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Now, rugby league needs a leader

David Smith is on his way out. (AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Roar Guru
23rd October, 2015
18

In the Australian Rugby League Commission’s great impetus to modernise the governance of the game in Australia, it neglected to sell its admirable vision to the stakeholders and invite them along.

Instead of bringing the game together behind the ARLC, the lack of communication and consultation has isolated it from its constituents. Clubs feel patronised and ignored, players feel brushed off and not taken seriously, grassroots feel neglected, the media feel frustrated and the fans are left feeling a deep sense of malaise and confusion.

Outgoing CEO Dave Smith achieved some wonderful things for the game during his three years in charge. Non-broadcast revenues have grown by almost 50 per cent, touch football is now strategically aligned with the NRL and women’s rugby league has received unprecedented recognition and growth.

Furthermore, government relations have improved markedly with the formation of the parliamentary friend of rugby league, $1.6 billion in funding has been secured for rugby league stadiums in NSW, the game’s finances have been boosted by $100 million in cumulative operating surpluses recorded over the last two years and the game has this year signed a record $925 million free-to-air broadcast rights agreement with Channel Nine.

However, despite these laudable achievements, the game remains frustrated. Clubs are pushing for more of the NRL’s increasing revenues to be directed their way, yet there is still no long-term funding agreement after more than twelve months of negotiations with the NRL.

This has provoked club accusations of the NRL’s indifference to their demands and yet to be fulfilled promises to improve communication with the clubs.

The RLPA had also been seeking discussions with the NRL into reviewing the player’s share of the games growing revenues, as agreed to under the collective bargaining agreement. A resolution was finally achieved in September, six months after the RLPA had originally opened discussions with the NRL and only after player threats to boycott the Dally M Awards amid accusations their demands were not being taken seriously.

While welcoming the $1.6-billion dollar investment into stadiums in Sydney, confusion reigns among clubs in regards to the NRL’s long term stadium policy and what it means for them, pointing at a lack of consultation by the NRL during the process.

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A sense of pride swept the game after it was announced that a record free-to-air broadcast deal had been reached that would see four games live each round on Channel Nine. However, in the days and weeks that followed the announcement familiar accusations against the NRL of a lack of consultation in the process has been made by News Corp, owners of Fox Sports.

While the accusations by News Corp have rightly been met with much cynicism and suspicion it is difficult to ignore the underlining pattern of behaviour presented by the NRL in dealing with its stakeholders.

In announcing Dave Smith’s resignation last week, ARLC Chairman John Grant made the point that the attraction of the commission in hiring Smith was his qualities as a ‘change agent’.

There is little doubt that the administration of the game at all levels was in desperate need of modernisation and up-skilling after a decade of neglect under the untenable News Corp/ARL partnership.

The game had just formed its first ever independent commission and signed $1.2 billion in broadcast rights, it needed to build a professional administration befitting a business the size and scope of the NRL.

However, change agents are not patient, they are appointed on short-term contracts to transition an organisation into a new phase of existence. Dave Smith was not hired to be diplomatic, he was hired to instil a large degree of change within a short amount of time and in doing so the games stakeholders were not lead, they were told.

You know what they call a leader with no followers? Just a guy taking a walk.

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Rugby league now needs a leader.

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