Nigel Wood

[Ainley Top]

...rewriting the rules as we speak! Vive la France! 

[Leyther_Matt]

Last surviving semi finalist so still technically top three. Up they go. 

[HaxbyKnight]

Sport England have stated they will reduce, or withdraw funding if the selection process is not fully transparent, hopefully that may count for something. 

[The Future is League]

1 hour ago, Ainley Top said:

...rewriting the rules as we speak! Vive la France! 

 

1 hour ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Last surviving semi finalist so still technically top three. Up they go. 

 

59 minutes ago, HaxbyKnight said:

Sport England have stated they will reduce, or withdraw funding if the selection process is not fully transparent, hopefully that may count for something. 

Don't underestimate would Nige will do to get the Bradford Bulls into Super League.

I slightly digress, but are they even in the running for a place in Super League with that dump of a ground and that under size. End of rant.

[OriginalMrC]

15 teams in Superleague next year then

[The 4 of Us]

He’ll be working on plans for the ten bob game, best of 3 decider series, Toulouse to be told on Tuesday, game Wednesday, maybe a 5 game series determined after full time, depending on result, in the Fag and Ashtray pub in Royston. 

[Just Browny]

3 minutes ago, The 4 of Us said:

He’ll be working on plans for the ten bob game, best of 3 decider series, Toulouse to be told on Tuesday, game Wednesday, maybe a 5 game series determined after full time, depending on result, in the Fag and Ashtray pub in Royston. 

"Toulouse can enter Super League provided they agree to pay off the contract of every Bradford player who didnt get into SL because of them. It's only fair."

[Magicman]

The game is becoming a laughing stock ,imagine if they tried this in football, troy deeney scores a screamer to put Watford into the final but then Leicester get promoted. There'd be shop windows getting smashed all over , only reason its accepted is because its a small niche sport . Once decisions in boardrooms become more important that results on grass its no longer sport . Ironic that rugby league was born on the back of working class heroes with integrity for it to be destroyed by men in suits with selfish agendas.

[SinBinSid]

I'm not sure with what the OP means by "rewriting the rules as we speak" (what's been reported/something I've missed?) but reading between the lines I get the frustration but it is not all doom and gloom. Look at the NRL. The new Perth Bears and PNG Hunters are taking the game into proper new regions and proving it can grow. In the UK the Darrel Lockyer-era London Broncos might finally be the first serious step out of the dreaded M62 bubble after 45 years of stop-start attempts. This could show the game can thrive outside its traditional strongholds not just be another throw money at it and hope it sticks project. The problem is the RFL and the (frustratingly) reinstated Chief Exec Nigel Wood (and cronies) who keep dragging the game back into the same small M62 circle.  I'm not sure if he is looking for another massive payoff but if we actually back the sport’s future there is real potential for new fans and new clubs to finally make rugby league bigger, tougher and truly national. So instead of moaning we should be getting behind it and pushing for more.

[The Daddy]

41 minutes ago, SinBinSid said:

I'm not sure with what the OP means by "rewriting the rules as we speak" (what's been reported/something I've missed?) but reading between the lines I get the frustration but it is not all doom and gloom. Look at the NRL. The new Perth Bears and PNG Hunters are taking the game into proper new regions and proving it can grow. In the UK the Darrel Lockyer-era London Broncos might finally be the first serious step out of the dreaded M62 bubble after 45 years of stop-start attempts. This could show the game can thrive outside its traditional strongholds not just be another throw money at it and hope it sticks project. The problem is the RFL and the (frustratingly) reinstated Chief Exec Nigel Wood (and cronies) who keep dragging the game back into the same small M62 circle.  I'm not sure if he is looking for another massive payoff but if we actually back the sport’s future there is real potential for new fans and new clubs to finally make rugby league bigger, tougher and truly national. So instead of moaning we should be getting behind it and pushing for more.

How can we get behind the sport given the current situation and lack of effective governance?

[Damien]

54 minutes ago, SinBinSid said:

I'm not sure with what the OP means by "rewriting the rules as we speak" (what's been reported/something I've missed?) but reading between the lines I get the frustration but it is not all doom and gloom. Look at the NRL. The new Perth Bears and PNG Hunters are taking the game into proper new regions and proving it can grow. In the UK the Darrel Lockyer-era London Broncos might finally be the first serious step out of the dreaded M62 bubble after 45 years of stop-start attempts. This could show the game can thrive outside its traditional strongholds not just be another throw money at it and hope it sticks project. The problem is the RFL and the (frustratingly) reinstated Chief Exec Nigel Wood (and cronies) who keep dragging the game back into the same small M62 circle.  I'm not sure if he is looking for another massive payoff but if we actually back the sport’s future there is real potential for new fans and new clubs to finally make rugby league bigger, tougher and truly national. So instead of moaning we should be getting behind it and pushing for more.

There seems to be a lot of contradictions in this. What version of the sports future should we be backing here?

[Amber Avenger]

15 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

How can we get behind the sport given the current situation and lack of effective governance?

This could be a post from any point at which I have watched the sport to be fair 

[SinBinSid]

18 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

How can we get behind the sport given the current situation and lack of effective governance?

 

4 minutes ago, Damien said:

There seems to be a lot of contradictions in this. What version of the sports future should we be backing here?

Seriously(???).... the governance situation is not perfect (and you don't need me, a southern RL loving pleb, to tell you downtrodden northern powerhouse victims that). But supporting the sport does not have to wait for boardrooms to fix everything. You can back clubs, especially ones trying something new like the Darrel Lockyer-era London Broncos. Going to games, taking part in community activities, or even just talking positively about the sport all helps. Growth comes from the fans as much as from leadership.

The current M62 club bosses often see any change as upsetting the apple cart and threatening their comfort zone (and quite right too). But if enough people show that the game matters, it puts pressure on those at the top. This gives rugby league a real chance to grow beyond the old M62 bubble. Even if new owners come in after the new Darrel Lockyer London Broncos takeover the example of serious teams outside the traditional M62 clubs can provide a blueprint for the whole game to flourish, not just the usual few which it has been since the demise of Bradford since their top years.  

[lucky 7]

11 hours ago, OriginalMrC said:

15 teams in Superleague next year then

 

10 hours ago, The 4 of Us said:

He’ll be working on plans for the ten bob game, best of 3 decider series, Toulouse to be told on Tuesday, game Wednesday, maybe a 5 game series determined after full time, depending on result, in the Fag and Ashtray pub in Royston. 

 

10 hours ago, Just Browny said:

"Toulouse can enter Super League provided they agree to pay off the contract of every Bradford player who didnt get into SL because of them. It's only fair."

As already said don't put anything past would big nige will do to ensure that the Bradford Bulls get into Super League even with that dump of a ground and an a embarrassment of a pitch

[Magicman]

Nigel wood should never have been appointed in the first place , far too many historical connections with the sale of odsal and bradford and back and forth so much so that the rfl had to change their own articles to make it legitimate. Even if there is no agendas it still doesn't look great for the sport.

[Vyvyan]

Glad we've finally got a thread discussing Nigel Wood and the expansion of SL.  

 

[Bulls2487]

Another thread about the Bulls. Only a few days since the last. 

[Agbrigg]

As a Wakey fan I have the pleasure of seeing Nigel Wood tucking himself into hospitality at every home home. There is no upside or benefit of the Bulls getting SL, other than I may see less of the bloke

[gingerjon]

21 minutes ago, Bulls2487 said:

Another thread about the Bulls. Only a few days since the last. 

To be fair it's meant to be about Nigel Wood who is independent of the Bulls.

Unless you know different.

[cookey]

I wonder if he has negotiated a ' bonus ' if Bradford manage to get into SL ?

[Griff]

On 28/09/2025 at 18:22, Leyther_Matt said:

Last surviving semi finalist so still technically top three. Up they go. 

Higher placed losing semifinalist, actually. Still Toulouse, though.

[The Future is League]

4 hours ago, cookey said:

I wonder if he has negotiated a ' bonus ' if Bradford manage to get into SL ?

But but but we are told he's not drawing wages for all the jobs he's doing at the RFL at the moment

[The 4 of Us]

4 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

But but but we are told he's not drawing wages for all the jobs he's doing at the RFL at the moment

There’s time.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jul/16/rfl-2m-losses-over-300000-nigel-wood

[The Future is League]

2 minutes ago, The 4 of Us said:

There’s time.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jul/16/rfl-2m-losses-over-300000-nigel-wood

Yes, we must never forget this

[Fevrover]

48 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

Yes, we must never forget this

Seems like SL chairmen have.