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In stark contrast to AFL’s head first dive into rugby league heartland, the NRL must finally decide if it wishes to be a truly national competition and provide a blueprint for its existence ten and twenty years from now.
As it stands, it is hard to envisage the NRL, version 2020 or even 2030, in any different form to which it currently exists with just three states represented, a token Kiwi outfit and the Melbourne Storm the sole provider of the rugby league brand in the second biggest broadcast market in the country.
A decision must be made whether to follow the AFL’s lead and strike out into non-traditional rugby league regions.
Rather than now questioning the future viability of the Storm, talk should have long been of when a second franchise could eventually emerge in Victoria.
Andrew Demetriou has put his leadership of the AFL on the line with aggressive expansion plans into West Sydney and the Gold Coast. The FFA have generated massive interest in football with a genuinely national competition with five states represented and growing regions in North Queensland, the Gold Coast and now a second Melbourne outfit all given a berth.
The NRL administration appear to lack vision and ambition. The status quo seems good enough.
Despite creating significant controversy, the AFL assisted both Brisbane and Sydney to carve out niche markets in QLD and NSW.
For the Swans, in particular, it took more than 20 years to cement their place in the Sydney sporting landscape but never did the old VFL, now AFL, give up on the venture.
It is hard to imagine the NRL being prepared to support the WA Reds or Adelaide Rams for two decades until they take hold in their respective emerging markets. Former incarnations of both teams were rapidly killed off amidst the Super League debacle.
Even the Storm received no allowances when they entered the competition in 1998. A sink or swim approach existed and not much has changed.
Melbourne Storm’s disgraceful rorts average an additional $340,000 a season over five years.
Just as the Storm appeared in four straight grand finals, so too did arguably the best AFL team in history when the Brisbane Lions achieved the same feat between 2001-04.
The Lions played off for those premierships with an AFL approved $800,000 extra kick in their salary cap.
The Sydney Swans made back to back grand finals and won the 2005 premiership with an extra $600,000, all with complete knowledge and approval by AFL head honchos.
In short, it was one team on grand final day with well over half a million dollars more available to it than its opponent.
It created deep division in AFL circles and drew sharp criticism from the likes of Eddie McGuire and Jeff Kennett.
The payments were labelled as ‘retention’ allowances and argued by the AFL as compensation for the higher cost of living in Sydney and Brisbane.
The truth is the payments were an insurance policy to ensure the success of the Lions and Swans in burgeoning AFL markets.
In doing so, the AFL guaranteed itself a broadcast deal covering all states and territories, eventually totalling $780m with the new deal from 2012 expected to reach $1b over five years.
Provided the money is distributed wisely enough to both fund expansion at the elite level and foster grass roots football, it is terrific leadership by the AFL.
To remain an eastern states based competition is a perfectly reasonable position for the NRL to take. Lacking imagination, in my view, but if that is the extent of their vision, they should be upfront about it.
If instead they have a desire to see rugby league branch beyond its traditional heartland, they should bite the bullet and follow the AFL’s lead.
Yes, it creates an uneven playing field. It is true it is not a completely fair system and the Melbourne Storm, or in time the WA Reds for example, with an extra $340 000 a season will be a tough pill for opposition clubs and supporters to swallow.
But the bigger picture must always be studied. If the NRL is not pushing forward, where is it going?
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