IRL ‘concerned’ by RFL crisis as feelings on Nigel Wood made clear

Troy Grant and the International Rugby League have admitted they are ‘saddened’ and ‘concerned’ by developments surrounding the Rugby Football League after Simon Johnson’s exit.

Johnson has agreed to step aside immediately after Wednesday’s crucial Council meeting, in which proposals will be discussed about the prospect of bringing back Nigel Wood as interim chair – despite the sport paying him over £300,000 for him to leave as CEO just a few years ago.

Johnson was intending to remain in post until the end of the current year, but developments – including a meeting with key club officials on Monday – have accelerated his departure. The clubs in question will now push through the appointment of a new implementation committee that will look at the governance of the sport.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, they want Wood to head up that committee.

But the IRL have now had their say on the matter – expressing concern about the situation and the latest developments, while reserving praise for Johnson in the process: before a clear swipe at Wood too.

“Simon has been a wonderful contributor to the rebuilding of International Rugby League as part of the new board who inherited an organisation that suffered a telling period of selfish amateur administration, lack of vision and strategy and poor governance,” Grant said.

Wood previously held positions as both the chair and the CEO of the IRL.

“With his fellow Directors, he helped guide and navigate the organisation through the pandemic period and made a meaningful contribution to the organisation’s rebuild structurally, operationally, and financially.”

Grant also reiterated that the continued strengthening of relations between Australian and English officials was in part down to Johnson.

“Simon has been instrumental in building the strong relationships that now exist between the Australian Rugby League Commission and Rugby Football League fostering a close personal and working relationship with ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys,” Grant said.

“This relationship has seen record investment back into the international game, regular tours of southern hemisphere teams in Tonga and Samoa to England in recent years and the historic return of the Kangaroos tour to England in the Autumn of 2025.

“Simon is deeply admired and respected by his fellow IRL Board Directors, and my friend will be greatly missed. He has been a wonderful Deputy Chair to me, who was always fully supportive with the highest integrity, decency, and has always acted in the game’s best interests.

“I will miss him dearly as sound counsel and only wish him every success in the future.”

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