Nigel Wood's salary, according to League Express. What exactly is it that he does that merits such a sum?

Erm.

Errrrrrr.

Nope. No idea.

RFL Canteen Pie tester.

I assume it's in line with similar roles. The PFA chairman gets over twice this and my company CEO gets in excess of a million per annum (plus bonus).

It's called a gravy train - very appropriate perhaps in Big Nigel's case?

If he took half that amount it would be to much

It's probably about the right salary for a skilled, visionary leader, heading up the governing body of a modern, dynamic and commercially successful sport...

So what went wrong?

It's not that bad a salary really. Whether his performance is acceptable depends on what objectives and criteria he was set, none of which we are privy to?

I personally wouldn't swap my salary (A fraction of that) for the abuse and vitriol he will no doubt receive on a daily basis and whenever he actually attends a rugby league game.

I think the RFL needs to think bigger however and get someone better next time. The guy who has taken over commercial operations at Warrington, Draper, seems to be doing a decent job.

I look at Nige and remember his record at Halifax and wonder if he really has the track record of success to deserve the job he's doing at the moment.

Seems a waste of the RFL's marquee signing to be honest....

wonder if the other 24 of the top RFL earners come in under the £1.825m salary

Is that his shirt size?

You mean where Nigel almost ran Halifax into the ground financially? That was a result of creative accounting techniques that the poor sods at Halifax were not smart enough to understand.

At least now at the Red Hall, where Nigel at last has unfettered access to large pizzas with extra cheese, he now has the freedom to make brilliant marketing decisions -- like holding the England vs France games at LSV -- which have enabled the cosmopolitan international transportation hub at Leigh to become the glittering showcase of international rugby league in the northern hemisphere.

It's like the Banker Syndrome - you just HAVE to pay ridiculous sums of money to recruit and then retain the best of the best, because such talent will be quickly snapped up by jealous, slavering bidders if you don't. It's how our banks have been so amazingly successful.

The job's wage shouldn't be the issue. The top job in a sport should carry a decent wedge.
The issue is whether you're happy with the person picked for the role - was Nigel the best man for the job? Did we recruit wisely, scouring the country (and beyond) for an array of highly qualified, charismatic and dynamic applicants who could lead our sport to the glory and financial success we think it deserves, before picking the one outstanding candidate?

Whoever can grow RL into the sport that it should be deserves all the money the RFL can afford, Nigel Wood is not that person and is stealing a wage. Unfortunately as a sport we are stuck with him. He’s onto a winner earning a massive wedge of cash for doing very little with next to no pressure.

Are there any players who can say they earn more than Nigel Wood?

None who'll admit it...

Who would you like to replace Nigel Wood?

I think Gary Hetherington could do the job.

Rimmer and Wood out. Promote Solly. Get Sally Bolton back. Then scour the world for the sort of individual Offside Monkey suggests as overall leader. Whether that would lead to Hetherington I don't know.

He's a RL version of Sepp Blatter, thinking he's got the job for life and at the same time completely unaware of how to promote the sport correctly.

Wood is nowhere close to Sepp Blatter. Blatter is a corrupt little bag who should be tied to a post and have footballs kicked in his face for the rest of his life.

Wood is rubbish, but he's not corrupt.

As others have said its not the wage that's the problem it's the person in the job.

As much as I think Hetherington would do a good job, I think we need someone from outside the sport.

It is criminal that he seems immoveable from his position as CEO of the RFL. (no size joke intended)
It strikes me that his #1 priority at the RFL is self preservation and I can't see the game moving forward until he is replaced with someone with more business acumen, even if that be someone from outside the sport.

It's tricky. If you make it easy for the CEO to be ousted you leave it at the mercy of the current whims of the clubs. Which isn't good.

I don't know the ins and outs of the relationship between the clubs and the RFL as to whether there is a means by which the clubs can remove him.

Though, despite a lot of whining at the RFL in general in recent years by the clubs I don't remember too much aimed directly at Wood or attempts to get rid of him from the clubs.


I'm convinced whoever is next has to be from outside the sport. We're insular enough as it is, we need someone with contacts and a reach outside the sport.

more than contacts and reach, the new person must have vision to take the sport outside of it's comfort zone.