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With the build up to the Independent Commission and television rights deal in full swing, I’ve taken a not-so serious look into the future to see how the NRL might progress over the next four years:
November 2010 – IC confirmed with handover date Jan 2011
March 2011 – TV rights deal signed for $1 billion
July 2011 – IC announce expansion to Central Coast and Perth for season 2013.
No surprises … yet!
August 2011 – Ipswich Jets, furious at being overlooked for expansion, initiate a QLD revolt against the NRL, joining the three QLD teams for a breakaway comp commencing 2012.
September 2011 – Central Queensland Bulls, Redcliffe Dolphins, Melbourne Storm and the Wellington Lions (ie, an eight team competition) join breakaway comp. TV rights are sold to SBS3 for $50,000 (five-year deal). Storm and Broncos players agree to zero dollar contracts, admitting its ‘karma’.
September 2011 – the NRL announce that for 2012, the 11 NSW/ACT NRL teams become 13 as St George and Illawarra demerge, and Western Suburbs and Balmain Tigers demerge. Central Coast Bears are fast tracked into the competition, making 14 teams.
October 2011 – NRL announces that for 2013, WA Reds will be accompanied by the return of the Newtown Jets, making a 16 team competition.
2012 – Newtown Jets successfully sue Ipswich Jets for using their logo in a premier competition. Crowds, TV ratings and merchandise sales in the NRL highest ever.
2013 – In a peace deal, Newtown Jets relocate to Ipswich and remaining breakaway teams are readmitted to a 24 competition, with each team playing each other once per year and stand alone weeks for State of Origin.
2014 – TV rights deal renegotiated to two billion due to highest ratings ever.
Aftermath – David Gallop claims the whole ‘war’ was a deliberate plan concoted by a proactive NRL. AFL boss Andrew Demetriou concedes the NRL were just too forward-thinking for him, and pulls the GWS out of the AFL competition.
The journey may not unfold exactly as described, but the end result is all that counts.
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