We are all doomed....

[DaveO]

Nigel Wood has been promoted to Chief Executive of the RFL. It basically makes him the one who runs the game on a day to day basis.

Wood's CV for this includes taking Halifax to the brink of extinction while in charge there, inventing the 20/25 rule and at one time he even suggested awarding a point for team that loses by less than a certain number of points and a point for whoever was leading at half time.

It was his idea for "Millennium Magic" which even if you like the weekend away you have got to agree the fact it means teams play each other four times is stupid. It also attracted LESS speccies than a similar set of fixtures would at home grounds.

Wood's track record is one of tinkering with the game with grandiose idea like MM while seemingly ignoring the established events like the challenge cup.

If he wants to do something good he has been given a target over the past month with the RU world cup. If the sport is to grow it needs meaningful internationals not one that puts club rugby on a higher pedestal as the MM weekend does.

Unfortunately I think he will continue to fiddle while Rome burns and for all his faults Mo was a far more visionary innovator than Wood will ever be.

Dave

[GeoffN]

DaveO posted:
Nigel Wood has been promoted to Chief Executive of the RFL. It basically makes him the one who runs the game on a day to day basis.

Wood's CV for this includes taking Halifax to the brink of extinction while in charge there, inventing the 20/25 rule and at one time he even suggested awarding a point for team that loses by less than a certain number of points and a point for whoever was leading at half time.

It was his idea for "Millennium Magic" which even if you like the weekend away you have got to agree the fact it means teams play each other four times is stupid. It also attracted LESS speccies than a similar set of fixtures would at home grounds.

Wood's track record is one of tinkering with the game with grandiose idea like MM while seemingly ignoring the established events like the challenge cup.

If he wants to do something good he has been given a target over the past month with the RU world cup. If the sport is to grow it needs meaningful internationals not one that puts club rugby on a higher pedestal as the MM weekend does.

Unfortunately I think he will continue to fiddle while Rome burns and for all his faults Mo was a far more visionary innovator than Wood will ever be.

Dave

The inmates taking over the asylum!

I seem to remember it was he who came up with the "Blue Sox" tag for Halifax, too?
Mind you, Caisley & Hetherington are no better.

[Fraggle]

The one advantage (probably the only one) I ever saw about getting Richard Lewis involved with RL was that he was coming in from the outside with hopefully some fresh insight into the problems faced by the sport, and at the time of his appointment the RFL were well and truly in the mire financially. I'm not sure if he's really been all that visionary in terms of developing the sport since then, although things like encouraging teams in new areas and moving the Challenge Cup have certainly brought some fresh interest into the sport.

But this appointment is very strange, it's a return back to some who has been too heavily involved in RL for a long time, someone with a reputation for rather crackpot ideas rather than anything which will enhance the sport, and I fear we will see unwelcome changes under Wood's stewardship. I suppose that with issues like the bonus points for winning the half, he might claim that other sports now have bonus points as well so it must be a good idea, but after the close season we have had this year it would be difficult to argue that there was anything wrong with the points system currently in place for SL. Given that his club team has sunk into mediocracy and suffered a number of financial difficulties over recent years, he's not exactly my first choice of person to lead our sport into the franchise era.

[cpwigan]

Lewis seems to have shrunk into the background more than I anticipated. I cannot who wrote the article BUT somebody said they were staggered by his lack of presence at events, matches, presentation events.

There does seem to be a lack of quality in sports. I went to college with Roger Draper, chief exec of the LTA and previously Sport England. Hugely successful BUT not somebody I ever envisaged being a leading player in British Sport.

Wood certainly lacks quality

[mike binder]

lets get dean bell back and Mick hannon

[doc]

Good summary from DaveO.

The man's a pratt.

It's like putting Gary Glitter in charge of a kindergarten.

[lucky 13]

doc posted:
Good summary from DaveO.

The man's a pratt.

It's like putting Gary Glitter in charge of a kindergarten.

Rite but so wrong :eh: :conf:

Dave O sumed it up nothing to add

[Mike]

He's been in the job what, about 2 weeks, and he's already made a fantastic arse of himself - two minor issues with New Zealand blown up into shouting matches in the press.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4254507a1823.html

I doubt this can go on for very long until something really embarrassing happens.

[DaveO]

Mike posted:
He's been in the job what, about 2 weeks, and he's already made a fantastic arse of himself - two minor issues with New Zealand blown up into shouting matches in the press.

I have been very surprised at the public slanging match that has gone on. I can't decide if Wood thinks any news is good news or is incapable of defusing the situation.

Dave

[cpwigan]

Given we took the P out of them re disciplinary hearings I think Woods then added salt to the wounds by complaining about water carriers.

:conf: I do wonder what is the point of Lewis now. How much time does international RL need?