Both appointed to the board by Hudgell to improve the commercial side of the business. Both heralded as the dog's bollox by one and all on here. Blanchard had much more relevant experience however. I suspect you're calling the comparison pointless because Blanchard was a disaster.

His cv was great. The error was he couldnt settle in the north.

Or organise the replica shirts operation. He did love the fans though. Tears all round when he left, eh?

blanchard was originally brought in with the prime task of generating funding for the proposed new north stand a job he successfully did at Surrey CCC. Unfortunatley not long after this an event happened you may have heard of, the credit crunch leading to a global recession which meant most capital projects in RL getting shelved. He was then left in the role of general manager really a job which didn't really suit his expertise.

This is a good synopsis - did miss his signature off any contracts?

A CEO is responsible for the implementation of the board's strategy across the business. If his role definition was so narrow, why not bring him in as a ground development consultant only? How did he do with maximising the main merchandise opportunity (replica shirts) or engaging the fans? I'd mention Rovers were late filing accounts while he was there as well, but that's sort of a given.

his role definition wasn't "so narrow" but when he was brought in, he got the job for what he could bring in to the capital projects rovers were planning not on how to run a rugby club, when they were shelved that expertise wasn't needed.

I take your point about what a CEO's job is in a company but i would suggest sport and particularly rugby league operates in a different way to normal business. "CEO's" in sports clubs despite the title tend to work as hands on general managers for boards of directors or cashed up owners and control day to day operations. I reckon there are a number of examples across the superleague of this not just rovers and coming from the background blanchard had he was not best suited to this job. I reckon he is learning this role now at arguably a much smaller club, Harlequins.

no,he managed to sign all the proofs for the merchandise

Well seen as his company do stuff with ships, im guessing he's in to build a link to the south stand

Ive been wondering that, why doesa Marine company have its base in the Port of Rotherham





Or maybe he struck lucky and make his money when the fabled Sheffield flood actually did happen

surely that proves what a great businessman he is!

Why don't you ask him if he can fix your sinking one .

Why not view the video on the Mail website?

I didnt realise there was a video on the HDM website you have been very helpful...

Tell me what it says he does would you, i cant be bothered to watch it.

TBH I cant be bothered either I was hoping someone would take the time and type a sentance or 2 to explain.

I aint that fussed.

Na he's here to take over P&O.

Poor old Blanchard. IIRC, it was he who first publicly ackowledged Rovers' financial plight in the Observer back in December last year:

' Hull KR have provided the clearest evidence yet of the credit crunch biting at Super League level by cancelling a pre-season training camp in Dubai that had been scheduled for early January. They will instead prepare at the slightly chillier and less glamorous BP Chemicals Sports Ground at Saltend in the east of the city, where they have recently moved in with the successful Skirlaugh amateur club.

"We are very conscious of the economic downturn in various markets," admitted the Hull KR chief executive, Paul Blanchard, who nevertheless insisted that the club remains in a decent financial condition partly thanks to the RFL advance. "Like any sports club or business, we are keen to make as many savings as we can. Our philosophy is if it's not an essential spend it's not sensible to spend it. We also had some of the playing staff and coaches saying it wouldn't be right going with so many supporters suffering financially." '

Comfirmed that the Sky advance was needed by KR, too. At least the man had a shred of honesty and called it like it was.

Do you still use Saltend, BTW, no-one ever seem to mention it any more?

You seem to have an obsession with Neil Hudgell, did he reject you on one of your nights out?

Its irrelevant IMO where a buisnessman's base is.....its important that all on Rovers board are local born and bred but if they have made their fortune outside of the city then so be it.

I mean does it matter thats Rovers new shirt sponsor must be a local sponsor....i'd much rather have a big, national company which is instantly recognisable to sporting fans the world over.

is it?

Aint that chubby welshman on the board? Him that likes his eggs

What?!

I know loads of people across sport that would say exactly the opposite. Huge disadvantage having a board that think with their heart and not their head.

On the flip side though Dave, surely a board that care passionately about their club would not make decisions to put it in trouble?