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Rugby League chief executive David Gallop answers questions at a media conference. AAP Image/Paul Miller
The highly anticipated rugby league Independent Commission has finally been agreed to by all parties and will commence in November this year. Here are some changes rugby league can expect from this new improved leadership model.
1. Negotiate a far better TV broadcast deal.
In 2007, when the NRL negotiated the most lucrative TV broadcast deal in rugby league history, some fans thought it was a great achievement. It took only 12 months for the AFL Independent Commission to show just how poorly they had actually done.
When rugby league negotiates its next TV broadcast rights deal in 2013, things will be very different. They will sell the ‘product’ separately, i.e. regular season, final series, State of Origin, Internationals, Toyota Cup.
They will offer these individual products to the highest bidders from all the FTA networks and Foxtel. They will have a fixed season schedule and should enjoy favourable changes in the anti-siphoning laws.
2. Negotiate prime time local FTA coverage for the Storm (and then The Western Reds).
The network executives at Seven and Ten do not continue to show Swans and Lions games prime time in Sydney and Brisbane, despite the poor ratings, because they are passionate AFL fans (although some of them may well be).
The reason network executives at Nine refuse to show Storm games prime time in Melbourne is not because of some evil conspiracy to destroy rugby league.
Seven and Ten show those games prime time because the AFL negotiated a TV broadcast contact that forces them to do it. The NRL did not negotiate this for the Storm. This will change with their next TV broadcast rights deal.
3. Expand to Perth and Central Coast in 2013-15.
A couple of years into the new NRL TV broadcast rights deal, the NRL will expand the competition to 18 teams.
They will go to Perth for the same reason – and with the same attitude – that the AFL has gone to Western Sydney. It will be a long, expensive process, funded by future broadcast deals, but well worth the effort.
It will allow the NRL independent commission far greater leverage for future negotiating with the networks when they have teams in Australia’s four biggest cities.
Central Coast is as much about reconciliation as expansion.
They are leading all other bids, are in rugby league heartland, and their inclusion will correct the injustice of the dreaded super league war that outed a foundation team in the bears.
4. Raise club grants and the salary cap.
The increase in revenue will be spent by providing increased equal grants to all clubs and allowing an increase in the salary cap. This will allow more players to stay in the NRL, as opposed to going to Super League or rugby chasing the almighty dollar.
There is some defence for the NRL negotiating so poorly with the networks in 2007. There were only 15 teams (the Titans were an unproven commodity).
The ratings weren’t quite as good as they are now (there was no Toyota cup coverage on Foxtel or Monday night football for example).
The NRL was run by the spiteful marriage of News Ltd and the ARL and not an Independent Commission.
The NRL had not yet been shown by the AFL Independent Commission (who were shown by the NFL independent commission) how to screw the networks at the negotiating table.
So much relies on the next TV broadcast rights deal. This time around, rugby league will have the knowledge and the leadership to get it right.
The only bad news for fans?
You will have to wait another three long years before the next broadcast deal begins.
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