Dave Smith quits as NRL CEO

GWS......haven't you got a mother in law you can annoy.....you're a dill!!!

I saw the press conference too. Murdoch and his offisider were very matter of fact when a questioner directed their attention to the upcoming NRL deal. The 'we prefer AFL, and always have' comment was said in a very unemotional way - very matter of fact, and in response to questioning. The only anger and hurt feelings was the reaction of the RL media following the announcement, particularly people like Masters. There's no doubt that the NRL took a tactical risk by concluding the FTA part of their rights separately but they did that with their eyes open in the full knowledge that Foxtel would not be happy. So please no more tears. And no more fantasy stories about grown businessmen spitting the dummy and gifting other organisations hundreds of millions of dollars.

I tend to agree with you Bluebag.I will follow your advice and disentangle myself from this constant tooing and froing ,from someone intent on pushing a certain code's barrow. A waste of my valuable waking hours TBH.

I wouldn't bother CC; I think his moniker reveals his reason for being here... It's because no one knows or cares who GWS is.

The trouble is with dismay, I do read what you write.eg "I couldn't care less" is one of your classics,then proceed with the usual spin.I also watch and listen to the Offsiders ,with the forlorn hope of getting an occasional rugby league balanced comment. I repeat I watched the AFL press conference live .I actually saw ,listened to and heard Murdoch's comments.In addition to his NY CEO who made the point in a vindictive tone against rugby league"We will do our utmost to promote AFL in the rugby league areas of NSW and Queensland in our media".Perhaps one could argue the $300m whatever is being used in that area. Why the need to even bring rugby league into it? Smacks of hurt feelings. I saw Rupert's reaction ,it was hardly that of a congenial business partner.I do not need Masters to tell me what Rupert's reaction was nor his cohort.I do understand the Queen's English and I have a far idea ,when someone is riled up on live TV>If that is laughable by your description I will hardly lose sleep over it.Shrewd businessman who lost $600m on SL ,when he was younger LOL. Shrewd businessmen are not infallible. Coming from you and your "credible journalists" description LOL.You can believe all the spin thrown up by News journalists who got it wrong on the last Tv deal BTW,the AFL sycophants on the Offsiders or the Sydney media.I prefer to get an overall picture and read between the lines.Four decades of following rugby league has made me do this. I repeat again to sink in Darren Davidson of the Australian,is a media journalist/analyst not a rugby league man by any stretch ,and it was he who brought up the $1.7bn at Smith's News inference and in his paper.Proving your are wrong to suggest it is only so called rl journos,as if Wilson R is one. All you do is continually respond on a thread to a sport you despise intensely,and throw up the tired old spin reminiscent of your last TV deal efforts.Pushing your AFL barrow indirectly ,and pretending to have inside knowledge of the NRL negotiations.Then on cue bagging Masters,and at the same time lauding those others on the Offsiders,who wouldn't know what consisted of a dead ball line if they tripped over one in rugby league.

It's not gambling, it's insurance

I wonder whether you even read what I wrote. Anyway no I wasn't at the negotiating table, and nor were you...and most importantly nor was Masters. I don't care how highly you rate Masters, his dummy spit narrative and the 300n is pure fiction. He has no way to know what went on in the negotiations or any logical basis to come up with a 300m value. It's laughable and actually pretty desperate and sad that he would write that, and that people like you would believe it. In all the words you've just written not a single sentence explains, or even attempts to explain, the basis upon which any outside observer can come to the story of dummy spitting and 300m. That is what I've asked you, and this is in fact what was put to Masters by Waleed Ali, a point which he did not, and could not, answer. The real fair dinkum answer would have been - "Yes Waleed I have to confess I've just totally made the story up. I made it up because expected the AFL, and NRL, to both be getting around 1.7bn over 5 years. The AFL has come in 300m higher than I expected so now I'm now inventing a dummy spitting narrative, and a $300m bonus to explain away why things didn't turn out how I expected and predicted." Of course the whole point of the dummy spit narrative is to fool the RL public, and quite possibly fool even himself. Waleed called him out on it and asked why a shrewd business man would pay 300m extra he didn't need to pay. Masters had no answer for that question then, or now. And nor can you answer it. Masters approach is just to plough on with baseless assertions - rinse, repeat, fact. And this approach has worked for some gullible sections of he public. And he's built in a 300m buffer to allow the NRL to come up short and claim it is an eqivalent deal, and least in his own mind. If the NRL gets 1.7bn then Masters will call it even when he reality is quite different.

To clarify my point neither Wilson nor Whately attend NRL games,yet pretend top know the subject matter. And how Wilson is let to run lose and from opinions on rl and whitely to a lesser extend is beyond me.Also the last minute man Hinds an AFL man reports on rl as though he is an expert.All have one thing in common:The Offsiders" AFL central for some.

Have to report melad Waleed may well be one of the most balanced (if that is humanly possible) on the Offsiders .In fact he has openly castigated the bullying approach of Murdoch and Co. Waleed also appears as compere on the Project and writes for the SMH. He is appearing on a show that is overtly AFL biased to the letter.Don't rock the boat. I watched the AFL press conference in toto live, when the announcement was made.Murdoch made it perfectly clear how he felt and the approach his organisation was going to make.As did his underling CEO. Masters in fact attends AFL games at times,more than I can say about Whately or Caroline Wilson.He is married to a former high profile women on the AFL.I value his judgement more than the sycophants on the Offsiders.He was also on the Australian Sport's commission.Whately did not protest Roy's comments. His credential;s leave many on the Offsiders in his wake.That is the harsh reality. The very same businessman(Murdoch) that wasted $600m on a futile SL war,the very same businessman whose organisation paid out millions in legal fees over the hacking scandal.The very same businessman who forked out a fortune in a marriage settlement.Waleed needs to get out a bit. The very same businessman whose Australian newspaper is losing money year after year. And in fact he (Waleed) knows no more than you or I as to what has transpired re negotiations on the current NRL or recent AFL deal.He not only appears on Offsiders,but on the Project and writes articles for the SMH. In fact there are finance people in the media(of course not the News stable funny that)suggesting the figure paid for the AFL may well be too high,as they cannot see advertising rates and indeed a decent increase in new product sales to support it on TV.They suggest the losses incurred by Stoke's stable of companies, could well impact. Your last para ,you do not know that to be true or false.You were not there at the negotiating table ,And you are just doing your darndest whistling in the wind, desperately trying to justify the figure ,completely ignoring Rupert's comments and on air persona ,and indeed comments by the other New's CEO. And I am just as emphatic when people spit dummies they are more than capable of revenge ,especially when they have the power and monies of a huge International organisation. Nothing you have stated suggests otherwise. And pray tell what was your considered response when the NRL figure got close to the AFL's one last time.All the excuses under the sun,didn;t know this would happen,yet you were quite prepared to put an absolute figure on it.Sometimes its better to remain silent until the deal is done.Else glass jaws are exposed.

No mate...on Offsiders Waleed Ali actually pulled Roy Masters when he made the outlandish and laughable claim that Murdoch spat the dummy and somehow gifted the AFL an extra 300m out of spite...Waleed made the point that if we accept that if we accept that Murdoch is a shrewd and successful business (Masters nodding at this point) then why would he just give away 300m to the AFL that he didn't need to give them? What sort of businessman does that? Masters just mumbled and fumbled because his had no answer, and his bizarre conspiracy theory had been exposed for the absolute nonsense that it is. There was no extra 300m gifted to the AFL...this is all just make believe. Fantasy. I have no idea where Masters got the 300m from but as far as anyone can make out it's likely to be what he perceives to be the difference between what the AFL deal is worth and the maximum the NRL deal will go for....so when the dust settles we'll have people like Masters saying that the reason for the gap between the value of AFL and NRL broadcast deals is a Murdoch dummy spit. Wow. And this guy is a paid journalist. Go figure.

Except if the ARLC or NRL did it. Then it would be reported as an outrage & sold by NRL media as a bad example of gambling & improper use of the code's money while juniors are getting by on scraps.

This happens all the time, just never deemed newsworthy. Even the AOC do it

NRL boss is a thankless task up against the NRL media hacks. Any NRL player or official betting $5 on their team to win a game is a scandal that the NRL is villified for. But if the ARU bets $300K on Wallabies no one sees a problem with that. http://www.canberratimes.com.au/rugby-union/rugby-world-cup/rugby-world-cup-2015-aru-takes-big-punt-on-wallabies-20151023-gkhh9l.html

From News ltd,the mob Rupert owns ,influences and directs his grovelling journalists.that's where.From the Offsiders Whately.No need to think a minute ,the obvious can be observed in 30m seconds. "I'm suggestible" LOL.I have never given out or pretended a Tv contract figure,I do not believe News Ltd agenda driven journalists whose company missed out on the current TV deal,I get a broad viewpoint on subject matters on the code,not ;ike you from apparently one source. Nor do i go around stating "I couldn't care less' about a subject,and then spend my waking hours caring more. Are you serious I watched the Press conference live, in which the whole gang Murdoch,Gil,Stokes,the FL chairman,and News CEO ,and the Telstra guy were all seated around the table. Where Rupert made his immortal comment."We much prefer AFL ,its a national code and we are going to do all in our power to promote it throughout the country." Then the beloved Offsiders platoon (AFL central) mentioned the fact Rupert threw an exrtra $300m at the AFLIt was a figure thrown around by many sources . And the same Whately commenting how the NRL have created a problem for themselves. Can I humbly suggest you are either currently employed by News ltd .If not you should be,you hear and see what you want to see,and you follow a similar agenda.Very Rothfield and Rebecca wilson like TBH. From day one since Gallop was flicked, the News journalists have led a systematic,overt campaign to oust Smith and Grant,well before this Tv deal.If you do not believe that ,then you are out of the loop,because just about every rl fanon this planet believes so,judging by their social media comments and on radio.. They(News jounrnalists) also keep stating the AFL figure is $2.5bn when drawing NRL comparisons.Never having the decency to state it is for 6 years. Seriously you are going over old repetitive ground.and going nowhere.

And that 300m comes from where exactly? That number is derived from,...? Just think about that for a minute. Where exactly does that number come from? Look you seem to be very suggestable is all I can say. Masters invented and initiated the whole 'Murdoch dummy spit' narrative and made up the 300m number from thin air based on his own prejudices and nothing else. Other RL media blindly repeated the nonsense, including the $300m number, and now we have people like you also repeating it and believing it. There was no dummy spit, and there is no 300m...it's all just pure fantasy from the weird and wonderful conspiracy plagued world of Mr Masters. There just big deals between grownups (you know business men) and people like Masters don't have the foggiest idea of the details or the motivations of those at the table. None. Mate come to think of it I have some land I think I can do you you a good deal on....nice quiet country location...Maralinga...you might have heard of it..a great spot .. Maybe we can get together and discuss the details..

Seriously melad,for someone who openly stated you "couldn't care less" as to what the NRL secures,you are doing a mighty fine job of showing you actually do care.Embarrassingly so. Just as you did last occasion.Echoes of the past perhaps. I have a choice.Read and believe News spin,your " in-depth " knowledge of the NRL current negotiations and what is on offer or look at a multitude of comments on the matter from respected and knowledgeable people who are on the sidelines. I predict nothing at this stage ,I expected your Master's response hardly a scoop.I await the outcome and will decide there and then,just as i did when the AFL deal was made.Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned. The deals will be different for two reasons I do know 6 years as opposed to 5,and a generous $300m from a dummy spitter. I also do know what is left to be negotiated,what could be offered as further inducement. I have never on this board seen someone from another code,spend so much time on a sport (they have little interest in)pushing the same barrow ,on a subject they "care little about." Rather perplexing I suggest.In fact never did I spend any time on the AFL tab/echo chamber,when their recent deal was announced. BTW I note never have I suggested the deals will be the same. Rugby league fans expect a deal that ensures all NRL clubs are financially underpinned,grassroots and Internationals are catered for and money for other infrastructure/growth . Your obsession with the so called "rl media" is worrying.The very same media that has done more to undermine the code, than promote it.I suggest you spend some time watching the Offsiders if you want biased media.

Mate seriously ...'overs' and 'unders'...rinse, repeat, fact. I know journos like Masters use these meaningless terms but you don't have to as well. When it comes to commercial negotiations of TV sports broadcast there is no 'overs' or 'unders'. You are paid something called market value - you are paid market value, every time. The day after the AFL deal Masters goes on TV claiming Murdoch paid $300m 'overs' - so not only is he referring to a non-existent concept of 'overs', incredibly he knows precisely the value of this non-existent concept. Amazing. Where does $300m come from I wonder ...that's right, he's plucked it straight from his proverbial. Rinse, repeat (ad nauseum) and then it becomes 'fact', and six months later we have RL fans like you on forums like this claiming it as a fact. And not only that, you seem to have been sucked into the 'News Corp is out to get us' mantra that has been going on for years, and is being ramped up again now...yes yes, I know about the SL war but seriously - isn't about time Masters and company, and fans like you, let go of that very tired, decades old excuse. At this point it's delusionary. Just move on. The NRL is not in some News web being prayed upon. The NRL, jaunt like the AFL, re-sets its broadcast deal every 5 years or so - at any time both organisations can walk away from News. Let go of the paranoid delusions - you'll be healthier for it. The NRL is now in as strong a position as it can ever be to negotiate. Journalists like Masters came out after the conclusion of the last deal and were saying words the effect of - 'you just wait until the next broadcast deal when the The NRL will able to negotiate on equal terms'. Well the next deal is here and it ain't going so well. Bottom line - the NRL is in no worse negotiating position than the AFL when it comes to the FTA networks and Foxtel. There are no conspiracies, no vendettas and no favours. Just the market and commercial negotiations. They're all big boys who will get the best deals done for their respective interests. The talk of concepts like 'overs' and comments like 'wanting Smiths head on a platter' is paranoid delusion stuff. It might make good copy and sell papers but its all fiction. Don't confuse fiction with fact. Underlying all of the noise from a section of commentators (like Masters) is this unwritten, and erroneous 'law of the universe', that the NRL broadcast rights are equal in value to the AFL broadcast rights, or worth more. Sorry to break it to you here CCoder but there plenty of evidence (actual deals done) which doesn't bear this out. We have plenty of assertions by RL journalists about how things ought to be but when the rubber hits the road it never quite turns out as the exaggerators in the RL media predict. As I said, more egg is coming their way...but that won't trouble them. They seem to like it.

" Agreeing " WTF GOGWS. I don't agree with everyone on an NRL forum ask Glenn Innes ,Barry, even Tim Gore et al. Well the echo chamber now has an AFL man pushing his well worn barrow and the imprint of AFL is there for all to see.Just as you did last time,when you entered the so called echo chamber and put in your 50c worth on what the NRL; would achieve.Miles out because you knew not what the offering was.Commonsense suggested I do not put a figure on it then. But of course the AFL threads are not filled with echoes hmmmm.Please!!!! Misinformation!!!!" Mate the misinformation has been floating around generated by News journos at the forefront. For a start this NRL admin is when it comes to preventing leaks to anyone.like Fort Knox. Journos are speculating just as you are.All you know is Rupert paid an extra $300m and that is also over 6 years I have not put any figure on the deal ,nor did I last time.Why? Because I do not know what the negotiators from the NRL/9 will offer.And that includes the possibility of a 2nd Brisbane side,which Gyngell has publicly acknowledged as being worth an extra $20m pa. Any deal will be for 5 years that we know,and not 6 like the AFL.You guys are locked in a year longer and who knows the lie of the digital land then. I have no idea what the final figure will be and i repeat neither do you ,but as i stated the AFL's deal is 6 years and Rupert did indeed pay extras.But I can assure you News needs the 500,000 thereabouts NRL subscribers. Who suggested Smith botched the deal? Well of course the platoon of News journos from the Australian (4 in fact on Wednesday and a similar number from the Telegraph. You apparently have no idea that Samuels and Credit suisse and another ARLC member were involved in the negotiations,and the commission rubber stamped the deal.Even Rebecca Wilson FWIW suggest Samuels had a big influence on teh deal. And the irony of it all,some News journos even contradicted what some of their compatriots stated.On that basis they are either lying through their teeth,or confusing facts or not liasing too well with each other.Davidson changed his tune twice,contradicitng his earlier story. I do know Masters was more reliable on figures than any of the News journos last time.Funny that News journos talking the price down,as their owner is involved in paying for it.News journos then like you believed the NRL would be lucky to get $800m. It is plainly obvious you fall for what News Ltd pumps out ,as if they have no vested interested .They are the ones citing $1.7bn,and they are not all rl journos ,but include News finance people such as Darren Davidson Australian ,and the Telgraph's finance journo today. You with due respect do not know about simulcasts,finals series perhaps to be offered,nor International deals,nor sky News nor digitals.All these have to be collated to reach the final total. I believe you need to check re the NRL last deal.As it came out $1.025bn ,I suggest very few NRL fans were offering excuses. You say you couldn't care less ,yet you continue to push your AFL barrow on the matter,in the so called echo chamber. The same comment was made last time," we'll wait and see what the NRL gets." They got over $1bn and the silence from the knockers was deafening. A word of friendly advice reference some non News Ltd sites such as Big News Network under the headings:- 'Murdoch interests acting as cartel in broadcast rights negotiations" "How Murdoch adopted cyber bullying to get rid of NRL chief negotiator". And Masters's story" Dave Smith was the scalp Rupert Murdoch wanted." may well be close top the mark.

GoGWS, AFL will end up with a better deal not because some percieve it's a better, nor because it is better managed. It is simply because each game has 25-30 more ads per game. It's simple, nothing more. You can compare the two deals on dollars per game, dollars per minute, dollars per rating point, whatever. The simple fact that AFL can ask for more because more ads bring in more dollars. AFL have tied themselves to Foxtel for another 7 years. This may be the smart move as it provides security. Or it could prove to be a bad move as they will be late to new technologies and platforms. Either way, the NRL have 2 years to sit and wait and see how the landscape is changing

Yes well unless you want an echo chamber of everyone agreeing with each other then people like me Included in a RL forum do serve some purpose, even if the echo chamber decides amongst themselves that I'm wrong. What's the worst that can happen - you listen to the opinion of someone you don't agree with? The mainstream RL media narrative (in this case that the NRL botched their deal and/or News Ltd is engaging in some sort of conspiracy or vendetta against the NRL) can bounce around the echo chamber on these boards or someone like me can point out the nonsense. The never ending wheel of excuses has been spun, and this time the excuse is...wait for it...yes - it's 'the CEO botched the deal'!!... CCoder - mate every single time the broadcast deals are negotiated the RL media does this dance of misinformation combined with weird non-sequiturs to try and distract the RL audience from the apparently unpalatable reality of RL's second billing in the Australian sporting landscape. There always was going to be an excuse ..always. And this time the media has focussed on a 'CEO botched the negotiations' narrative - publish that, rinse and repeat a dozen times and it becomes received wisdom. Fact. The other 'fact' is that Murdoch paid $300m 'overs' for the AFL this time around - publish, rinse, repeat, fact. If the NRL gets the same overall value as the AFL for their deal, given that they stay at 4 FTA games with Ch 9, then I'll be truly staggered. You seem confident. Let's see this all play out which feasibly could take another 18 mths.