Following Steve Mascord’s interesting sci-fi analogy route, I’m wondering if some powerful league identities want what’s best for the code or themselves.
The Sith occupy the dark side of the force in Star Wars with the Jedi on the light side, for those not familiar. The organisation and subsequent secret meeting of some disgruntled club heads is sending a message that the NRL’s current direction doesn’t have their approval.
We live in a democratic society that values individuals rights to free speech, so them having concerns is no issue at all. However, the NRL is not a dictatorship and the NRL Commission was seen as a good move to get insight from various areas. I think Phil Gould said at the time that this would be a great move if the clubs still had a voice, and they do.
I don’t think we will ever achieve perfection but we should never stop trying. I just disagree with anyone approving a system for the greater good then backflipping to say it’s faulty when they don’t get their way. The code’s future and direction comes before any group or individual.
This group’s reason for the public airing of a possible coup (never a good look when individuals speak out against the team publicly and I doubt Gould would have copped that from a player) really make me angry.
That clubs should get a say on who is appointed to the Independent Commission? Look at what FIFA is, any direct competitors getting a say only brings about a new aspect of competition and inevitably corruption. Let’s not be naive about this please.
That cash-strapped clubs also want a greater share of the NRL revenue so that they are in line with other major sports around the world? Ridiculous and outright insulting. How about investing in grassroots development of footy players as players and also people.
This needs the most attention and the most immediate attention. Misbehaviour and the Blues’ lack of a genuine star playmaker since Andrew Johns surely come under the Commission’s responsibilities.
Finally, they want to know where all the money is being spent. That sounds great and innocent, but in reality if they know where every dollar goes all that will come of it is some media mouthpieces constantly criticising the NRL’s direction. We don’t need more of the bagging that the referees cop. It’s not healthy.
The Warriors and Cowboys in particular have footed the bill for all their travel and accommodation. No NRL assistance, no whinging and they have overcome these obstacles. No clubs have voiced any concern over the extra financial burden, never mind the travel issues and their ability to attract players.
Please explain to me the need for this meeting and why your so hard done by. What happened to extra effort and proving you can cope with short-term pain. In no way does any issue I have heard benefit the greater good, so please enlighten me. Until I’m enlightened I hope we continue to see power move away from political influence.
I’ll leave you with the Sith proverb: “We take what we desire because we can. We can because we have power. We have power because we are Sith.”
Prove me wrong fellas because too many people want to see our game be acknowledged as it should and that takes growth.
Warren
Guest
Give it a break Turbodewd The game has never been in better shape with revenue & TV ratings as high as ever, there is more participation and although crowds are slightly down they are better than they were almost ever when the clubs ran the show. You mention the AFL - maybe the reason they are so successful is that they have had a commission for over 20 years. They worked out long ago that letting the lunatics run the asylum is not a real good idea.
Damo
Guest
This is rubbish. What do u know about the Gold Coast? Gary Ablett Jnr said in an interview not one mth back that they were the minor player on the coast. Then u don't mention Brisbane or Sydney. Do afl rules these areas? Silly statements. The NRL handout around $7mill each year to clubs and where does this come from TV. And how do they get the TV money they show the Broncos on one game (qld) and 2 Sydney teams on the other (nsw). If they didn't each team wouldn't get $7mill.
turbodewd
Guest
I agree with u on ref bagging. Phil Gould just does it constantly, altho he is mainly bagging the rules. Rugby league's rules leave too much open to interpretation. My pet hates are the ref's calling players by nicknames AND refusing to seperate fighting players. In the NFL those refs get in there and seperate cranky players. You touch a ref over there and u get ejected.
duecer
Guest
Just a couple of points to counter yours turbodewd 1. The Sharks will be OK financially with the development they have 2. Can't counter that, it's like a double whammy 3. I wouldn't say 'utterly' defeat us, although the NRL spends too much time focusing on what the AFL does instead of worrying about what they do. 4. The Suns are the more attended team, but they seem to be going backwards this year 5. I think the games are only on 7mate in NSW and QLD, the rest are on ch. 7. The coverage isn't fair, but the AFL isn't that great - they've had 6 Friday games featuring Carlton, who are bottom.
Justthetip
Roar Pro
I don't know much about Shane Richardson but agree totally with supporting the NRL's growth.
Justthetip
Roar Pro
Sorry that's already there. Maybe question what I'm not clear would achieve some clarity or just keep throwing stones for kicks. Whatever works for you.
Justthetip
Roar Pro
Phil Gould and Nick Politis organised a meeting of the Sydney clubs CEO's to discuss issues they have with the NRL commission. I didn't realise how heavily edited the article was. Thanks for the feed back and here are that meetings concerns. a) THAT clubs get a say on who is appointed to the Independent Commission; b) CASH-strapped clubs also want a greater share of the NRL revenue so they are in line with other major sports around the world; and c)THEY want to know where all the money is being spent. a) Look what FIFA is. Any direct competitors getting a say only brings about a new aspect of competition and inevitably corruption. Let's not be naive about this please. b) Ridiculous and outright insulting. How about investing in grassroots development of footy players as players and also people. This needs the most attention and the most immediate attention. Misbehaviour and the blues lack of a genuine star playmaker since Andrew Johns surely come under the commissions responsibilities. c) Sounds great and innocent when said like that. In reality if they know where every dollar goes all that will come of it is some media mouthpieces constantly criticising the NRL's direction. We don't need more of the bagging that the refs cop. It's not healthy.
Peter Beckwith
Roar Rookie
What the hell is this article trying to say? I have read it a couple of times now and it just seems to be a convoluted collection of words. I'm sure that the author knew what he/she WANTED to say but I can't see it!
Wayne Lovell
Roar Guru
Turbo I don't have an anti clubs stance, but i do follow the NRL, my favourite club by a country mile is the Broncos, but as devastated as I would be, the NRL would continue and it would be successful if they were replaced with a different Brisbane club. My stance is actually similar to yours ie. its the NRL not the NSWRL, the problem is that there are 9 clubs who share NSWRL history, they believe that they ARE the NRL because of that, and as a voting block they have the majority. If the NRL is going to shift power away from them towards a more NATIONAL competition then they are going to whinge. Plenty of great clubs have come and gone, just ask Sleiman, but the competition will survive. I don't think it matters where the HQ is anymore, we have a Welshman as CEO, and a QLDer in charge of our future direction. I think we will get a fairly balanced and financially sensible decisions from the NRL commission, the clubs on the other hand are mostly ex-footballers making emotional decisions with their own biased agendas at the fore and not necessarily whats best for the game as a whole, which is exactly how it should be, but i don't trust them to run the game.
Gurudoright
Guest
Wasn't the aim of the commission initially besides getting rid of News Corp. was to be independent from the clubs influences. Everybody was meant to free from club ties and just working toward making league the no. 1 sport. All of a sudden you have Richardson from Souths and that guy from the Bulldogs calling shot. No different from when John Quayle and Arthurson running the NSWRL.
turbodewd
Guest
mate, the clubs ARE the league. Im puzzled by your anti-club stance. I follow the Canberra Raiders - not the NRL. Id like to see the NRL HQ moved to Newcastle or the Gold Coast. Anywhere but Sydney. Sydney has had its go and it hasnt done very well. This is the NRL isnt it? Or is it the NswRL?
turbodewd
Guest
Shane Richardson?! Oh, God help rugby league, this person once said something to the effect that he doesnt care how many fans attend the stadium to watch a game. He doesnt know what fans want, he doesnt really care.
turbodewd
Guest
Wayne, what exactly does a Titan's jersey actually look like? The Titans change their jersey every year and that shows zero pride in their jersey. In fact, if you gave 100 schoolkids some crayons and ask them to draw the Titans, Broncos and Essendon jerseys Im sure they would only get 1 right out of 3.
rossco
Guest
The Suns aren't an embarrassment? What is the planet you live on?
Wayne Lovell
Roar Guru
I agree that expansion should happen in 2's but I balk at exceeding 18 teams in the foreseeable future, 18 means the top 8 have to win more than they lose but maintains the quality that exists, slow is better for expansion. Any team on the CC would have to come at the expense of a Sydney club, we may be in a unique situation to relocate the tigers to NZ, thereby keeping a NSWRL foundation club in the top level without forcing an opposing RL identity into an area that already has one.
Wayne Lovell
Roar Guru
I don't believe that making the Brisbane side regional (Redcliffe and Ipswich are hardly regional though) eliminates anyone. Any Brisbane side is most likely to become the second team for anyone who is already a League fan, but only caters to the same people who are already catered for. Then there is this ridiculous practice of teams sharing home grounds, an away game should be just that, away and hostile. For the same reasons we stated that Sydney should have less teams, NZ another and Perth their first side, Brisbane should not place its next licence in the same venue as its first. I once favoured the Ipswich bid but Ipswich already has a clearly defined pathway to the Broncos, Redcliffe on the other hand divides the city nicely has a massive junior nursery, lasso's in the Sunshine Coast and represents not only a huge unrepresented area but brings QLD's long rugby league history to the table for inclusion into the NRL
Justthetip
Roar Pro
I heard somewhere expansion should happen in 2's and it makes sense. So I would start Perth and Brisbane brothers. Then 2 years later nz2 and maybe the central coast could be utilised and share the dragons. Not sure what name they could use but surely someone could come up with something. This would give that club bigger crowds, bigger junior nursery and income. Not sure on how that would work exactly but time spent nutting this out would allow regions to remain involved and hopefully barracking for a better team. Going to a game with a full crowd increases the atmosphere and makes it far more enjoyable. Also looks good on tv and tv companies like that.
Parra
Guest
Shane Richardson is responsible for strategy including junior RL pathways structures etc. a proposal has been submitted last month for consideration by the commission which is the first step in a long process to realise the true potential of this great game. I can only guess the final outcome but it's certain not to please everyone. Afl went through the same process in the late 80s when they nationalised the game and look at them now! Change is necessary and required for the game to grow. if nothing is done and the clubs get their way RL will suffer. RL prior to the commission was the most watched TV sport in the country. With improved management provided by the commission the sky is the limit. Other sports know this and would welcome and disruption to the commissions plans. Hard decisions need to be made and I support the commission.
Justthetip
Roar Pro
Making the Brisbane side regional automatically eliminates a big part of potential fan base. Suncorp is free a lot of Friday, Saturdays and Sundays. I also believe the roar are taking home games to a smaller venue in the near future. I like the Brisbane brothers bid and see it as being a runaway winner in it's terms of the type of success possible. Games played outside of Brisbane promote the game in regional qld and also take pressure of suncorp stadium. Also has established grassroots which shouldn't be ignored. I'd love the NRL to take control of this bid and mold it how they need. It has the potential to compete with the broncos. Wouldn't be a threat to broncos corporate ties and it's corporate sponsorship would encompass the whole of qld.
Wayne Lovell
Roar Guru
I think the difference between Perth and NZ2 is that there is already a team in NZ. I think the NZ2 and Brisbane 2 bids have equal merits, League holds a special place in Brisbane and while we could support a second team I wont cry into my milkshake if there isn't one. IMO that leaves Perth as the standout.