The appointment of highly successful businesswoman, Suzanne Young, as chief operating officer of the NRL has drawn some heavy flak in rugby league circles.
That’s before the 46-year-old has struck a blow. By any acceptable standards that’s grossly unfair, and unAustralian.
Young didn’t appoint herself, that was the sole domain of the most boring CEO rugby league has ever been saddled with – Dave Smith.
There was a prophetic picture in Tuesday’s Daily Telegraph. There was Smith, with his usual doom and gloom face, flanking Young to her debut with the media. Young, however, was sporting a smile from ear to ear, and totally at ease – the chalk and cheese of rugby league’s two most senior day-to-day administrators.
If there’s any criticism of Young’s appointment it’s because of Smith. A genuine and proven corporate leader with hardly a drop of rugby league blood flowing through his veins.
A recipe for disaster.
At least Young had her nose broken playing rugby league as a schoolgirl, but she was Australia’s Surf Life Saver of the Year in 1996, where the Daily Telegraph revisited a photograph of her at the time, with a huge smile.
But to the hard-ball rugby league fan, that alone doesn’t cut the mustard.
Young retaliated with “Sport is in my DNA having coached netball, softball, and hockey”, proving she wasn’t going to be rail-roaded at her media conference debut.
Having covered sport for longer than Suzanne Young has been alive, I offer this friendly advice:
(1) Keep smling, it’s a refreshing change from Smith, and Commission chairman John Grant.
(2) Always be yourself, and don’t hibernate for weeks on end like Smith and Grant.
(3) Rugby league’s the people’s sport, and they want to know, trust, and respect the people who run their game as they did with John Quayle and David Gallop.
(4) They don’t give a rats about the top end of town, so keep the fans informed and up-to-date, be media-friendly and I promise you the media will be Young-friendly in return – it’s a two-way street.
(5) If you don’t know the answer to a question, say so – be totally honest, then get back to the media as soon as possible with the answer.
(6) And keep that smile ever present, look as though you are enjoying yourself even though it’s going to be tough going for a while until you settle in.
(7) If I see you with a gloom and doom Smith face in the future, I will know, and so will the fans, that you are not only in trouble, but out of your depth.
(8) The future is entirely up to you Suzanne Young, so give it your best shot, you will never have a tougher or more rewarding job.
Finally, all your previous career achievements have been behind closed corporate doors, where the average rugby league fan will never go.
As chief operating officer of the NRL you will be in the limelight daily, you hold the key to the code’s success.
Switch the key on, prove the knockers wrong.
And keep smiling.
Harry
Guest
Wilson??
John
Guest
Exactly and it's hardly subtle, is he seriously now getting criticised for not smiling more? Gotta wonder what happened to Dave Smith's 'fair go'! David Gallop certainly never had my trust or respect, he was a News Ltd employee first, NRL second and that's why the telegraph don't like Smith, hes not their lackey.
dogforlife
Guest
Wouldn't take any notice of Hooper he s just another one of those " special journos" that think everyone should listen do as they say as "they are the link between the game and the people" bwahahwahahahah. Hooper , Wilson , Buzz there is a pattern there.
Jackson Henry
Roar Guru
"I also think your criticism of Smith is a little unfair. He may not be the most charismatic individual, but he’s not here to be a showman. He’s laid the groundwork for a lot of positive change in Rugby League and I tip my hat to him." Same here.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
That's pretty poor form from Hooper. If having played in the NRL is a mandatory requirement to work for the NRL that basically rules out all women and many other highly qualified people who can bring a lot of good to the game.
tha Funkapotamus
Guest
Terrible effort. Suzanne Young is obviously just your vehicle for bashing Smith. Poor.
Banana man
Guest
Try the backpage podcast its episode 40 on tues 18th. Hooper basically said she wouldn't have an understanding of the position because she had never played the game also stating that she wouldn't be upto the day to day grind of nrl atrocitys. Kelly underwood defended Suzanne's appointment
chadly
Guest
she was quickly given short shift inn the new limited gag by Rebecca Williams and on the james bracey sports show on PAY TV by the loud mouth male WILLIAMS - it hard for the Murdoch press to understand that they no longer run the NRL
Epiquin
Roar Guru
She has enough relevant business experience, just no experience within the NRL itself, which is probably for the best. The NRL has made it clear it wants more women in the top jobs and I applaud them for it. Not only is an inclusive workplace ethical, it also moves away from the old boys club that has held League back all these years. Not to mention the good image this gives Rugby League.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
To be honest though, the NRL could probably use a few more cheerleaders in the media. Or any...
Epiquin
Roar Guru
Can't find what Hooper said and can't imagine any grounds for criticising her. Do you know what people's beef is? Sounds like a few immature Roar commenters and twitter trolls have had a dig, which probably shouldn't be given much notice anyway.
mushi
Guest
Gandi would get trolled on twitter
Harry
Guest
She doesn't really have any true experience for the job but we don't know the field. Moffatt had run organizations but it was obvious he wouldn't fit in -its an incredibly tough job with baggage which shows the field that went for it - David Smith a merchant banker with no CEO experience or sport experience got the No 1 job. The basketball/swimming/cycling/football/RU/cricket admin guys have swapped sports - no-one has come into RL from an outside sport at the top...
pot stirrer
Guest
Did anyone else see that Goose hooper on the Back Page, He is so against her it wasnt funny. I think alot of so called RL people have got thier nose out of joint becuase for to long it had been a job for the boys senario and inside info for the Journos.
Edward Kelly
Roar Guru
Its a job. If she does it well, great, if not, then off you go. But will we get the NRL in HD in 2015?
Harry
Guest
She will be judged in time but when the herald goes with "impresses on day one of the job" where she would have been in the job 6 hours when the paper went to press suggests she has a cheer squad based upon zero evidence...and more NRL Central spin
Patrick Effeney
Editor
Yeah, I've seen a few comments on here that got deleted having a crack, and a bit of the usual bad stuff on twitter.
Parrafan
Guest
Agree with Chui. Greenburg is bad for the game. Still can't believe he was celebrating in the Dogs sheds after their qualifying win this season.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
Well said James. I had to double check I wasn't reading a 'Roar Rookie' article.
catcat
Guest
Just do a good job. Smiling not necessary at all.