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Melbourne Storm fans can rest assured they don’t have a ‘yes’ man in charge of their club. It would be easy for new Storm CEO Ron Gauci to be timid in his dealings with the NRL, after all the club did drag the code through the mud for months.
But in an interview with me on Sky News this week, the man who walked into the toughest job in Australian sport, showed he’s intent on making his mark.
While everyone saw the Storm as a basket case in the wake of the salary cap scandal, Gauci saw it as an opportunity to fix something that was severely in need of repair.
He is a problem solver. He thrives on challenges and has taken on one massive task. He admits he has no previous connection to rugby league or sports administration for that matter, but that has now changed. The rugby league bug has bitten him – hard.
He senses the mood of the fans and wants the Storm to prosper within the limits set before it by the games’ governing body.
During our 40-minute chat, you can sense he wants to not just be another faceless CEO. He really wants to leave his mark – not just on the Melbourne Storm, but also on the game in Victoria.
1. He wants the NRL to raise the salary cap to a level in line with its competitors.
Previously that would’ve been a touchy subject with those at NRL HQ given the Storm had trampled all over the previous boundary set in place by David Gallop and Ian Schubert. But a lift in the cap is coming so he’s likely to get his wish there.
2. Gauci would like to see the Storm receive more concessions within that new cap limit.
There will be those who are unwilling to forgive the club for its past sins, but if the game is to be strong then the Melbourne Storm must be strong. Gauci says all the research tells him that his club has immense potential in its market, but help is required.
Can you really argue with this? Why shouldn’t the Storm receive a little helping hand? Look at the concessions the Gold Coast Suns and team GWS are getting! The Brisbane Lions also got the golden treatment when they formed.
The one thing that never seemed right to me during the whole saga was the fact they, in part, breached the cap so significantly because they were trying to hold on to players they had developed from teenagers into superstars.
The cap doesn’t reward good scouting and development, but only punishes good deeds in that regard. I also say breached in part, because obviously this wasn’t the only factor that saw them rack up a huge wage bill.
3. Gauci would like to see the introduction of a second team in Melbourne.
Not now, but perhaps in 10-years. He points to the fact that the AFL’s strategy has always been to give an expansion team a rival at their doorstep.
The Adelaide Crows have Port Adelaide, West Coast has Fremantle, Brisbane fans will soon hate the Gold Coast Suns while games between the Sydney Swans and team GWS should attract a fair crowd at ANZ Stadium.
Most would see sharing their emerging slice of the Melbourne market as madness. Gauci sees it as sound strategy. Melbourne Victory fans would you disagree?
4. A third team in State of Origin is also on the wish-list.
Yes, that team is Victoria. The big V would take on Queensland and New South Wales in the NRL’s showpiece event. This would be aided in the long run by the introduction of a proper Victorian rugby league academy. I would also suggest that residency rules would help.
For example if a player has spent 5 to 7 years in Melbourne then he would be eligible to play for Victoria in State of Origin. That figure is obviously open to debate.
Some of these ideas may seem a bit far-fetched, but the game shouldn’t discourage big thinkers. They need them if the code is to continue to be successful.
You can follow luke on twitter @luke_doherty and on Sky News Australia.
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