More Lowe blows from dithering Manly board

You can only hope so Oikee Doikee, you must be sick of Manly grinding the Miniature Ponies into the ground eh? Look at the score board:- Manly Premiers 2011!!

There are arguments for and against NEWS owning the NRL, but I think in 2011 it's weights more towards the argument of 'against' and that's why NEWS wants out. As we all know they moved into the game in order to shore up content for FOXTEL. They set up teams in Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide to give the game a national footprint. NEWS motivation has never been altruistic, it's always been commercial. It didn't go to these cities to expand the game for the good of the game but rather to get pay TV subscriptions in these states. In 1997 it became evident that these cities weren't quite ready for League. Had Super League succeeded NEWS would have supported the Reds and the Rams as they have done the Storm; however they had spent so much in the war they withdrew from Perth and Adelaide. They persisted with Melbourne principally  because it is a very large market and they wanted more Pay TV subscriptions in that state.  The A-league on Foxtel was the next hope to bring in more pay TV subscriptions nationally this has been moderately successful. Their final throw of the dice was spending big on the AFL in the recent TV deal. When they bid for the NRL in the next TV deal they will have secured the national reach (albeit across 2 sports) that they wanted when they set out in setting up Super League. You'd have to ask yourself now, what's in it for NEWS to own the NRL now they achieve their pay TV subscription reach? They only wanted to own the RL because they didn't want a rival to take the content from them. They won't be as keen as they were previously to expand RL into new Australian territories (Perth, Adelaide) because they now have a subscription market there with AFL subscribers.  If RL wants to grow it has to go it alone now. It won't need NEWS (or another suitor) when it gets it's next TV deal. The problem at the moment is that the IC will be geared towards the clubs and for the most part they are interested in their own backyard rather than the bigger picture. As you said it's doubtful it will be truly independent.  If the IC can overcome this and focus on grassroots development (which the QRL was advocating) and expand the game nationally (Perth) the game will do well. Currently there is too much self interest in the game. Time will tell if the IC eliminates this or if the chairs on the deck are just moved. They've got the money. They need a single body or a well integrated one that ensures the game is viewed from the grassroots up.

SO you are saying p.tah you regret news limited to still have a continued major influence in rugby league in OZ in the future. Coz i can't see any 1 else coming to the table. And i am not a fan of the IC for all sorts of reasons but i won't go there. i simply do not see how an IC can work independently in privately run sports comp way ot many conflicts of interests, and no need to. But do you if you had it your way kick news ltd out of rugby league, and if so who do you suggest run rugby league, do you want rugby league to return to the days of ARL, NSWRL, and people like Arko who has been in the news all day, george pigeons,john quail these type of men running rugby league again p.tah. now aussies have been educated about the benefits of pay tv foxtel as 1 example, i could not imagine mass like the save souths campaign again in rugby league or any club supporting a ARL run comp. Fans in OZ including me have now been educated that sport at least pro sport is a business and making money and profit comes first for players and for the investors. Just look how demanding the NBA players are getting greedy players if you ask me , but they have a right to demand big money may not get it though. The rugby league model of not allowing super league on pay tv totally was a constraint on trade for the players. the players had every right to sign for any comp they want but the anti siphoning laws still prevent a totally pay tv run rugby league, unlike Aleauge soccer, or super 15. FOx got a great deal form the AFL all matches next year on pay tv running simaltounsly live with the ones on free to air. SO fox will be able to show the grand final i assume with there own commentators, great win for pay tv in OZ and a real kick up the boot of the federal govts ant siphoning laws p tah. I hope the govt let soccer int his country run freely and not put to much pressure on the FFA to sell tv rights for less on soccer world cup matches, the FFA is very worried about this govt pressure at the next tv deal. I hope super 15 is free to run as it pleases to with out anti siphoning restrictions if it gets moor popular.

Johnno, after the war Rugby league didn't have a choice. It was acrimonious partnership. It's amazing the game has done as well as it has. Let's hope the IC can put the game back on track.

Geez they chuck that "Expert" tag around like lollies these days.. Dont they Dave?

Interesting to compare Super League to A-League & ARC it was radical at the time and it had a good idea in theory just the wrong people to do it and if anything league should of done it's 'reboot' in the 80's when it expanded in Newcastle, Canberra, Brisbane,etc during the 80's. If anything the NSW teams would survive in the NSWRL while a competition above it would represent the areas you mention sheek, so overall minimizing much damage as possible by keeping those clubs alive.

Manly and the dinosaur Arko will be gone soon. The breaking up of Manly is in place now. Next step is Shubert with his audit book. Their will be no tears, the Bears will be revived and Manly will just slide into the sea. While league fans rejoice for bringing back the Bears, Manly will quickly be forgotten,.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, isn't it. Superleague was A-League before it ever happened, & Superleague was the ARC before that ever happened also. 14 teams. One team from each of Brisbane, North Qld, Newcastle, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth & NZ. Six teams from Sydney. They would have been better going with completely new franchises - say North-East (Norths & Manly), Greater West (Parramatta & Penrith) , South-West (Canterbury & Cronulla), South-East (Souths & St.George), East Coast (Easts & Newtown) & Central Sydney (Balmain & Wests), but give them more appropriate names. Meanwhile those famous club names could have continued to exist in the Metropolitan Cup, or whatever. But the Sydney clubs wouldn't cop it, precisely the same thing happened with the ARC. Neither rugby league nor rugby union will fulfill its potential until Sydney realises it's no longer the centre of their respective universes (sports).

And Mals, Those reputedly going with Hasler, aren't strong enough individuals to make up their own mind.....? I would never have thought Noel Cleal to be a sheep......??? Loyalty is a two-way street. There is often an even bigger requirement of management to show their staff loyalty. They are the ones who set the standards & supposedly lead by example. If I were a player, coach, or coaching staff assistant at Manly right now, I would feel no obligation to stay. The place is being run by imbeciles.

P.tah you say wrong stake holders driving it, super league was instigated by news limited and the are the major player now in rugby league. So has rugby league still got it wrong p.tah by having new ltd as a major stakeholder.

Norths sunk money into Central Coast Stadium not into the merger. Norths were insolvent at the time of the merger hence the shot gun marriage with Manly. Where did i say Manly are fantastic?

So Mals, If Norths were such a bad club and Manly were so damned fantastic, where is the money then? You know, the several million that Norths took into the partnership, as opposed to debt that Manly took in? Ooops, sorry we aren't supposed to talk about that are we?

Lordy, I would even take this argument back before Lowe's tenure. Go back to 2007 - 2009 when Grant Mayer was CEO and ran an excellent ship. He had them operating at a profit. Since he was disgracefully walked by the Delmege faction of the Board the Club has been losing money. The fact Hasler was able to deliver another premiership despite the carnage at Board level is a massive achievement. We have seen what turmoil at Board level does to some Clubs particularly Parramatta yet Hasler was able to shield the players away from it. That is the sign of a great coach and the recruiting / development prowess of Crusher. This was never going to end well once Hasler agreed to sign with the Dogs, it's untenable for a coach to remain while he is working / planning for his future employer. I can understand the angst Manly fans have in regards to some players potentially joining Hasler and his coaching team. As you rightly pointed out, the Board had ample opportunity to re-sign him earlier in the year and should have given him the coin he wanted. Had they done this we would be discussing Manly's premiership defence instead of this fall out.

Central Coast Sea Eagles... has a nice ring to it ;) Blue Tongue with a silver tail...

How do insolvent companies still manage to purchase clubs (Tweed Seagulls) and build stadiums (Bluetongue)? Either Norths weren't insolvent and some people made them out to be or they obviously didn't want to spend a dollar on football operations....

Lost Earthing - North Sydney destroyed themselves through insolvency and a lack of onfield success - only 2 premierships (in the 1920s) in 90 years!!.

In hindsight the concept of Super League was good. It would have given the game the professional structure it needs. Just wrong execution and wrong stakeholders driving it...

They destroyed North Sydney, now they destroy themselves. Karma...

I see what you are saying Sheek - it is just a big coincidence that Des leaves Manly for Canterbury then a fair proportion of his assistants leave and go to the same club as him. Nope don't think so. Des needs to be an instant success at Canterbury - the easiest way for him to do this is to take his assistants and key players with him. Look at how the Dogs treated Folkes, Moore & now Dymock, they have no loyalty to their own so they will have even less loyalty to an outsider like Hasler.

Its funny but 14 years ago when Super League was born, everyone was against it (even the people who supported clubs who signed with S/L, they just wanted to stick solid with their club), but evryone was outraged at the audacity of someone coming in and pulling the league apart and starting a new competition. But i tell you if it happened again tomorrow (someone with a good business model wanted to start a new league) their would be fewer people outraged...