blueprint of going up with 10 SL quality player's and then adding to that.

London if they have any sense will pocket the money next year, they know they have a team good enough for the Championship when they are dismissed next year, and Toulouse will go up in '25 in this system and they won't spend next year to prepare for it THEY WON'T NEED TO even if they can afford to, SL will effectively have 11 competing clubs for the next two season's, and Che Sara from then on.

Edited October 30, 2023 by Harry Stottle

[Chrispmartha]

5 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Almost got promoted from the Championship, and that is good enough to compete at SL level? Leigh ripped up the waiting till promotion happens last year before amassing a squad and wrote the new blueprint of going up with 10 SL quality player's and then adding to that.

London if they have any sense will pocket the money next year, they know they have a team good enough for the Championship when they are dismissed next year, and Toulouse will go up in '25 in this system and they won't spend next year to prepare for it THEY WON'T NEED TO even if they can afford to, SL will effectively have 11 competing clubs for the next two season's, and Che Sara from then on.

London did get promoted and they truly aren’t ready for SL are they, not sure that does much for your on field is always best argument.

You don’t know what Toulouse will or wont do, but Id suggest they have more ambition than you give them credit for.

[Veridical]

10 hours ago, Harry Stottle said:

Aye, they want tipping of about RL they may just claw some money back or not.

It’s probably an IMG KPI: “raise the profile and turnover of rugby league sufficiently to attract a HMRC compliance visit”

[Tre Cool]

31 minutes ago, İzmir Rugby League said:

Genuine question, why can't Bradford work out a way to play out of Valley Parade?

Surely this would give them atleast full stadium points and secure a place in Super League. İt seems clear that nothing is going to change with Odsal so there seems to only be one option moving forward, atleast in the next couple years. Frankly, it would likely be a cheap option for the council to play part as well. 

 

It’s not council owned, it would probably cost them about £200k a year to rent IF they wanted them in there. Also Bulls fans don’t want to play there, there’s some animosity between fans and the pitch is too small.

[Griff]

39 minutes ago, İzmir Rugby League said:

Genuine question, why can't Bradford work out a way to play out of Valley Parade?

Surely this would give them atleast full stadium points and secure a place in Super League. İt seems clear that nothing is going to change with Odsal so there seems to only be one option moving forward, atleast in the next couple years. Frankly, it would likely be a cheap option for the council to play part as well. 

 

Maybe City don't want them.

 

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

2 hours ago, JonM said:

Yes, AIUI, Wigan and Leigh both get a point for catchment area (326K divided by two) puts them over the 130K mark, even though Leigh is much smaller than many of the places that only get 0.5 of a point. Presumably Keighley get 1.5 points as Bradford council's 537K is divided over 2 clubs?

It's only divided by the number of Tier 1 and 2 clubs in the LA. Although it makes no difference in this case that Keighley have been relegated it could affect scoring for the 3 WMDC or Kirklees clubs at some point in the future.

[Griff]

14 minutes ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

It's only divided by the number of Tier 1 and 2 clubs in the LA. Although it makes no difference in this case that Keighley have been relegated it could affect scoring for the 3 WMDC or Kirklees clubs at some point in the future.

What if Championship and League 1 amalagamate?

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

24 minutes ago, Griff said:

What if Championship and League 1 amalagamate?

There's a question, but it would eliminate the ridiculous possibility of a team gaining points on being relegated......

[LeeF]

7 hours ago, Taffy Tiger said:

agree , which is why Plan B has been mooted . In all honesty neither of us know if WMDC would grant the use of the £2M . I just use the article you gave as a point of reference . I read it as us having met the requirements for specific use mentioned in the article to improve Stadium . I know that Cas have always said that the £2M would be put towards the money from Axiom when PP was granted . Wakefield have also used the £2M towards the build of their new stand as well.

 

However , I fully accept that the extra facilities in their new stand will count towards community use requirements set out by WMDC . Maybe this is why Cas can use it in conjunction with Axiom cash to improve WR if PP granted , but may not be allowed to use it for Plan B .

 

That said , it would seem a little harsh if Cas weren't allowed to use it , if it ultimately could be shown that Plan B brings stadium to SL standard and would ultimitaley benefit the community as a result .

 

I guess this is all down to interpretation , and you may well be right at the end of the day .

 

I would also agree that there is no way now that Plan A (PP given and WR upgraded) could be put into place before 2025 season . In all honesty 2026 could be a push . However , as mentioned in previous post , if £80k is full cost to bring WR temporarily up to SL standard then WMDC money won't be an issue either way hopefully. 

 

Thanks again for the reply

That is highly unlikely to meet any definition of “benefit to the community”

Also if the cost is only £80k to do the temporary work it does make you wonder why it has taken so long. 

Edited October 30, 2023 by LeeF

[GUBRATS]

39 minutes ago, LeeF said:

That is highly unlikely to meet any definition of “benefit to the community”

Also if the cost is only £80k to do the temporary work it does make you wonder why it has taken so long. 

Because it will be a completely worthless exercise  

They've managed nearly 30 years in SL without these changes , so you have to question are they strictly needed ? , the away clubs officials and the journalists know that W rd is a bit rubbish , it is these people that these changes are about 

Daft really 

Edited October 30, 2023 by GUBRATS

[Damien]