In recent weeks IMG have been consulting the clubs about their grading proposals that were first revealed earlier this year.
In doing that, they have met with a wide range of responses, from broad support (mainly from Super League clubs) to outright hostility (mainly from clubs lower down the pyramid).
IMG have taken the criticisms on board and this Wednesday will reveal some tweaks to their grading proposals.
They are being tight-lipped about what the changes will be, but the wise money seems to be on points being awarded for community engagement, which was not directly included in the original proposals that were revealed on 9th March.
Some clubs do a great deal of work in their community, both with the community clubs that fall within their district and with charitable causes more broadly.
I would support their inclusion within the grading criteria.
But of even more interest will be to see whether IMG pull back on their proposal to make gradings the sole determinant of which league clubs will play in.
Last week we reported on Batley Chairman Kevin Nicholas’ letter to the RFL Chairman Simon Johnson, in which he slammed the idea that in future grade B clubs would earn a position in either Super League or the Championship based purely on their grading, rather than their performance on the field, such as winning the Championship Grand Final.
That is obviously correct and I would be astonished if IMG didn’t modify their proposal to reward clubs with promotion for their exploits on the field.
And we should remember that the final decision rests with the RFL and the clubs.
IMG are the RFL’s partner organisation, but they don’t run the game.
That is still, and will continue to be, the RFL’s responsibility.
The importance of Thursday nights
The Thursday-night Sky game is an important game each week for quite obvious reasons.
Unlike on Friday night, there is often very little alternative sport being broadcast on Sky, other than perhaps darts or even snooker.
People who are interested in football in its various forms are severely restricted in what sport they can watch.
So the Thursday-night game is one that has a fair chance of drawing new viewers to Rugby League if the broadcast demonstrates a vibrant sport with a great atmosphere and plenty of compelling action.
Last Thursday night, despite the one-sided final scoreline, the game between Leigh and Wigan delivered what was needed.
Leigh owner Derek Beaumont did a great job in drawing a crowd that looked big enough to make the place look full, with fine pre-match entertainment and a match that was highlighted by some great skill that manifested itself in some great tries.
Unfortunately for Leigh, seven of them were scored by Wigan while only one was scored by Leigh.
But it was a great Thursday-night event.
Part of the reason for that was that it was a derby game, with thousands of Wigan fans able to make the short journey down the road to the Leigh Sports Village.
So why can’t all Thursday night games be derby matches, played at venues that are likely to look close to being full of fans?
Last Thursday’s game was the seventh time Sky have screened a match on Thursday night.
Of the six matches that preceded it, only the Round 3 game between Warrington and Salford, and the Round 5 game between Castleford and Leeds, could be described as derby games.
The opening game of the season was between Warrington and Leeds, which attracted 11,082 spectators to the Halliwell Jones Stadium, but apart from that we had Salford against Hull KR in Round 2, Wigan v Catalans in Round 4 and Huddersfield v St Helens in Round 6, all of which were played in stadiums that were less than half full.
I’ve often said that the fixture list is a crucial element of marketing. It would be very easy to ensure that the Thursday-night game each week was a derby game, especially when you bear in mind that there are now five Super League clubs in close proximity to the west of the Pennines, while there are four clubs in West Yorkshire.
I must admit that I would be reluctant to allocate a home Thursday night match to Huddersfield until they can improve their crowds.
But it surely wouldn’t be too hard to create a programme of Thursday-night matches that would have a special status that engender a considerable audience, with some general sports fans tuning in to share the excitement.
The revival of Oldham
One of the best Rugby League stories in the last fortnight has been the acquisition of the Oldham club by a group of people who combine genuine Rugby League enthusiasm with business credentials.
Next season the club will move its home games to Boundary Park, the home of Oldham Athletic FC, which is a fine facility, as I discovered just over a week ago on a trip to the media conference announcing a change of ownership.
The town of Oldham is not one of the most prosperous in the country.
I was particularly sad to see last week that the famous Oldham Coliseum Theatre closed its doors for the last time on Friday night, after having its Arts Council grant withdrawn.
I don’t know why that should have happened, particularly when you consider how many prominent actors began their careers at that theatre, including many who would become famous on shows such as Coronation Street.
In my view, any town worth living in needs thriving sports club, thriving cultural organisations and thriving pubs and restaurants.
To see them disappearing is distressing, which is why I’m so glad that the process seems to have been reversed for Oldham RLFC.
The town has produced so many great Rugby League players and let’s just hope it can continue to do so.
This article features in Martyn Sadler’s ‘Talking Rugby League’ column in this week’s League Express. To take out a subscription, go to https://www.totalrl.com/league-express/
