Future has never been brighter for rugby league

 
The Crowd Roar Pro

By Paul J, 1 Dec 2009 The Crowd is a Roar Pro

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Referee Ben Cummins sends David Fa'alogo to the bin with captain Roy Asotasi in the centre in the NRL Rugby League Round 25 South Sydney Rabbitohs v Sydney Roosters at Sydney Olympic Stadium, Saturday, September 1st, 2007. Sydney Roosters 26 bt South Sydney 12. AAP Image/Action Photographics/Colin Whelan

Referee Ben Cummins sends David Fa'alogo to the bin with captain Roy Asotasi in the centre in the NRL Rugby League Round 25 South Sydney Rabbitohs v Sydney Roosters at Sydney Olympic Stadium, Saturday, September 1st, 2007. Sydney Roosters 26 bt South Sydney 12. AAP Image/Action Photographics/Colin Whelan

About six weeks ago, Masters and Magnay, among others, broke the news that an independent commission was looking increasingly likely, with News Ltd agreeing to finally walk away from the game and with the NRL clubs themselves being very keen on the new leadership model.

This was quite a revelation for League fans who had heard only distant rumours of an independent commission coming into play. Although some fans and media personalities such as Phil Gould backed the idea, there was no real time frame given with some fans assuming it could still be years away.

With David Gallop giving away as much information as a Russian spy, it was hard to know what the NRL had in store for fans in regards to the independent commission, expansion and the next television rights deal.

Was it to be the case of more banged heads on brick walls?

From seemingly out of nowhere last Sunday, rugby league fans were treated to another bomb shell – not only was there serious work been done behind the scenes to get an independent commission up and running, but we could expect the new leadership model possibly before Christmas.

If not, then definitely in time for the 2010 NRL season kick off.

After years of bickering between the many rugby league governing bodies, and then the knock down punch of the News Ltd led Super League war, the thought of a unified governing body free of internal disputes and conflicts of interest seemed just too good to be true.

After all, isn’t rugby league the peoples game that is supposed to show working class resilience to hit after hit by always climbing back up off the canvas for more?

Suddenly rugby league fans have a new found confidence and a spring in their step that has not been seen since the early nineties. And even back then, the Tina Turner led confidence did not hold the huge potential that fans can genuinely enjoy today.

The arguments are not now if rugby league can make more money, but how much more, and how quickly?

Admittedly the new independent commission is not completely perfect.

There is still one solitary dinosaur left from the ARL in Colin Love. However, he will be guaranteed the role of Chairman for only the first two years and will be working with eight independent commissioners who have never worked for News Ltd or the ARL.

And we don’t know by how much the Melbourne Storms’ six million dollar annual loss will decrease when they move into the new stadium next year.

If the Storm are not at least breaking even in three years when the funds from the new TV rights deal comes into effect, how will the other 15 or 17 other clubs feel if the Storm are still needing some extra money to cover costs into the immediate future?

But the many pros overwhelmingly outweigh the few cons.

News Ltd can no longer use its co-ownership of the NRL to short change rugby league on future TV rights deals.

All clubs, including struggling clubs like Cronulla and Newcastle, can expect larger and equal yearly grants from the independent commission.

Industry heavyweights within the commission can use an impartial and commonsense approach to where expansion should go to give rugby league an extra game to sell in the next TV rights deal.

The next TV broadcast rights deal itself will be negotiated with far more insight and business nonce than the last one with predictions of “most lucrative ever” to “possibly one billion dollars”.

This will be by far the greatest leadership structure rugby league has ever had in this country. Within fifteen turbulent years, we will have gone from the very bad old days to the very, very good days.

The future has never been brighter.

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