League Express Podcast with Eamonn McManus

[Martyn Sadler]

In our latest Podcast Jake Kearnan and I are joined by St Helens Chairman Eamonn McManus to talk about his history in the game, his role in a wonderfully successful period for St Helens, the club's recruitment strategy and the wider issues connected to the game.

 

[whatmichaelsays]

I've not listened to the whole thing yet, but it's interesting to hear McManus claim (13:00) that the review committee's analysis was presented to shareholders before the meeting - the complete opposite of what Kris Radlinski claimed on Back 10 this week. It's a shame that was unexplored / unchallenged. 

[Martyn Sadler]

45 minutes ago, whatmichaelsays said:

I've not listened to the whole thing yet, but it's interesting to hear McManus claim (13:00) that the review committee's analysis was presented to shareholders before the meeting - the complete opposite of what Kris Radlinski claimed on Back 10 this week. It's a shame that was unexplored / unchallenged. 

If you listen a little longer you'll hear that I did raise this issue with Eamonn.

[phiggins]

I thought his suggestion that the process of promoting Leigh was a massive success was a bit out. Things have been great the last few years, but the season of obtaining that license saw us get relegated with something like two wins. 

[Archie Gordon]

1 hour ago, Martyn Sadler said:

If you listen a little longer you'll hear that I did raise this issue with Eamonn.

And he confirmed Radlinksi was right - no papers were circulated prior to the meeting.

[Harry Stottle]

5 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

And he confirmed Radlinksi was right - no papers were circulated prior to the meeting.

Didn't he say a presentation was given, that does not imply actual paper's circulated.

[Harry Stottle]

And as Mr McManus said not one SL club was against a move to a 14 team SL albeit 2 would have preferred '27 as to '26, and Wigan also did not object to a 14 team SL.

[Archie Gordon]

I did chuckle when McManus said the decision to go to 14 was agreed in principle a year ago. 

That snippet somehow failed to get out during the past 12 months whereas who voted which way last week survived as a secret for 12 minutes.

[Martyn Sadler]

40 minutes ago, phiggins said:

I thought his suggestion that the process of promoting Leigh was a massive success was a bit out. Things have been great the last few years, but the season of obtaining that license saw us get relegated with something like two wins. 

It was a success for the competition, which was able to remain at 12 clubs and Leigh, although they were relegated, were competitive most of the time.

For Leigh, it was short term pain for long term gain.

[lacuna1]

It's a no-brainer for me. There are a few clubs in the championship willing to go the extra yard to get into Super League. Spending money, growing their youth products. There is no point in keep saying 'they aren't ready yet' Maybe they come up and get tonked for a season but they have to have something to build on. They will soon surpass the likes of Castleford who's owners just seem happy to survive every year which is a shame.

[JohnM]

56 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

And as Mr McManus said not one SL club was against a move to a 14 team SL albeit 2 would have preferred '27 as to '26, and Wigan also did not object to a 14 team SL.

This has been done to death, HS.

Voting for something does not mean you fully agree with it. It depends just for one example, on the impact of voting against.  For example, if by voted "no", you won a prize of having dinner with Beaumont,  you're sure as hell to vote "yes  "

If however, if you agreed with IMGs advice to consider going to 14 clubs when it made sense to do so, but had not been given for some reason, the data on which to base your decision, you'd abstain. "Papers" does not equate to 'powerpoint".

In any case, it's now been confirmed by McManus that the decision was made ages ago 

So, it still a stitch up, pre-ordained in a process that goes against everything we expect from a legitimate governing body . The lack of integrity is astounding 

[Harry Stottle]

51 minutes ago, JohnM said:

This has been done to death, HS.

Voting for something does not mean you fully agree with it. It depends just for one example, on the impact of voting against.  For example, if by voted "no", you won a prize of having dinner with Beaumont,  you're sure as hell to vote "yes  "

If however, if you agreed with IMGs advice to consider going to 14 clubs when it made sense to do so, but had not been given for some reason, the data on which to base your decision, you'd abstain. "Papers" does not equate to 'powerpoint".

In any case, it's now been confirmed by McManus that the decision was made ages ago 

So, it still a stitch up, pre-ordained in a process that goes against everything we expect from a legitimate governing body . The lack of integrity is astounding 

Well you had better suck it up, John.

As I have said I am not a fan of 14 teams next season, but all the moaning so prevalent on these pages ain't going to change a thing, the decision makers have decided what is happening and that is the route the game is changing so accept it or move on.

Do you not get sick of your persistent use of the name Beaumont, it's like being at an 'Old Dears' convention were they repeat themselves continually, perhaps you have reached that age, maybe you can join in,.

[Tommygilf]

15 hours ago, phiggins said:

I thought his suggestion that the process of promoting Leigh was a massive success was a bit out. Things have been great the last few years, but the season of obtaining that license saw us get relegated with something like two wins. 

Are you surprised his logic is all over the place?

He also said this about the ousting of the man he now claims to have his full support:

“I have never known Super League clubs to be more unified and to have such a sense of purpose to improve the quality, performance and value of Super League.

“To achieve this we must have a dedicated senior professional staff whose only focus is to improve Super League in every respect, and also to work with our governing body, the RFL, in ensuring that the wider game benefits consequently.

“The vast majority of Super League clubs strongly believe that the previous singular and overreaching management of the RFL of all aspects and all components of rugby league, including Super League, resulted in too many serious conflicts of interest and a lack of transparency and adequate accountability. This has resulted in a consequent commercial underperformance of the principal commercial driver of our sport, namely Super League.”

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/st-helens-wholeheartedly-support-appointment-of-robert-elstone-says-eamon-mcmanus

 

Some would call it flip flopping, some would call it mental gymnastics, I doubt any of them could be trusted for more than 2 minutes.

[Archie Gordon]

45 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Are you surprised his logic is all over the place?

He also said this about the ousting of the man he now claims to have his full support:

“I have never known Super League clubs to be more unified and to have such a sense of purpose to improve the quality, performance and value of Super League.

“To achieve this we must have a dedicated senior professional staff whose only focus is to improve Super League in every respect, and also to work with our governing body, the RFL, in ensuring that the wider game benefits consequently.

“The vast majority of Super League clubs strongly believe that the previous singular and overreaching management of the RFL of all aspects and all components of rugby league, including Super League, resulted in too many serious conflicts of interest and a lack of transparency and adequate accountability. This has resulted in a consequent commercial underperformance of the principal commercial driver of our sport, namely Super League.”

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/st-helens-wholeheartedly-support-appointment-of-robert-elstone-says-eamon-mcmanus

 

Some would call it flip flopping, some would call it mental gymnastics, I doubt any of them could be trusted for more than 2 minutes.

In the podcast, he now claims Wood was never ousted in the first place.

[Tommygilf]

5 minutes ago, Archie Gordon said:

In the podcast, he now claims Wood was never ousted in the first place.

If you don't laugh you'll cry. Maybe he's losing it?

[Martyn Sadler]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

Are you surprised his logic is all over the place?

He also said this about the ousting of the man he now claims to have his full support:

“I have never known Super League clubs to be more unified and to have such a sense of purpose to improve the quality, performance and value of Super League.

“To achieve this we must have a dedicated senior professional staff whose only focus is to improve Super League in every respect, and also to work with our governing body, the RFL, in ensuring that the wider game benefits consequently.

“The vast majority of Super League clubs strongly believe that the previous singular and overreaching management of the RFL of all aspects and all components of rugby league, including Super League, resulted in too many serious conflicts of interest and a lack of transparency and adequate accountability. This has resulted in a consequent commercial underperformance of the principal commercial driver of our sport, namely Super League.”

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/st-helens-wholeheartedly-support-appointment-of-robert-elstone-says-eamon-mcmanus

 

Some would call it flip flopping, some would call it mental gymnastics, I doubt any of them could be trusted for more than 2 minutes.

You don't seem to understand that one of the characteristics of a grown-up is that they learn from past mistakes.

As John Maynard Keynes said: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?"

 

[phiggins]

15 hours ago, Martyn Sadler said:

It was a success for the competition, which was able to remain at 12 clubs and Leigh, although they were relegated, were competitive most of the time.

For Leigh, it was short term pain for long term gain.

We have very different memories of Leigh's 2021 season. We may have been competitive for the first hour of the first half a dozen games, but the rot soon set in from what I recall.

[phiggins]

1 hour ago, Tommygilf said:

Are you surprised his logic is all over the place?

He also said this about the ousting of the man he now claims to have his full support:

“I have never known Super League clubs to be more unified and to have such a sense of purpose to improve the quality, performance and value of Super League.

“To achieve this we must have a dedicated senior professional staff whose only focus is to improve Super League in every respect, and also to work with our governing body, the RFL, in ensuring that the wider game benefits consequently.

“The vast majority of Super League clubs strongly believe that the previous singular and overreaching management of the RFL of all aspects and all components of rugby league, including Super League, resulted in too many serious conflicts of interest and a lack of transparency and adequate accountability. This has resulted in a consequent commercial underperformance of the principal commercial driver of our sport, namely Super League.”

https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/st-helens-wholeheartedly-support-appointment-of-robert-elstone-says-eamon-mcmanus

 

Some would call it flip flopping, some would call it mental gymnastics, I doubt any of them could be trusted for more than 2 minutes.

I think flip flopping is a harsh way to look at it, when there's 7 years between the flip and the flop. 

[Tommygilf]

24 minutes ago, Martyn Sadler said:

You don't seem to understand that one of the characteristics of a grown-up is that they learn from past mistakes.

As John Maynard Keynes said: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?"

 

Learning from past mistakes implies contrition and conceding you were wrong then (and if you're really mature that you could be wrong now).

Where is the learning or contrition? Where is the acceptance that he was wrong?

[Tommygilf]

7 minutes ago, phiggins said:

I think flip flopping is a harsh way to look at it, when there's 7 years between the flip and the flop. 

The basic principles however remain the same surely no?

[JohnM]

28 minutes ago, Martyn Sadler said:

You don't seem to understand that one of the characteristics of a grown-up is that they learn from past mistakes.

As John Maynard Keynes said: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?"

 

Perhaps we need some "grown ups" in charge, then.

But do "facts" really  change?

Opinions change, recollections change, motivations change, vested interests change, interpretations change. 

One thing that doesn't change is our sports inability -or unwillingness - to do anything strategic, as we will see at the next changing of the guard in 3 years time.

Edited August 8, 2025 by JohnM

[Martyn Sadler]

2 hours ago, phiggins said:

We have very different memories of Leigh's 2021 season. We may have been competitive for the first hour of the first half a dozen games, but the rot soon set in from what I recall.

You did have some heavy defeats and only won two games, but Derek got a taste of Super League and was determined to return bigger and better, which the club has undoubtedly achieved.

The only player from 2021 who is still with the club is Keanan Brand, which demonstrates how much work has gone into recruiting players of Super League quality.

[Martyn Sadler]

2 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

Learning from past mistakes implies contrition and conceding you were wrong then (and if you're really mature that you could be wrong now).

Where is the learning or contrition? Where is the acceptance that he was wrong?

Perhaps you and Eamonn share one particular quality - a reluctance to admit publicly when you are wrong.

[Tommygilf]

2 minutes ago, Martyn Sadler said:

Perhaps you and Eamonn share one particular quality - a reluctance to admit publicly when you are wrong.

Please point to that occasion pal.

Glad you evidently agree that your maturity point was wrong though

Edited August 8, 2025 by Tommygilf

[Harry Stottle]

18 minutes ago, Tommygilf said:

Please point to that occasion pal.

Glad you evidently agree that your maturity point was wrong though

You've got him rattled @Martyn Sadler he only resorts to 'pal' or 'mate' or such other terms of endearment when rattled