IMG, it might be working?

[DEANO]

23 hours ago, Kirmonds pouch said:

Just my opinion but I think it is starting to have an effect.

I think the grading process forced the clubs to have a good look at themselves and all seem to have responded to varying degrees.

This is the first season in an age where I think the game has edged slightly forward after years of decline.

My own club Trinity has gone from being an off field embarrassment to something of an example of how to really up your game.

Bothe Leigh and HKR have refused to fade away after a good season or two.

Wigan are strong and when they are so is the game as a rule.

Trinity, Cas and now Hull have picked up some serious investors. Leeds seems to have stabilised, such a massive investment in Headingly was bound to affect them for a bit. Yes I know they only contributed a percentage but all things are relative.

It’s yet to be seen if there is an on field improvement but in most other aspects things seem to have improved. Better pricing, better marketing, better matchday experience seems to be the norm.

Would any of this happened without IMG and grading? Not IMO it wouldn’t. Early days, still some hurdles ahead, but I do think the game is starting to change for the better.

You mean they’ve started to do what they had to do 20 odd years ago

[Exiled Wiganer]

3 hours ago, JohnM said:

Exiled Wigner wrote, "they had promised to “reimagine” RL that hadn’t happened."

Radlinski  said, it seems, "I think something which was perhaps mistaken right at the start of the IMG relationship was using the word ‘reimagination’.

Exiled Wiganer wrote "promised"

Radlinski said, "I think"

Exiled Wiganer wrote " they had expected IMG to do more than counting stuff"

Radlinski said, "the reality is they’ve encouraged clubs to improve standards and there’s been many examples of investment and infrastructure and digital transformation"

Such misrepresentation of a largely positive view of the project doesn't just weaken Exiled Wiganer's argument, it totally invalidates it. 

Re-read all of what he actually said. I am entirely comfortable with my précis, which is why I posted the quote. Had I intended to misrepresent it, that is the last thing I would have done.  

Read all of the words, not just the ones that back up your “Everything good is because of IMG!” obsession.  Radlinski was, as he always does, doing his best to portray the sport in the best possible light. Nevertheless, he had to highlight that there has been a lot of criticism of the only thing IMG has done, and no wonder given that Salford have no actual money and they missed it. 

He highlights that IMG were supposed to reimagine the game, and nothing has happened. This is Radlinski doing his best to sell our game, as is his job and which he does well.

The investment that came about just because of IMG is what exactly? There isn’t any that wouldn’t have happened regardless of who was running the process. He then specifically highlighted counting media hits. 

Trinity don’t even meet the Framing the Future standards, and get promoted. I am not surprised they are happy with it. 

I appreciate that nothing will shift you from your pro IMG stance, and your visceral dislike of even the slightest criticism. 

To go back to the original question - if it is “Now that Trinity are promoted having not done any of the things we promised to do 20 years ago, shouldn’t Trinity fans be delighted with IMG?” then the answer is undoubtedly yes. 

Edited December 22, 2024 by Exiled Wiganer

[JohnM]

1 hour ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

Re-read all of what he actually said. I am entirely comfortable with my précis, which is why I posted the quote. Had I intended to misrepresent it, that is the last thing I would have done.  

Read all of the words, not just the ones that back up your “Everything good is because of IMG!” obsession.  Radlinski was, as he always does, doing his best to portray the sport in the best possible light. Nevertheless, he had to highlight that there has been a lot of criticism of the only thing IMG has done, and no wonder given that Salford have no actual money and they missed it. 

He highlights that IMG were supposed to reimagine the game, and nothing has happened. This is Radlinski doing his best to sell our game, as is his job and which he does well.

The investment that came about just because of IMG is what exactly? There isn’t any that wouldn’t have happened regardless of who was running the process. He then specifically highlighted counting media hits. 

Trinity don’t even meet the Framing the Future standards, and get promoted. I am not surprised they are happy with it. 

I appreciate that nothing will shift you from your pro IMG stance, and your visceral dislike of even the slightest criticism. 

To go back to the original question - if it is “Now that Trinity are promoted having not done any of the things we promised to do 20 years ago, shouldn’t Trinity fans be delighted with IMG?” then the answer is undoubtedly yes. 

your “Everything good is because of IMG!” obsession.

Your misunderstanding of my opinion is clearly incorrect. It's not an obsession to point out that much of the criticism of the project is baseless. To say that nothing has happened is of course nonsense and it would help if the devout critics of the project were to be more objective. It might help, too,  if people were to remember that this is a twelve year project and the upcoming season is the first in which there can be any meaningful measure of success. 

Our sport is quite righly criticised for taking a short term view, with no objective and supporting strategt. Thus opponents are entitled to be criticised when they themselvesdo the same. 

[Poptart]

I'm with you on that JohnM

Our biggest problem in Rugby League is thinking of something to improve the game then ending it or changing it because we didn't see immediate results.

We need to let IMG run longer. Tweak things if needed but the strategy needs to remain.

[gittinsfan]

3 hours ago, JohnM said:

your “Everything good is because of IMG!” obsession.

Your misunderstanding of my opinion is clearly incorrect. It's not an obsession to point out that much of the criticism of the project is baseless. To say that nothing has happened is of course nonsense and it would help if the devout critics of the protwelveject were to be more objective. It might help, too,  if people were to remember that this is a twelve year project and the upcoming season is the first in which there can be any meaningful measure of success. 

Our sport is quite righly criticised for taking a short term view, with no objective and supporting strategt. Thus opponents are entitled to be criticised when they themselvesdo the same. 

If the SKY money stays the same(or is reduced) do we still say don't worry this a twelve year project.

[Poptart]

That's exactly the point.

They are trying to make clubs self sustaining rather than being at the mercy of Sky.

Which will then put us in a stronger negotiating position with all the TV companies 

[Wakefield Ram]

8 hours ago, Poptart said:

That's exactly the point.

They are trying to make clubs self sustaining rather than being at the mercy of Sky.

Which will then put us in a stronger negotiating position with all the TV companies 

Clubs will always be at the mercy of SKY as without the TV money we are back to being a part-time sport. But where would football premiership be without all the TV money. 

Our negotiating position will be based on viewing figures. 

[JohnM]

10 hours ago, gittinsfan said:

If the SKY money stays the same(or is reduced) do we still say don't worry this a twelve year project.

Clearly, there is room for factual, rational, evidence-based discussion both on here - and in the places where it matters -  on the project, and it is likely to evolve season by season based on actuality.

However, much of the negativity on here from the harshest critics comes over as back-seat kids repeatedly demanding of their driver ,"are we there yet, dad?" or "We're going the wrong way, dad." when they've only just got the car off the drive.

Edited December 23, 2024 by JohnM

[gingerjon]

If there is a downturn in the Sky money - and I do think, on balance, that that is possible - then we either need to retrench the sport further, which will be massively damaging even to the heartlands teams who think they'll be fine (or think their relative community strength will see them through), or successfully diversify.

We can only diversify if the clubs in the best position to bring in that money are in the strongest position to do so.

[Snowys Backside]

IMG had a really good opportunity to consolidate London and keep a huge benefactor in the game. 
 

They didn’t. 
 

That was a big loss for me. Should have gone to 13 this year then 14 teams next year

[Poptart]

That's not IMG. They are advisors 

That's up to the RFL and the other clubs.

[Damien]

36 minutes ago, Snowys Backside said:

IMG had a really good opportunity to consolidate London and keep a huge benefactor in the game. 
 

They didn’t. 
 

That was a big loss for me. Should have gone to 13 this year then 14 teams next year

In what way and who funds it? London are a shell of a club and in their last 2 SL outings haven't offered anything. Hughes may have propped them up but he wasn't funding a SL level club. To do that probably required another couple of million a year.

Even if SL went to 14 I see nothing from London that makes me think they should be part of it.

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Snowys Backside said:

IMG had a really good opportunity to consolidate London and keep a huge benefactor in the game. 
 

They didn’t. 
 

That was a big loss for me. Should have gone to 13 this year then 14 teams next year

What was this opportunity?

Because if it involved the foundation less zombie club that played in SL last year then there was no opportunity there.

[binosh]

Having spoken to a friend of mine who is a championship club owner last week there is very little chance of SL expanding until the TV deal improves, it’s still not guaranteed to stay at the same level.

[lucky 7]

19 hours ago, Kirmonds pouch said:

I’ll take exception to that. Clearly Salford lied initially. Clearly it was spotted very quickly. Ie they knew they couldn’t get away with it as in the past. This time strong sanctions were imposed.

Say what you like about Michael Carter, he will have been totally dispassionate and thorough. Something that was rarely the case when the RFL took the lead.

What he and the others have recommended looks brutal and it is. Salford are drinking in the last chance saloon and at last I think they realise it.

To me such realism is down to IMG. You don’t have to like all there policies but when it comes to financial proprietary they know there stuff and have no issues imposing it without emotion. People don’t like that last bit because it interferes with their own prejudices and bias. I say good, about time.

Why take exception when the Red Devils clearly lied?

In some other team sports they would be relegated for financial misconduct.

It's happened in football with Rangers and in Italy with a serie A team, and other football clubs as well.

[gingerjon]

3 minutes ago, lucky 7 said:

In some other team sports they would be relegated for financial misconduct.

Did they go into administration or liquidation?

[Worzel]

I've seen far less related threads than this get sucked into the IMG megathread, I give it another hour... that one has so much gravitational pull that Stephen Hawking is currently spinning in his grave restless at the fact he wasted his entire life researching black holes. The IMG thread is the real powerful force in physics. 

[LeeF]

2 hours ago, Snowys Backside said:

IMG had a really good opportunity to consolidate London and keep a huge benefactor in the game. 
 

They didn’t. 
 

That was a big loss for me. Should have gone to 13 this year then 14 teams next year

Don’t blame IMG they aren’t the ones who made that decision. The numbers in SL is a decision made by the clubs. 
 

BTW London under their previous ownership were a poorly run club

Edited December 23, 2024 by LeeF

[JohnM]

There's hope yet, though, based on Penrose.

"when quantum matter is introduced in spacetime geometries, due to the quantum effect, an event horizon forms around naked singularity — completely hiding it from view. Since this effect is observed on the quantum scale, it is referred to as quantum cosmic (self) censorship."

Edited December 23, 2024 by JohnM

[Dullish Mood]

16 hours ago, gittinsfan said:

If the SKY money stays the same(or is reduced) do we still say don't worry this a twelve year project.

Yes.

[Archie Gordon]

5 hours ago, Snowys Backside said:

IMG had a really good opportunity to consolidate London and keep a huge benefactor in the game. 
 

They didn’t. 
 

...

Yes.

Even if losing London, the barely-functioning club, was no big deal, the loss of investment for the London scholarship and academy has been a tragedy. 

[Hopie]

3 hours ago, Worzel said:

I've seen far less related threads than this get sucked into the IMG megathread, I give it another hour... that one has so much gravitational pull that Stephen Hawking is currently spinning in his grave restless at the fact he wasted his entire life researching black holes. The IMG thread is the real powerful force in physics. 

Maybe that thread will be locked and this new thread will become the ultimate power in the galaxy, but the title is far too positive for my liking...

 

[Trojan Horse]

1 hour ago, Archie Gordon said:

Yes.

Even if losing London, the barely-functioning club, was no big deal, the loss of investment for the London scholarship and academy has been a tragedy. 

It has been replaced by a much  stronger and better scholarship and academy though if we are talking purely at the top table. 
 

The loss to investment for the London club itself may be more impactful. 

There’s nothing to stop continual improvement still though for London in these areas. Whether it be through volunteer workers or club funded. The one good thing for London is that local players probably don’t have many options to ply their craft in any short distance. 

[Angelic Cynic]

This thread appears to be a meeting place for IMG supporters to reassure themselves that IMG 'MIGHT' be working.

Losing confidence,all? Just unsure.

Seems IMG sway with the wind;change things after hearing the words of others - like club owners.

Two CEO's from 'elite' clubs have questioned them and now the owner of Castleford,after pointing out the requirement of 'benefactors' requests the IMG talents to address the issues of  branding,marketing and promotion.( But not relegation and promotion:Perish the thought.

Back to you followers of benefactor run clubs and self interested people.Nice to know original thoughts and actions don't trouble the people reimagining the sport.

[Archie Gordon]

5 minutes ago, Trojan Horse said:

It has been replaced by a much  stronger and better scholarship and academy though if we are talking purely at the top table. 
 

...

I don't see the link, I'm afraid.

London no longer having an academy has had no bearing on the quality of other clubs' academies.