Re: Rush new CEO : Tue Apr 16, 2013 3:13 pm  

Allez wrote:

Ridiculous appointment. He may be good and well respected at what he did previously but this? Our Chairman has completely lost the plot. If, as per the announcement, he actually believes the tripe he's spouted about Rush's experience being ideal for the role, then he's deluded.

Rush is a rugby man - he should stick to rugby.

McManus is a Finance guy - he should stick to Finance.

Wilkin is a back rower - he should stick to being a back rower

A CEO needs to be a commercially astute, strategic thinker with expertise in every area. We may as well have appointed St Bernard.

I am even more worried about our future with our Chairman's current antics.

Just to temper this somewhat, the most successful CEO in Super League is Gary Hetherington, who is a rugby man.

Re: Rush new CEO : Tue Apr 16, 2013 3:16 pm  

Dux wrote:

Just to temper this somewhat, the most successful CEO in Super League is Gary Hetherington, who is a rugby man.

I dont really know his background that well but he is a smart cookie who had plenty experience with Administration before taking over at Leeds i.e. setting up Sheffield Eagles

Re: Rush new CEO : Tue Apr 16, 2013 3:21 pm  

Dux wrote:

Just to temper this somewhat, the most successful CEO in Super League is Gary Hetherington, who is a rugby man.

That's a fair point but bear in mind that Hetherington cut his teeth in building a business with Sheffield Eagles before being appointed as CEO of one of the SL's premier clubs. Hence my point about appointing someone with a track record.

Interestingly, and to make it even more baffling, look at our previous CEO's in Sean McGuire and Tony Colquitt. Both, even on the basis of face validity alone, had some experience of doing what CEO's do.

For the record, I have nothing against Mike Rush. I don't know him and I'd love to be proved wrong, but I just can't get my head around why we'd do this.

Re: Rush new CEO : Tue Apr 16, 2013 3:24 pm  

One of the many current interesting choices from McManus?

Re: Rush new CEO : Tue Apr 16, 2013 3:36 pm  

Allez wrote:

That's a fair point but bear in mind that Hetherington cut his teeth in building a business with Sheffield Eagles before being appointed as CEO of one of the SL's premier clubs. Hence my point about appointing someone with a track record.

Interestingly, and to make it even more baffling, look at our previous CEO's in Sean McGuire and Tony Colquitt. Both, even on the basis of face validity alone, had some experience of doing what CEO's do.

For the record, I have nothing against Mike Rush. I don't know him and I'd love to be proved wrong, but I just can't get my head around why we'd do this.

Spot on.

Re: Rush new CEO : Tue Apr 16, 2013 3:49 pm  

Allez wrote:

That's a fair point but bear in mind that Hetherington cut his teeth in building a business with Sheffield Eagles before being appointed as CEO of one of the SL's premier clubs. Hence my point about appointing someone with a track record.

Interestingly, and to make it even more baffling, look at our previous CEO's in Sean McGuire and Tony Colquitt. Both, even on the basis of face validity alone, had some experience of doing what CEO's do.

For the record, I have nothing against Mike Rush. I don't know him and I'd love to be proved wrong, but I just can't get my head around why we'd do this.

I can understand your reservations, but I think there are more similarities between Hetherington's and Rush's backgrounds than you suggest.

Hetherington formed the Eagles after a career as a player and a coach and basically did everything there from coaching to general management, making a pretty good fist of it in the process.

Rush has gone from youth coaching to overseeing the youth programme (no doubt itself a position with a considerable administrative element to it) to general manager. Throw in a spell as head coach and you've got a candidate who has a pretty unique range of perspectives on how the organisation works.

Obviously that doesn't mean he will be a knockout success, but I think it's unfair to suggest he has no relevant expertise.

Re: Rush new CEO : Tue Apr 16, 2013 4:03 pm  

Gary was from a coal mining background and he then sold selling double glazing as well as his rugby playing prowess which was only ever steady. I would imagine the problem is with Mike what do you do with him long term, if the business wants to keep him they need to facilitate his development, and with Eamon you would think the finance angle is in an appropriate place. So can you compare and contrast Mike with Gary its difficult to say but we need a forceful voice at the RFL to combat the Yorkshire bias which is reflected in Ralph Rimmer and Nigel Wood not the most dynamic of individuals which allows Leeds to dictate much of the policy coming out of Red Hall. I wish Mike well in his role

Re: Rush new CEO : Tue Apr 16, 2013 4:43 pm  

Like 99% of our recent recruitments, I am underwhelmed.

Re: Rush new CEO : Tue Apr 16, 2013 4:50 pm  

Allez wrote:

We may as well have appointed St Bernard.

At least he would have been cute!

Re: Rush new CEO : Tue Apr 16, 2013 5:11 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

At least he would have been cute!

Only if you were a bitch.