The NRL culture has changed significantly in the last 12 months since David Gallop’s departure as CEO.
We have seen the NRL suffer badly from drug scandals, assault charges as well as loss of physicality in the game with the banning of the shoulder charge and, just recently, the biff.
All this has come at the hands of the eagerly awaited NRL commission and the new CEO Dave Smith.
As I look back at the Gallop era, I believe he was very successful in the decade he was in charge for. Gallop started when the game was in complete turmoil.
There was the salary cap scandal at the Bulldogs in 2002; he brought in the golden point rule in 2003; was a cool-head in the Bulldogs 2004 sexual assault scandal; added a 16th team into the competition in 2005 (Gold Coast Titans); returned Monday night football in 2007; introduced the two man referee system in 2009; backed the Indigenous All Stars game and demonstrated good authority in the Melbourne Storm salary cap scandal in 2010; and his last finger-print in the game was the change in the finals system in 2011.
However, despite Gallop’s many inclusions to the game, his decisions weren’t always the best ones. For example prior to Melbourne’s 2011 minor premiership presentation he likened Melbourne fans to terrorists, which certainly did not delight the Storm fans.
Although he made mistakes sometimes (he’s only human after all), he conducted himself professionally throughout the tough times and the good, laying a perfect platform for rugby league in the future.
However this platform seems to have been dismantled since his shock sacking in June of 2012. Rugby league has taken a turn for the worse as the NRL Commission’s decisions are turning the sport into a soccer-like code.
The only good thing they have done in my books is that you can now watch games live on your mobile. However the TV rights deal was still not a success at all.
Why wasn’t it a success? Well, if I had been in charge I would have made all games live. I am constantly sick of excruciatingly waiting for my team to play at either 9:30pm on Friday or 4pm on Sunday and then when it is on I have to sit through five minute commercials while having to listen to bloody Ray Hadley.
When the new TV rights deal came out, I presumed they would finally take the opportunity and show more games live, especially considering it was a $1billion deal. Instead they decided to explore with new camera angles.
How pointless are they! Except for spidercam or the ‘foxcopter’; they are terrible! Ref cam is only good when refs talk to players and the corner post camera, well that does nothing to my viewing! A waste by the Commission, I say.
Now to Dave Smith. Brought in as the new CEO, his first agenda didn’t come until just before season’s start. ASADA decided to invade the Cronulla Sharks and various other clubs.
They finally started to investigate the Sharks a day out from the season opener. Just over 48 hours before their first match of the year, Sharks’ coach Shane Flanagan was stood down. Coach-less, the Sharks miraculously defeated the Titans 12-10 at home. A week later, club chairman Damian Irvine joined Flanagan when he was forced to leave the Sharks as well.
During this time, Smith did little to contribute to this scandal. The manner in which he handled the Cronulla investigations was simply atrocious, as he left the club out in the cold to defend themselves.
With the investigations dying down in the headlines, the Sharks seem to be continuing on track to finals footy in September.
To Sharks supporters, I say pat yourselves on the back. Amidst these truly tough times, you have stood strong with your club and that is why they are in the top eight at the moment.
Dave Smith and the NRL Commission are also robbing rugby league of its identity. The unique shoulder charge, as well as the iconic ‘biff’ associated with rugby league have all been scraped. This is an absolute and utter disgrace.
The only thing Smith and the Commission care about are the players’ safety, which is fair I guess, but what drives rugby league as the best sport in the world? Players? No. The fans. They are the one’s that matter!
No fans, no game. It’s that simple.
The Commission should have asked what the fans wanted. For player safety, when players sign their contracts, when young players register for their local footy team, they know what they are getting themselves into and that’s why they join – because they love it.
It’s like the army taking out weapons because it’s too dangerous. It’s pathetic!
Stripping the shoulder charge, I might understand, but the biff is one step too far. How good were the punches by Paul Gallen in Origin (this is coming from a Queenslander) or even the Brookvale brawl? Those are what fans are going to remember.
These reasons are why rugby league’s future is on a downward spiral. The manner in which the NRL Commission and especially CEO Dave Smith go about conflicts within the NRL is weak.
They should toughen up and grow a pair!
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