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We are told the ARLC is poised to announce its new CEO, and if that’s the case, I offer a suggestion for the incoming boss for his first day on the job.
Put on your size 10 or 12 shoes and visit each of the league’s media managers, giving each a meaningful kick in the backside as a prompt to keep their collective minds on the job.
Over the past two weeks I have heard that media members, particularly from newspapers, were denied access to pre-season training runs of the Tigers, Panthers and Roosters.
In my mind, that is incredibly hard to believe at a time when there is little or no tangible pressure on the clubs, many of whom are currently welcoming new player recruits while all are supposedly accelerating their membership drives for 2013.
Here are some questions that demand answers from those who slammed the gates shut in front of the pen and notebook brigade:
How could any no-go zone possibly effect the clubs who have had their end of season vacations and are now back at work?
Wouldn’t the clubs’ many and varied sponsors welcome a little off season publicity to keep their companies/products in the eye of the league-loving public?
Didn’t the league community learn anything from the fiasco that followed Canterbury’s PR disaster in the wake of the grand final?
Would new chum soccer and AFL clubs, the Wanderers and Giants, shun any media attention or would they roll out a red carpet of welcome to those willing to devote some time and column space to their club, their players and their endeavours?
To be fair, I did a little digging on the subject and learned that a couple of media managers were away on holidays when the media men came knocking.
But really that’s not good enough for a professional, mainstream sport that should have stand-ins available when the athletes are back on the training paddock.
I wonder if our rugby league clubs have become a tad complacent with their recent windfall from headquarters thanks to the television deal.
I also wonder if these same clubs are only willing to do what is necessary to do just enough to keep their heads above water, ignoring the big picture that maximum exposure means more dollars for the kitty.
Perhaps the clubs have decided that newspapers are no longer an important source of promotion, relying on social media such as Twitter, Facebook and their own websites to deliver their news and information.
All who read The Roar are aware there is an ongoing ‘battle’ between all sports for the hearts, minds and support of fans around the nation.
Media bans or media shutouts do not achieve anything, especially for a code such as League in the month of November.
I cannot speak for you, but there are a number of new coaches saddling up at clubs and even at this time of year, I’d like to know more about how they see the job ahead, and how they are assessing their player stocks.
If, for example, Trent Robinson walked down your street today would you be able to recognise him? Who is he, some might be asking.
He’s the new Roosters coach but his media staffers apparently want him to be the code’s best kept secret.
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