Saints' McManus hits out at RFL over running of sport

St Helens chairman Eamonn McManus joined the board of RL Commercial in the off season between the 2024 and 2025 seasons

St Helens chairman Eamonn McManus has criticised a "shameful" and "clearly co-ordinated campaign to undermine" the new interim head of the Rugby Football League (RFL).

Earlier this month, ex-RFL chief executive Nigel Wood returned to the governing body to lead a "club-led strategic review" after the resignation of chairman Simon Johnson.

Two more RFL directors then resigned, citing concerns over governance, and "historic behaviour and culture", as the turmoil at the top of the sport intensified.

But McManus says Wood has his full support, and would tackle the game's "many recent abject failures".

In a strongly worded statement released by his club, McManus said he "had been rendered dizzy by the self-congratulatory resignations from the board of the RFL recently".

He also referred to "tiresomely predictable anonymous open letters, without quoting a scintilla of fact or backed by a shred of evidence, referring to misogyny and governance models".

"We clearly seek to be the best governed bankrupt sport in the world," he added.

McManus added that:

• The RFL critically needs "immediate change and improvement"

• The decision to play a recent fixture between England and world champions Australia, where the Lionesses lost 90-4, was "insane"

• Super League clubs and their owners "are not getting value for money" from the RFL "and have witnessed a major destruction in shareholder value"

St Helens - who lost to Warrington on Friday - are the most successful club in the Super League era, and were champions four years in succession between 2019 and 2022.

But McManus, who has been owner and chairman since 2002, said that in the past four years, clubs had suffered "a £30m-per-year downturn in the financial performance of our sport".

In 2022, the RFL and Super League realigned, having separated in 2018, but the sport has been grappling with financial issues.

Earlier this month, the RFL reimposed salary cap restrictions on Salford Red Devils amid a protracted takeover and issues with wage payments. The game has also suffered from a fall in the value of media rights deals.

McManus said during his previous tenure at the RFL, Wood "had negotiated four broadcast deals, each of which doubled in value that of its predecessor".

He added: "Each year the RFL broke even or was profitable, and each year the central distributions to clubs increased: heady days indeed."

McManus criticised a fixture between the England's women team and Australia in Las Vegas earlier this month, which ended with the "national humiliation" of a record 90-4 defeat for the Lionesses.

"Unsurprisingly, no-one assumed responsibility for the insane decision to hold this fixture and thereby destroy the hard-earned confidence and exuberance of our girls," McManus said.

The RFL declined to comment.

On Friday, the governing body announced a new interim board following the recent series of resignations, saying that it had "worked closely with Sport England to ensure steps taken are acceptable" and "therefore avoiding any immediate risk to funding streams through non-compliance".

Johnson had resigned after nearly six years in the role amid a revolt by some Super League clubs who had wanted him to stand down.

The chairmen of Leigh Leopards and Leeds Rhinos then issued a joint statement referring to "a growing amount of unrest over the direction of, and some decision-making of the RFL".