Ralph Rimmer

[Oldbear]

I have just been listening to Ralph on the most recent 40/20 podcast, and wondered what people’s impression is of him, and whether that has improved as a result of his handling of the pandemic. For me I just don’t know what to think, he comes across as a very measured, safe individual and he may be just the man the RFL needed in this pandemic, however is he the man to lead the sport beyond COVID? In fact given the apparent divisions between SL and the RFL is he becoming someone the game could unite behind, or is he in danger of becoming irrelevant?

[Eddie]

5 hours ago, Oldbear said:

I have just been listening to Ralph on the most recent 40/20 podcast, and wondered what people’s impression is of him, and whether that has improved as a result of his handling of the pandemic. For me I just don’t know what to think, he comes across as a very measured, safe individual and he may be just the man the RFL needed in this pandemic, however is he the man to lead the sport beyond COVID? In fact given the apparent divisions between SL and the RFL is he becoming someone the game could unite behind, or is he in danger of becoming irrelevant?

I listened to the same podcast yesterday. I have nothing against Ralph Rimmer, and in person he may be completely different to how he is in front of the media, but I find him completely uninspiring. He reminds me of many public sector middle managers, uses a lot of words and says the bland right thing but there’s little of substance or interest behind it, he never says anything surprising or new. 
 

I can’t imagine him leading a successful board or enthusing sponsors to get involved, though as I said he may be different in person and all I hear from him is interviews in podcasts. Also in his defence for whatever reason he might not want to say anything controversial or release any information. In summary though I find listening to him very tedious and I don’t see him as the man to lead the game if it wants to do anything other than tread water and try to stop contracting. 

[Whippet13]

Ralph has been a steady leader in 2020, which is maybe what we needed first.

That podcast has a second interview with one of the Hunslet directors (the youngish Australian chap) who was unenthusiastic about how the RFL leadership operates and feels they don't plan ahead or commuincate well. For example, he feels there is a lack of leadership on likely league future structures for when the Sky money dries up, even though that has been clear for a while. Hunslet are apparently already ready for that day and have strict financial management and budgets in place, so it wasnt simply a "poor us" grumble. Not saying that is all there is to it, but I found it an interesting balance to Ralph's interview from a reasonably senior member of a RFL club.

Does Ralph inspire me as a fan? No, but neither does Mr Elstone either. I've not seen anything from either one that looks anything like a serious plan to make the game stronger, even pre-Covid. Ralph seems more "steady as we go" and Robert appears hamstrung by the owners, but neither strike me as great strategists or inspirational leaders. Been said before, but I do think fresh blood from outside RL is needed working alongside deputies who are from the game.

[Man of Kent]

Rimmer has been good in a crisis. Rugby league secured support very early - nearly seven months before any other sport - and secured more as part of the winter package.

There’s another crisis looming for the RFL though - the new TV deal. How it manages the drop in income and monetises streaming is the tricky bit.

 

[ATLANTISMAN]

I personally think Ralph Rimmer has done en excellent job in very difficult circumstances.

I also like the fact that he is not adverse to hiring some decent people around him and hopefully will continue to do so.

These are difficult times its all very well and good being a keyboard warrior here without access to the full facts.

Score 9/10 over the last year for his handing of the current situation.

 

Paul

[Number 16]

Is Rimmer the best the game can get for the amount of money he's paid? 

The answer is an emphatic NO! He is not even close. His appointment was an insider jobs-for-boys deal. 

[Eddie]

8 minutes ago, Number 16 said:

Is Rimmer the best the game can get for the amount of money he's paid? 

The answer is an emphatic NO! He is not even close. His appointment was an insider jobs-for-boys deal. 

This. 
 

If he wasn’t in this job what would be be doing, certainly nothing this high profile or important.

[RP London]

1 hour ago, Eddie said:

I listened to the same podcast yesterday. I have nothing against Ralph Rimmer, and in person he may be completely different to how he is in front of the media, but I find him completely uninspiring. He reminds me of many public sector middle managers, uses a lot of words and says the bland right thing but there’s little of substance or interest behind it, he never says anything surprising or new. 
 

I can’t imagine him leading a successful board or enthusing sponsors to get involved, though as I said he may be different in person and all I hear from him is interviews in podcasts. Also in his defence for whatever reason he might not want to say anything controversial or release any information. In summary though I find listening to him very tedious and I don’t see him as the man to lead the game if it wants to do anything other than tread water and try to stop contracting. 

I'd agree with this. 

Right now i think we are fortunate that he is there simply because he is a bit of a bean counter and therefore he is doing quite well through the pandemic (i wont say excellently because i think their timing hasn't been great, the way they handled the wolfpack issue and the promotion of both leigh and Newcastle was not necessarily the best either).

When it comes to strategic decisions and that bit of umph he is massively lacking. This has been highlighted before the pandemic, during it and it will be starkly seen post.. If we want to grown after this then we need someone there that has ideas and is willing to really put the work into getting them up and out.. Whenever he is being interviewed he never strikes me as someone with that bit of "get up and go" that would inspire those around him, he is a bit monotone and i dont feel he is always genuine in what he says, even to the point of trying to use words that dont always fit but "sound right" almost like he thinks the phrases will make him sound like he should be in a job with a CEO title but they dont really fit with the way he talks for the rest of the sentence (if that makes sense).

Someone like Rimmer is needed in the organisation but he has been promoted beyond his competency IMHO... ok as a COO (maybe a CFO dont know what his actual accounting ability is like) but as a CEO he is lacking. 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

7 hours ago, Oldbear said:

I have just been listening to Ralph on the most recent 40/20 podcast, and wondered what people’s impression is of him, and whether that has improved as a result of his handling of the pandemic. For me I just don’t know what to think, he comes across as a very measured, safe individual and he may be just the man the RFL needed in this pandemic, however is he the man to lead the sport beyond COVID? In fact given the apparent divisions between SL and the RFL is he becoming someone the game could unite behind, or is he in danger of becoming irrelevant?

Lovely guy I am sure but he cones across as boring 

Elstone definitely has better presence in front of the mic/camera

[sweaty craiq]

Rimmer is a clerk not a leader, who gets paid a CEO's salary. The RFL/SL need a results based CEO on a much lower basic but the potential to earn based on facts. What we pay will not be a barrier to getting a competent leader

[Eddie]

25 minutes ago, RP London said:

 

Someone like Rimmer is needed in the organisation but he has been promoted beyond his competency IMHO... ok as a COO (maybe a CFO dont know what his actual accounting ability is like) but as a CEO he is lacking. 

Oi, good CFOs need a bit of charisma too you know!  Other than that I agree with everything you said. 
 

If I’d listened to the 40/20 pod without knowing who either of the guests were, and was told one was the CEO of the RFL and the other was a NED at a league one club, I certainly wouldn’t have guessed Rimmer was the CEO. 

[Eddie]

Just now, sweaty craiq said:

Rimmer is a clerk not a leader, who gets paid a CEO's salary. The RFL/SL need a results based CEO on a much lower basic but the potential to earn based on facts. What we pay will not be a barrier to getting a competent leader

Sure I read his salary is £400k, not that it’s any of my business but if that’s right it seems far too high, probably double what it should be, and I can’t believe there isn’t a better person to do the job for that wedge. 

[EastLondonMike]

I think Ralph is a decent enough administrator, but i don't think he's the person to take the sport forward. I don't see him as someone who can inspire.

[RP London]

9 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Oi, good CFOs need a bit of charisma too you know!  

Its an added bonus.. good at clever maths and cooking are the vital bits surely 

[Tommygilf]

I actually think something like Covid has enhanced Rimmer's reputation so far. He's been able to draw together the game behind him and his creative competency has been far less of an issue. Will that continue if this year is, as expected, still heavily affected by Covid? Who knows.

That said, all the problems stated here were difficulties before Covid. I don't think my opinion on those has changed.

Edit: Changed this "for want of a better word, "good" for Rimmer (professionally, wouldn't want to comment on the personal situation)" as I found a better way of phrasing

[redjonn]

45 minutes ago, RP London said:

Its an added bonus.. good at clever maths and cooking are the vital bits surely 

mmmm good at arithmetic as distinct from Maths... and macro's & pivot tables...

[Eddie]

4 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

I actually think something like Covid has been, for want of a better word, "good" for Rimmer (professionally, wouldn't want to comment on the personal situation) so far. He's been able to draw together the game behind him and his creative competency has been far less of an issue. Will that continue if this year is, as expected, still heavily affected by Covid? Who knows.

That said, all the problems stated here were difficulties before Covid. I don't think my opinion on those has changed.

Have a listen to the 40/20 this week, if you haven’t already. I’m not sure that he was drawn the game behind him. For example what do League One clubs think of his leadership, it’s the third most important RFL comp but they’re now down to 10 teams with no idea of how it will look next season, let alone in ten years. Ok the RFL secured a big loan (which has to be paid back) but what else have they really done for the clubs in the last 10 months? I keep hearing about Sport England but what does that mean for the game, other than sounding good. 

[Tommygilf]

Just now, Eddie said:

Have a listen to the 40/20 this week, if you haven’t already. I’m not sure that he was drawn the game behind him. For example what do League One clubs think of his leadership, it’s the third most important RFL comp but they’re now down to 10 teams with no idea of how it will look next season, let alone in ten years. Ok the RFL secured a big loan (which has to be paid back) but what else have they really done for the clubs in the last 10 months? I keep hearing about Sport England but what does that mean for the game, other than sounding good. 

I suppose I was speaking more for last spring/summer at the time of real crisis, as we've gone into longer malaise as I said who knows if it will last.

I think this is where the lack of imagination and vision (or at least having an idea of how to support those visions) will come a cropper for Rimmer in the coming months.

[Eddie]

7 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

I suppose I was speaking more for last spring/summer at the time of real crisis, as we've gone into longer malaise as I said who knows if it will last.

I think this is where the lack of imagination and vision (or at least having an idea of how to support those visions) will come a cropper for Rimmer in the coming months.

He needs to sort out a way to help bridge the funding gap when C and L1 clubs lose sky funding imho, that is his one and only priority. 

[whatmichaelsays]

2 hours ago, Whippet13 said:

Does Ralph inspire me as a fan? No, but neither does Mr Elstone either. I've not seen anything from either one that looks anything like a serious plan to make the game stronger, even pre-Covid. Ralph seems more "steady as we go" and Robert appears hamstrung by the owners, but neither strike me as great strategists or inspirational leaders. Been said before, but I do think fresh blood from outside RL is needed working alongside deputies who are from the game.

I'd go with this. I've said in other threads, but I think RL/SL would benefit hugely from drawing on the experience and expertise of people from more "creative industry" backgrounds - other sports, the entertainment sector, the digital industries, etc. 

Look across the backgrounds of the governing body and club ownership and we look and feel like a very introverted sport, run by very logic-minded people. I don't think it works to have a media and entertainment product so disproportionately run by bean counters and I'm not sure what a career of chasing ambulances, selling double glazing or filing tax returns tells you about running an entertainment brand. 

I think it's why extroverted personalities like Marwan Koucash stood out as much as he did - someone who was prepared to take risks, do so very publically and, as much as I hate the term, be open to "thinking outside the box". People like him are something that this sport isn't used to.

The stuff that Warrington were doing on social media a couple of years ago caused such a stir amongst the RL community but, to be honest, that's just one club showing that they understood how social media works - Warrington's social media presence shouldn't have been the "outlier" that it was, but I suspect it's because Simon Moran is a man who understands the media and the entertainment industry in a way that so few people in RL do. 

[Number 16]

1 hour ago, Eddie said:

Sure I read his salary is £400k, not that it’s any of my business but if that’s right it seems far too high, probably double what it should be, and I can’t believe there isn’t a better person to do the job for that wedge. 

As fans and stakeholders in the game I think his salary is very much our business. To put his and Elstone's salaries in perspective, their combined annual wages could keep the League 1 clubs afloat for a year. 

[JohnM]

Is this a fair summary of opinions about Rimmer,  etc ..or in fact anyone else who was CEO of the RFL (Richard Lewis excepted)?.   This idea of appointing some sort of evangelical luminary from the ranks of sports ( or any other field) great and good is to me a non-starter. A sort of groucho-ism - "I Don’t Want to Belong to Any Club That Will Accept Me as a Member"

In any case, didn't Lewis take the job because he agreed to leave his position as LTA director of tennis "in the wake of a 2000 loss to Ecuador that led to reduction of British tennis's status from "World" to "Euro-African Zone". After a period of exile and rehabilitation at the RFL, he  was back as Chief Executive Officer at Wimbledon.

Maybe we want to find someone similar to Lewis,  fired from their high-profile job and looking to find a way back into decent sporting society after a period of contrition in the boondocks.

 

[Whippet13]

2 hours ago, Man of Kent said:

Rimmer has been good in a crisis. Rugby league secured support very early - nearly seven months before any other sport - and secured more as part of the winter 

 

That's because we were completely broke as a sport to start with so were forced to chase it early. The money is also of course a loan, unsure about the subsequent £12m though. Other sports received huge grants, the SRU for example got a £15m grant and a £5m loan in December. The English RFU got a massive £135m package in November, unsure of the loan to grant split as that does not seem to have been released. Other sports got multi-million pound grants as well.

Rimmer has been steady in a crisis, but I think that's about it.

[Tommygilf]

19 minutes ago, Eddie said:

He needs to sort out a way to help bridge the funding gap when C and L1 clubs lose sky funding imho, that is his one and only priority. 

Absolutely, which is where I'm less convinced his record is in his favour

[audois]

Richard Lewis

From the off

Director of Tennis,LTA

Chairmam of the RFL

Chairman of the RLEF

Chair of Sport England

CEO Wimbledon Tennis

 

*Sorry John you beat me to it!