agreed, but he is an easy target



The Sport needs to at first understand where it wants to be and lay out a strategic plan on how to get there. What Nigel looks like isn't important, but he needs to lead from the front (sticking his head above the parapet isn't a strength of his)

If the RFL, The SL and the semi-pro clubs want to be on a more secure financial footing and attracting better/bigger sponsors by say 2021, when the RLWC will again be in the NH, then they need to lay out exactly what they want and how they are going to get it. If they want to (they should) include the amateurs as well, with a view to increasing participation, then they should do so willingly/convincingly and not just pay lip service to the roots.

Put together a team to manage this process including SL and Champ club CEO's/Chairmen, BARLA reps as well as a dedicated administrative unit (secretaries/PA's) as well as an overall project manager.
27 x 90 day periods until 0ctober 2021, so set small goals for each of those periods and schedule meetings for the end of each quarter. Each meeting lasts a whole day with the first session looking back at the past period, what's been achieved, what hasn't and then the afternoon session needs to be about setting goals for the next quarter....all the time remembering the end goal.

Sticking to it, for the duration should be a must.....and this is where RL has fallen down in the past, chopping and changing without giving anything time to bed in. This is for 5+ years and it needs to be seen through.

Personally, I'd use the first 3 periods to set the main goals, as well as put the infrastructure/budgets into place, meaning by January 2016 the programme is ready to start.

I know of at least 6 other professional sports organisations who use this process to set goals and monitor progress......the NZRL is one!

uncalled for.

Arf!

I live in Wiltshire, and my experience of people's knowledge of RL is much more akin to Perry's than Mr. ZH.

God, it was infuriating to walk into my local after the GF and find everyone talking about Ben Flower and 'thugby'. Which they'll have largely have picked up from the tabloids, of course. But yeah, as I've remarked before, even people who would consider themselves sports fans would struggle to clearly explain the difference between the two codes, and correctly name well-known league and union clubs.

His ability to do the job should be/is the primary factor. It just so happens he's useless at it so it ends up leaving him open to slights about his size.

From my recollection his voice betrays his size. Anyone would think he's a 5 stone wet through mr muscle type character. He doesn't even sound like he convinces himself he's doing a good job.

The RFL is ungovernable.
It's a classic situation of the tail wagging the dog.
There are a few SL clubs that are sucking the game dry and the devil take the hindmost as far as they are concerned. If they say jump, the rest of the game in this country says "how high?"
It isn't helping the game at all in this country.
The "new changes" still only benefitted the few and they ensured they got their pound of flesh before anything else.
The whole structure of the game in this country needs changing from under 5's to the international teams. IMO it's a shambles, with no one at the tiller.
It needs a complete change of mindset. RL used to pride itself on its egalitarion attitudes and fairness. Sadly it's become more elitist than the RFU ever was.
The game is still best contact sport on the planet, but we cannot/will not promote that fact. The game on the field needs very few changes , if any, but off the field.........
There must be some young generation, qualified sports administarion with degrees, who love the game who would relish the opportunity of taking the game forward. Sadly the money goes to clubs to pay crocks over the odds for minimal return IMO. Just imagine what a good administrator could do with the opportunity.
If only.

Sally Bolton. Whom the RFL let go while Wood claimed credit for all her good work on the RLWC. He was clearly smart enough to see she'd show him up every day and probably bust a gut to make sure she didn't hang around.