If only that were true. The Series is more down to a hell of a lot of work from Hetherington, Moran and Lenegan. It has taken years for them to get us to even this point and the RFL left it to the clubs to underwrite it.

Seriously? You think that he worked tirelessly through the nights and weekends to convince the NRL clubs to come over, or do you reckon he asked 2 English clubs if they'd be prepared to pay the NRL clubs to come over in return for a chance to make a few bob on ticket/beer sales at those games?

My money is on the later option........if hard work was in Bed, Nigel Wood would sleep on the floor.

The Guy took the plaudits for RLWC 13 when everyone knows it was Sally Bolton.

On the topic of his size.
You are correct that it shouldn't make any difference to his abilities or to public perception of him and the sport he REPRESENTS but it is unfortunate that we don't live in a perfect world and people of a larger girth are often not associated with success.
This is not a good look

Spot on.



In modern economies like the United States, Germany and Australia you never see business leaders who look like Nigel. But then again, you might argue that Nigel has shown no signs of being a competent business leader, so there is no discrepancy to explain.

He is just stating what he is, like calling him a male or a prick.

I also made "myself look stupid" by calling him a "washed up fart". I described him as fat. Because he is. Fact.

Is it relevant? Only in the same way that all people in the media get judged partly on their appearance. It's not right, but Nigel Wood isn't going to change societal perceptions by himself, given that he can't change society's perceptions of RL, despite being allegedly in charge.

It was a cheap insult James, aimed at a low-rent bloke who wasted two minutes of prime exposure due to his utter incompetence.
As a sport we cannot afford to be so clumsy when dealing with the media.

I completely disagree - we want to encourage kids into our sport as a healthy outdoor activity is having a CEO who is morbidly obese a positive image?

The top sports administrator in this country is Dave Brailsford - part of his success is his close connection with the sport through active participation. Do you think the UK would have won the Olympics if the lead negotiator was the size of Nigel Wood.

Image is very important these days would you say Russell Crowe has had a positive or negative impact on RL in general?

nigel wood isnt the face of RL in this country, nor should he be. Nor should any CEO. No-one is looking Sepp Blatter and seeing a fit young man putting forth an image of health and vitality. Alex Horne at the FA is not a slim man, and i though Bill Beaumont had been dead for years, having seen a recent pic of him I'm not sure i was wrong.

How long into the Today programme is N Wood on please? Obv. I want to listen to it. I'm glad he didn't mention S Burgess as that would be promoting RU and making ppl think, 'oh yeah, he left RL.' Also we've heard enough of R Crowe this weekend, I wouldn't have wanted a reminder, again it would get proper sports supporters thinking, haven't they got other celebrities following RL, seems as if it's just R Crowe. You see lots of celebrities at RU matches (granted they're international matches that everyone goes too). But still, you know what I mean. But yeah, I wish he would lose some weight, and yeah I think he should leave the RFL, I'm sure a club would employ him.

Gina rinehart, James packer, Clive Palmer etc etc

Soccer is the most popular sport in the world it has sponsors wishing to throw millions at it - despite having a number of ethical issues at the top. RL in this country is fighting for every penny it has to tick every box to even get an audience. Having a CEO who must weigh at least 25st is far from ideal. It doesn't present the correct image IMO.

If Nigel Wood isn't the face of RL in the UK who is?

I dont like the man, i dont think he is doing a good job, but his body is not one of the reasons why. I can't believe any one is going to be put off by the fact the CEO is, in your opinion, fat. People used to say they couldnt have a woman at the head of a company because it looks bad, or they couldnt have a black guy or a homosexual running a company because of the image it gives off. Those people are dying out as dinosaurs, relics from a less informed time. The world came to realise that how you looked, what your private life was like, your lifestyle and personal choices didnt define your capability.

And if Nigel Wood is the face of RL in this country we have far bigger issues, It should be JP, or Hall, or Roby or someone actually playing the game.

What I don't get is why would Gary Hethrington allow someone like Nigel Wood to be the face of UK RL? Surely he could have picked someone else with a slimmer frame

I'm not sure they're the same; obviously any right-minded person would agree that the characteristics you've identified shouldn't be an issue when it comes to assessing competency and suitability for a particular role; those attitudes are dying out and rightly so - they needed to.

The issue of obesity is a rather different one however; for me, it speaks of a certain attitude towards ones own health and wellbeing that doesn't necessarily fill an employer, or employees, with confidence - if I'm looking for someone energetic, motivated, determined, tenacious, disciplined and inspiring, morbid obesity projects the opposite of all those things; even if the individual says they are, their lack of care for their own physical condition would suggest otherwise.

All that said, I agree with you - I don't think Nigel Wood is doing a good job, but that's not because he's a fat knacker.

Yeah but the gays are more at risk of aids aren't they, that portrays a certain attitude towards health and well being.

Or a black man with dreads, why would they want to project that image? Probably stoned half the time, hardly convincing they are motivated

Women are just naturally weaker aren't they, don't have the tenacity or discipline, too focussed on children and shoes.

He absolutely should have slipped a reference to Russel Crowe in. You may have heard enough of him but you're an RL fan who's had to put up with Eddies Hemmings banging on. You should not be the target audience for a piece on 'Today' which is an opportunity to let the wider world know we exist.
As for mentioning Sam Burgess and peope thinking 'oh yeah, he left RL', have you any idea what the profile of Rugby League is outside the heartlands? Let me flesh this out for you.

The only time I heard colleagues talk about Rugby League was when Ben Flower did his haymaker on Hohaia. During the discussion someone mentioned 'bloodgate' that happened at Harlequins, when I piped up that was not the same game the response was "yes it was, it was rugby".

If the entire first team of any Superleague club walked down any street in central London they would be so invisible they couldn't get themselves arrested. Rugby League doesn't have a low profile outside the heartlands, it has [uno profile[/u outside the heartlands. Seriously, nobody knows we exist.

That is the audience you are broadcasting to, you have to give them reference points.

Oh yeah, the interview was around 08:30

He was 15 months ago.

...or is this too part of the imaginary BBC conspiracy?

There is no logic to your argument; you're either being deliberately obtuse, or you've disappeared up your own anus. For all the faux pc outrage you imply, I know that you're intelligent enough to understand that there is a difference between being morbidly obese, and characteristics such as gender, sexuality or cultural background.

I can't speak for the South of the country, but I work in Central Scotland, and whilst not many people follow the game they are all aware of it and know about it to a degree. When I first started up there people would mention Hull City to me, and when I said I was more interested in rugby they would generally say something like "it's all rugby league round there isn't it?" and a few would ask me which Hull team I supported knowing that there were two. I work with a guy from just outside Falkirk who supports Warrington and watches religiously on Sky, and a few others who enjoy watching on tv. But then on the flip side I had one guy who knew about league but wasn't even aware that international rugby league existed. Yet Scotland will be hosting a couple of 4 nations games next year!

So in my experience there is an audience for the game outside the heartlands, and people who are aware of the game are interested. Even in Scotland where 1 inch in the papers about the game is a miracle. There's a big market out there and we need to do more.

If Nigel Wood isn't the public face of rugby league, why is he doing interviews on the BBC?

Iwas delighted when he got the job at the RFL after the job he did at Halifax.

Sadly, it seems he has llearnt nothing about competence since.......

of course i accept that obesity is different to being black, But then being black is different to being gay, which is different to being a woman.

And i used those examples because they are all examples of what people said, to justify their prejudice against a person for the way they looked, or their lifestyle. They werent always an upfront racist, they werent always an out and proud homophobe or misogynist, and many thought that what they were saying was not only correct but came from a good place.

People wanted a pretty young girl at reception because they thought it portrayed a good image, not because they hated women. They hid black guys in the back not because they themselves were racist, but because they didnt want to project 'that kind of image' or attract 'that type of crowd' because it might scare the regulars.

Now we have people saying that Nigel Wood shouldnt be doing what he does because of the image his lifestyle portrays, because of the way he looks of the life he chooses to lead.

There is no faux-pc outrage here. Im simply pointing out the obvious parallel that exists when people make snap judgments on peoples ability to do their job based on something other than their ability to do their job.

Thats without even addressing the logic that argues that to promote a fit and healthy life-style sports should exclude over-weight people. Every other sport is looking to promote themselves as the answer for anyone, from walking football to touch rugby, the message is that big, small, strong, weak, our sport is for you. Except RL, which apparently wants strict codes on body type for its employees.

because he runs the RFL

No he dosn't

The greedy SL clubs do.

And by definition he is the face of RL, the person the media/corporate's would want to interview/meet, surely that's a fairly simple logical supposition?
Whomever it is HAS to have enough grasp of the game and be able to project/promote it when involved at whatever level that is from those whom are going to be a major sponsor, politicians to the parents of children playing league on a park in a non homeland area..
The buck stops with the CEO, it is his responsibility to promote the game and get us moving forward, frankly he just doesn't have what it takes..I couldn't give a monkey's about his size BUT he hasn't the will, nouse or skillset to do the job the sport requires.