Rumours of a new Super League War are almost annual these days – and this week we’ve heard them again.
The 12 NRL clubs which are not financially controlled by League Central are reportedly reluctant to sign the new NRL participation agreement because of their disquiet over the management style of David Smith’s administration.
Of course, if they don’t sign the participation agreement, they don’t get a grant. And without a grant, most of the clubs would go to the wall.
Countering this concern, colleague Paul Kent said the clubs could stay in the NRL, cop their grant, and field an under-strength team while simultaneously competing in their own competition which they ran themselves.
While all of this may appear rather unlikely, it raises fascinating questions in regard to where the sport is – financially and culturally – in 2015 in comparison to 1995.
The clubs don’t like the fact that, to their way of thinking, they generate the $1 billion the NRL gets from TV rights yet the David Smith administration wants them to jump through multiple hoops to get their hands on that money.
Penrith general manager Phil Gould recently said on Twitter that the NRL club grant, which is enough to pay each club’s entire NRL playing wage bill, should be doubled. They argue that trying to turn each club into an American-style franchise doesn’t work when they all have very different ownership structures, strengths and weaknesses.
The NRL argues that it doesn’t just represent the clubs. They might provide the product each weekend that gets the cash registers ringing, but the Commission has a responsibility to the game as a whole and the clubs – morally, at least – do as well. Putting money in players’ pockets, and stockpiling juniors, is not in the best interests of a sport trying to survive in a competitive market, from a central administration perspective.
It’s important to remember that players, clubs and administrators have always had conflicting motivations. The game was born from a fight over money – even if it was ‘broken time’ for injured players – and seems doomed to forever have that argument, at every level, in every corner of the world where it is played.
Everyone in rugby league is permanently disgruntled. But it’s only when someone comes along and gives disgruntled parties some cash that we get actual schism.
In the mid-nineties, it was the arrival in Australia of pay television. It is hard to see a similar catalyst at the moment.
Are Netflix going to show Parramatta versus Penrith in 2017? They’ve said they’re not too interested in live sport at this stage. Would an app or a streaming service offer clubs enough money to underwrite a breakaway competition?
The only thing that might happen is that TV stations which miss out on the next NRL rights might show interest in a breakaway comp. But wouldn’t that be left-over footy for left-over broadcasters? Hardly likely to enthral the public.
The impetus is missing – in which case everyone will just stay angry, as it has always been, and we’ll get on with life.
But there is a second way to look at this – as an opportunity for the NRL to achieve some objectives that seemed otherwise just too hard.
Bid teams all over the place are lining up to enter the NRL. If someone holds off signing the club agreement, could they not find themselves replaced?
If there are too many teams in Sydney, could the NRL not just cut the most rebellious of them adrift? While it is 12 clubs against four, it’s going to be hard to do something like that – but the clubs’ unity over the next 18 months is going to be tested.
League Central is now full of corporate high fliers, political lobbyists and super-smart strategists. They may not know as much about rugby league as they should, but they are all intimately familiar with the expression ‘divide and conquer’.
3 Hats
Guest
Your wrong mate, Both of You Peeeko and G It is the Dragons side of the Merger who is in financial trouble due to their Leagues club reducing their club grant due to building of that fountain which sits outside of the foyer and increased Poker Machine TAX It was the St George side who had to transfer games to ANZ, SFS and to the SCG to make ends meat. as Kogarah crowds are WAY DOWN. The Dragons did not have enough Cash due to game receipts at Kogarah being almost NON existent. The Steelers side sold part of its Holdings to Bruce Gordon, owner of WIN 9 TV. It is His sponsorship and WIN Corporation that is keeping the Dragons afloat!
Luke
Guest
http://tjshome.com/images/userfilter/ScreenSho874_60.png NRL better act soon otherwise they will lose the Waratahs.
GoGWS
Roar Guru
The AFL were paid $153m over 5 years by Telstra for streaming right from 2011. The NRL never publically disclosed their deal but in the media it was reported as "100m plus" at the time. The AFL didn't get an inferior streaming rights deal...and had the NRL received more than the AFL for this part of the deal there are certain media commentators who would have screamed it from the nearest roof top. These commentators were silent so I think "100m plus" ended up being less than $153m.
john neeson
Guest
You mention two Ch9 run teams and a team always ready to take the money ahead of the good of the game. Throw in 3 northern teams who believe they have a God given right to a premiership each year, and you have half a competition already. Add Perth, New Guinea and a few more Qld teams and there's your breakaway comp. All sounds like a win win situation to me.
Correction
Guest
Seems that you are just becoming older and more mature. It is for the younger people to get excited. Agree about AFL. They have serious issues with all sorts of issues, they cannot even get the laws of the game right. They change law interpretations week to week. Maybe FIFA needs to take over the jurisdiction of AFL for AFL's own sake.
Alvin Purple
Guest
No - never even close. Even if it was who cares - look at it now. Broke and the number 4 winter code in this country at least
turbodewd
Guest
Id vote for that.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
We could call it Unigue.
3 Hats
Guest
The article mentions 12 teams, but I am not sure Souths are amongst it all! We know Penrith have gripes about a loan and a clause inserted at the 11th hour. What else do we know? Is it this Stadium Policy? Is it News Limited crying foul? 250 million for a rebuild of the SFS is a waste of Money, so the Roosters shouldn't be divided? Souths and Canterbury and the Olympic Stadium deserves priority as it is in the CENTRE of SYDNEY and need a rectangular stadium with a roof! Brookvale Oval and Penrith Park need urgent up grades. Leichardt and Kogarah are basket cases. Parramatta Stadium? I say let David Gallop and Soccer and the Wanderers look after that one. Or the Cheating Parramatta Leagues club and/or Eels. The only thing I can think off is the Draw, scheduling and the ticket prices need urgent attention plus we need to do something about the referees and the Competition proper. TV and Radio Rights...split them up, No Exclusive rights, bring in Ch 7 and 10., also 2SM and 2UE Open them right up. More Afternoon Games, NO MONDAY or THURSDAY Night. Sack Bob Fulton from NSW and Australian selector. He is pathetic So maybe the 12 clubs do have legitimate gripes after all. Have I missed anything?
chris
Guest
How about reuinon of League and Union now.
Bryan
Guest
Agreed, the stadium is in a pretty good location at the moment.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
The same changes have been played out throughout history in so many different guises that watching the same thing play itself out in rugby league in Australia is almost ho hum. Almost.
ferret
Guest
Any "journo" that writes "Rumours of a new Super League War are almost annual these days – and this week we’ve heard them again." immediately disqualifies themselves from being taken seriously!! "Annual" rumours on a "daily" basis again this "week", contradicts itself on at least two of those terms. Wow! Back to school Steve so u can learn how to right proper!
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Do you think anyone with half a business brain would fall for that during negotiations?
RugbyLeagueStartedIn1988
Guest
Real heroes don't wear capes.
GTW
Guest
Vastly superior if you can stand basketball, which I can't. Maybe raise the damn ring by 24 inches and make it hard to score.
GTW
Guest
When a supporter of a team of internationals without cap restrictions is whinging, we all should take notice.
GTW
Guest
You don't like attractive footy? Nor do you like attractive cities. Storm's main aim is to hinder the opposition and spend as long as possible laying on the ground in a wrestle. Exciting?
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Smith doesn't set the ticket prices
Cugel
Roar Rookie
Bruce is closer to Belconnen and Gungahlin, and if you're coming from Tuggers or most parts south, the parkway practically delivers to the door. Simpler than getting into Civic