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We have had huge debate for the past few weeks about a banning of the ‘biff’ in State of Origin. NRL players, fans and legends have come out and said the game has gone soft, but all of them have a short sighted view.
They simply do not understand the bigger picture and the changing climate in which the game now operates.
Sponsors are the ones who pay the bills. The ability to pay staff and player wages doesn’t magically appear from thin air.
We must remember the NRL is no longer just a sport, but a business, and a billion dollar business at that.
As a result the game has corporate interests it must protect and it must counter a push from the AFL, which has dramatically cleaned up its code in recent years.
In junior participation numbers, rugby league is behind both AFL and football, and perhaps harshly continues to be levied with the ‘dangerous’ tag.
The debate surrounding the removal of the shoulder charge and the biff is similar to when the AFL outlawed the ‘shirtfront’ or sling tackle.
People said it was a softening of the game, but the line was drawn. If you made contact with the head, you paid the price. Suspensions of six, eight and 10 weeks were handed down, and the message was quickly received loud and clear.
Think of the last time you saw a punch thrown in the AFL. Barry Hall on Brent Staker probably comes to mind, maybe even Matt Scarlett on Hayden Ballantyne, if you get technical. But both offenders were dealt with by the tribunal and spent weeks on the sidelines.
Paul Gallen unleashes a barrage of punches and gets a week, and complains. The NRL needed to show his actions are not acceptable and if you step out of line, a punishment must be served.
The NRL is a billion dollar industry now. It no longer has a single obligation to players and fans, but it now must consider government and corporate interests.
Sponsors such as Holden and Telstra pay millions of dollars to be associated with the game, and through this they not only sign up for the good but the bad. By their association any hits to the NRL’s brand directly affect them.
With every image of Origin players splashed across the media exchanging fisticuffs comes a Holden State of Origin logo on each player’s jersey, a privilege the company has paid millions to own.
People were blowing up on talkback radio over the severity of the punishment levied at New South Wales forward James Tamou.
People said the $20,000 fine was too severe and that he should be treated like a regular citizen and remain innocent until proven guilty.
But Tamou is not a ‘regular citizen’. He is a player on around $400,000-$500,000 a season. $20,000 is a small price to pay considering he was four times over the legal limit, not to mention driving unlicensed, a crime for which he is a repeat offender.
It has been reported that Tamou was driving a sponsored vehicle at the time of his arrest, given to him by the Cowboys major sponsor, Toyota.
What some people do not consider is the fact sponsors of the Cowboys all have clauses written into their contracts that they can walk away if they feel the integrity of their brand has been blemished by the action of a club or player.
A major sponsor of an NRL side could be paying between $500,000 to $1 million per season and if that sponsor chooses to walk away as a result of an incident like Tamou then the club’s financial security is placed in jeopardy.
$20,000 is a fair punishment in my eyes.
You have to remember there are several clubs in the NRL without a major sponsor, and long gone are the days when leagues clubs were the main source of funds.
The most important thing to remember in all of this is who exactly pays the bills – sponsors.
The $500,000 plus a major sponsor pays per season is what goes towards paying the salary of players like Tamou.
Some clubs in the NRL have an inability to spend the full extent of their salary cap due to a lack of revenue, through sponsorship shortfall. It is imperative that clubs not only hold their sponsors but attract more lucrative deals year upon year.
This is why clubs are spending more and more time in the community, increasing the value of their brand. It is no longer all about getting the two points on the weekend. Good deeds on the field on Sunday will no longer paper over the bad deeds in Monday’s paper.
Sponsors are paying big dollars and don’t want their product being portrayed in the wrong light.
A clean image sells better and revenue doesn’t simply grow on trees.
Scandal affects the NRL in the same way it affects the share price of major organisations around the world. As a result, the value falls and potential investors shy away.
Look at Cricket Australia and Swimming Australia in recent times. For so long, blue chip stocks in the Australian sporting climate, they now both seemingly have fallen well down the pecking order in the sponsorship stakes.
Sure, Cricket Australia just signed a significant TV deal, but there is substantial discontent around the national side at the moment and the baggy green brand has certainly seen better days.
As sport becomes more corporate, it must be run like the billion dollar business it is.
This is why a banker such as NRL boss David Smith now sits in the top job. It’s no longer all about the rugby league, but corporate image, dollars and, most importantly, sense.
Follow Adam on Twitter at @adamsantarossa
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