his wife is crook, but read this from Jeff Miller in the article:
""Richard and I have been discussing the QRU’s future requirements for a couple of months, given the changes that he has implemented here over the past two years."
Yes RR - there can be little doubt that's code for 'by mutual agreement, it's time to move on.....'
From what I can observe the only tangible achievement of R Barker as CEO was major, immediate cost cutting post the J Carmichael era. That was likely essential given the large decline in QRU income from all manner of Reds-related income sources (although ARU grants went up in part compensation).
I said at the time of RB's appointment, he looked to me under-qualified for what was required and there was the yet-again danger signs of his announcement being draped with all his and his family's historical connections with QLD rugby. Just the same refrain we heard re Graham in 2012 and Stiles not too much later.
When you hear that happy song from the QRU it's typically code for 'we like and rate our own brethren far too much for our own good and give its value far too much weight in recruitment'.
Insiders tell me - rightly or wrongly - that there is serious concern at Ballymore that such cutting has gone from muscle fat into deep bone layers and that current resources are not at adequate levels to stand a good chance of protecting rugby's all-levels code market share vs AFL, NRL, soccer.
The risk therefore is that costs have been cut so deep that a vicious circle unfolds wherein revenue keeps falling with the Reds keeping disappointing and yet there is not the resource depth to do anything much about stopping that fall, in marketing or other terms and so the down cycle continues and perhaps exacerbates.
And of course the QRU under Barker took a massive, massive gamble with Thorn, dumping QC (Quade Cooper), and only appointing failed and inexperienced Reds ACs under Thorn. That jury is very much still out. They are predictably trotting out today with Barker gone the 'Brad building a wonderful young team that will take time so please stay with us.....' line but what else can they say with a 2018 Reds w-l% that at 30.7% to date is not significantly better than his predecessors'.
Will a new 'global search' for CEO be now commenced defined by the outer perimeter of the Ballymore car parks?
