League Express editor MARTYN SADLER has some advice for Nigel Wood and his colleagues who are currently carrying out a Strategic Review of the way Rugby League operates.
LAST Tuesday the members of the newly formed Strategic Review group met with the Super League clubs to discuss the future of that competition and Rugby League more generally.
At the time I was away on holiday in Italy, taking an opportunity to take some time away from the game, which was helped by my surprise to find that BBC iPlayer can’t be viewed if you are abroad.
So I missed the chance to see the two Challenge Cup semi-finals that were shown on the BBC last weekend.
So I’m probably not as well informed about the meeting with the Super League clubs as I might have been if I’d stayed in the League Express office.
Nonetheless, I’ve been told that the meeting was “very positive” and that there was a widespread agreement that the review group should do further work on making Super League fit for investment, which could include operational changes that would facilitate that objective.
There was a full discussion on how many clubs should be included in Super League, although no firm decision on how many that should be.
But one thing that didn’t happen after the meeting, as far as I’m aware, was any publicity in relation to what happened at the meeting.
I think that is a mistake.
If there is going to be a strategic review, it needs to be transparent.
We need to know what is being discussed, what proposals are being made and who is making them. We need to know who is being consulted about the future of the game and we need to be kept informed about the progress of the review.
And I’m not just referring to the media’s need to know, but to Rugby League supporters as a whole.
My advice to Nigel Wood and his colleagues is to put out regular press releases after their meetings with clubs or with any other organisations they may happen to hold discussions with.
It’s good practice to do that. And that’s particularly true in this case, because Nigel came back into the RFL with a pledge to be transparent.
He needs to live up to that pledge if he is to change the perception that supporters have of the game’s governing body.
