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With his retirement after four studious years of screening phone calls from News Corp, the last 24 hours have seen the tributes for outgoing CEO David Smith flowing deservedly from rugby league – and when I say rugby league, I mean some of rugby league. Definitely not all of it.
For a man who’d never had the pleasure of being party to the unique migraine of rugby league administration, I’ve got to say that Smith handled the bumps and bruises of the job rather astutely. Of rugby league’s rich history of bumbling CEOs, he’s definitely not the worst.
New standards at head office have been set on his watch. From all reports, he was always punctual and hygienic, and ultimately, he didn’t blow anything up that wouldn’t require council approval to repair. So it’s a pass mark for mine.
In a working-class game, Smith brought some much needed European class and cachet to the job. He wore designer glasses, used flashy business jargon and flooded the organisation with luxury car use, all the while maintaining a safe distance from the people.
In the end, despite the occasional monthly faux pas, the Welshman’s commercial nous and influence left the game enriched. And I mean literally, because the thing is totally flush nowadays and would probably wear a grill if it were a person.
Yes, this will be the former banker’s legacy in league; his unparalleled pecuniary tekkers. It was of such shrewd brilliance that it allowed him to create new and meaningless executive roles at the NRL while also ensuring the majority of the insolvent clubs were not as insolvent as they used to be.
However, his time does not go with spotless approval.
Pockets of the public wildly celebrated his decision to hand over the keys, and while nobody burned effigies in the street, most did take to social media to attribute blame on Smith for everything from rule changes to the referees crisis and slow internet speeds.
Whatever side of the ledger you sit, you can’t deny the Smith regime had its fair share of memorable monetary moments. However, besides other admirable achievements, there were also stacks of stuff-ups. Which was your favourite of the era?
The TV deal
Smith secured another mass injection of funds with his recent TV deal, signing off on an agreement with Channel Nine to allow them to continue kicking off games whenever they bloody well please at the rate of $925 million.
It was a bloody good deal, bar the fact it pissed off Rupert Murdoch, paled in comparison to the AFL’s astronomical agreement, and was eventually left to remain half-finished upon the CEO’s retirement.
Besides that, bloody good deal.
Name dropping
Upon his appointment in 2012, the new CEO laid his cards on the table – when it came to the grand game of rugby league and its past, he knew nothing. Not a thing about Joey, nor anything about State of Origin or toey humans or Schlossy’s shoe. Absolute squat. (Poor choice of word.)
However, citing our unshakeable belief in the ability of rugby league’s global appeal to ferret-out even the most ardent ignoramuses, we didn’t believe him for a second. After all, this is rugby league, the game of planetary superstars like Mark ‘Mr Worldwide’ O’Neill and international Corey Pearson.
But when he was unable to recognise Cameron Smith, but did know of a bloke called Benji Barba, we believed him.
Fining Paul Gallen
What happened to the good old days when you could call your boss a c*** in front of millions of people? Not only was Smith’s $50,000 fine of Gallen a sign of a man out of touch with the everyday Bali-going bourbon-drinker, it was a hammerblow to free speech. Plain and simple.
Perhaps the dictatorship of a people’s republic would be more up your alley next time, Mr Smith?
E-Squared
In the early stages of his stint, Smith showed his unwavering belief in rugby league as a viable stand-alone product by proposing every game be enhanced by live music and jumping castles. While this ‘Entertainment Squared’ plan was roundly mocked, funnily enough the CEO did eventually get his proposed circus at all live games, but unfortunately it was in the video referees box.
Sanitisation of the game
Smith had a morbid obsession with player safety and eliminating violence. Firstly, he outlawed punching after Paul Gallen repeatedly pounded the acreage atop Nate Myles’ shoulders on live TV in Australia’s highest rating broadcast for the year. Following this, he flicked the shoulder charge when retired footballers came forth with small problems relating to remembering their own names.
His disinfection of the game’s thuggish neanderthal qualities in an attempt to drag its image up to 21st century standards was a complete buzzkill. He’s so out of touch, it’s like player welfare is actually a thing to him?
The drugs scandal
Instead of spending his time on more important things like sourcing a ferris wheel that could fit into ANZ Stadium, Smith was lumped with navigating the unchartered minefield of a government-bumbled drug saga that assimilated the game with shady critters like Steven Dank and ASADA.
However, this godforsaken two-year episode wasn’t a complete catastrophe.
Despite the tragedy of an irreversible black eye for the game, not to mention the health hazards the players were exposed to and the anguish it caused everyone in rugby league, it was eventually deemed a winner when all agreed that Smith handled the imbroglio better than the AFL.