Independent Commission four years in the making, but worth the wait

I disagree, it's never too late What the NRL should worry about is basically Rugby League. If the NRL look after their own backyard and have an eye on the future with expansion, than Rugby league has nothing to worry about. However if the NRL isn't proactive, which they have been accused of in the past, than you can worry! The NRL has a great product. It shouldn't under sell itself. BTW: Gallop is only 46, he looks more like 56!

I think he was referring to St George and Illawarra, not Manly and Norths.

You guys need to realise there is more to RL than just Sydney. You have a blinkered view. Qld has one NRL team per 1.5 million people. If an NRL team was put in Gosford the NSW/ACT ratio would be 1 team per 600,000. Now tell me how that is fair gentleman. Seriously.

Rugby League is a terrific Sport that deserves total exposure across Australia. Let's hope the new Independent Commission ensures this great game is seen everywhere and that we can embrace this wonderful game. Rugby League - the greatest game of all!!!!!!!

'drive a stake into the heart of rugby league' A bit of a hyperbole there it's not like AFL is going to swallow up Western Sydney and kick NRL to the curb the IC is in place now so we go from there.

I think the RL commission might have left their run a tad too late. This commission should have been formed around the same time that the AFL announced its plan to expand the competition into Western Sydney (or Greater Western Sydney)-the rugby league heartland. Unfortunately, the NRL and its clubs spent too much time arguing about the formation of the commisson and what it would do to rugby league. This allowed the AFL to steal a march on the NRL and drive a stake into the heart of rugby league.

The thing that needs removing is David Gallop. David has come to represent the old style, of inaction and of crime and punishment. The man has failed to move Rugby League forward in vital areas of the game and has chosen instead to focus on minutia. He has constantly put off Expansion even though there are parts of the country crying out for it, instead focussing on protectionism for some of the pporly supported suberban clubs in and around Sydney. He has singularly failed at dealing with the channel 9 rugby league coverage issue particularly in Melbourne where it has a club and is supposed to be a major strategic growth area. Meanwhile places like Perth and Adelaide can only dream of watching the odd token match in their local and and maybe an Origin game on TV if they are lucky. This new commision is vitally important in getting our game to where it should be but as long as Gallop is there, they will be forever tarnished with the mistakes and inaction of the past.

Let's be realistic with the IC too not everything will turn to gold for RL all of sudden now it will take time and patience to get the recommended goals required by everyone admin, fans,etc. If the IC work it will pay massive dividends for RL I hope so considering everything RL being through the past decade and so some stability and forward thinking/planning for the future would be nice.

I happen to agree, we need the Bears back so the wounds can finally heal. How we get them back is a different issue. The commission needs to work all this out. If they do their job properly, everyone will end up happy.

The issues Melbourne or Manly have with David are of their own making and I can not think of a RL fan outside of these two clubs that think differently. You really need to move on David as there are more important issue than the commissioners need to focus on than this.

League does not hold any ground on the north shore - Bears fans migrated to Union/AFL, and TV/Fox viewship indicates RL is underwatched on both the north shore and central coast, so your argument falls down. 40,000+ people left the game when the Bears were punted - only a 'Bears' team can bring them back. Bears represent heartland expansion AND growth of the game through reconnection. Multi-generational supporters of a Foundation Club are exactly the people Gallop alluded to with P Rothfield the other day - they are the games highest priority.

The 2 latest mergers have been successes – lets go for 3. Really? Not sure Norths and Manly fans would agree with you on that. West Tigers are still having factional infighting despite merging over 10 years ago.

Yes, fair enough, I think there is a lot of truth to that. It's worth recalling that when the VFL put its commission in place, in 1986, there was a lot of low hanging fruit. It was still just a state wide comp, and they received next to nothing for the TV rights - and I'm talking fair dinkum next to nothing. The NRL is a lot more progressed today then where the VFL was back in 1986.

the reason there is fanfare is that the emphasis on good corporate governance has come a long way. people are more aware of the issues and for the NRL to finally 'catch-up', well its a little step administratively, but the benefits are probably better understood by its stakeholder today had it been done a couple of decades ago.

Yep Oikee I think the point about the grass roots need to be grown is spot on -- especially in NSW and QLD country areas where a lot of Footy players hail from. I am also pleased they have a woman on board as it will give a different perspective to growing the game. As we know with women now controlling families more and more perhaps we can find ways to persuade them to let their sons play league more.

So you fight the AFL incursion into league territory...by putting another team in an area we already hold?! Are you a special agent acting on behalf of the AFL Beowulf? I agree it wasnt good to lose the Bears in 1999...but I also miss the Jets from 1983! I grew up following Newtown...but I moved on. Gosford is a nice area, I went there last year, and Blue Tongue seems like a good venue. But we have to look at the big picture. I doubt adding Gosford will make a blip in the TV ratings coz these people already follow NRL.

Waterboy, it's a sad old day for any sport when a change in its governing structure makes headline news, in my opinion. I'm happy to read any story about rugby league players, coaches, skills and tactics. Likewise stories about the players, coaches, skills and tactics of rugby union, soccer/football, Australian rules football and cricket. I have very little interest in reading about referees and umpires. And I would rather watch Sonny Bill Williams "fight" the latest Bum of the Month than read another word about sports administration or politics, or broadcasting rights. Each to his own.

Number 1 priority, closure on the Super League War. Bring in the Central Coast Bears and expand the game back into northern Sydney. 1 million people are not able to access NRL games through a local team and a marketable brand is awaiting a return......

Hopefully the IC works out and is not a rehash of the short-signed and minded administration of 100 years past hopefully there be some positive progress for once in the game for far far too late incompetence and stupidity held the game back from an administrative standpoint.