Im not so quick to dismiss Carmichael, he has turned the Reds around financially since he came on board, he was appointed CEO in November 2009 which was the year the Reds posted a $3million operating loss and $7million in liabilities, If it weren't for the ARU providing them with a loan they would have been effectively insolvent for the 2010 season. Since 2010 the QRU have posted around $6million in collective profits and i believe the 2015 annual report will indicate they have paid off their existing debt.
Carmichael is a man with an AFL background and taking up the Reds CEO role was his first foray into rugby union, so it makes me wonder, if Carmichael was individually responsible for reappointing RG, under what allegiance did he do it? Carmichael had never worked with RG, he had never played alongside RG and he didn't go to school with RG, heck apart from the other board members at the QRU he didn't even have the same friends as RG. So it makes me wonder, who was the person pushing for RG because i don't for a second believe that it was Carmichael.