On Tuesday, ARL commission chairman John Grant proudly told the Australian sporting public he’s going to “scour the world” to find a replacement for departing CEO Dave Smith.
You would think that would be the very last resort. The only other time he did just that he came up with Smith who had an impeccable track record as a banker, but whose knowledge of rugby league would fit on a thimble.
Smith’s a Welshman, who like any other boyo will always be a rugby man. So it was no surprise he couldn’t answer the question at his first press conference as to who the Kangaroos captain was.
A more recent gaffe was Benji Barba, obviously thinking a combination of Ben Barba and Benji Marshall would make one helluva rugby league footballer.
But enough of Smith, whose three-year tenure out of an intended five was superbly covered in The Roar by long-time colleague Tim Prentice.
Grant cannot afford to make another Smith-type blunder. As for scouring the world, the rugby league world is only England, Australia, and New Zealand, which is hardly the world.
But what else could you expect from a chairman who publicly called the Manly Sea Eagles the Seagulls, and the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks the Hawks.
Yet the same man played club rugby league under coach Wayne Bennett at Souths in Brisbane, played seven games for Queensland, and three for Australia during the 1972 World Cup.
Inexcusable blunders.
No Grant, Smith’s replacement is right under your nose.
You are searching for the likes of John Quayle and David Gallop, two of the very best sporting administrators I’ve had the privilege to deal with over 50 years.
Quayle was the rugby league supremo from 1983 to 1996, Gallop from 2002 to 2012.
These days Quayle grows olives at Denman, 135 kilometres west-nor-west of Newcastle, where he’s also lending his wide expertise to rejuvenating the Newcastle Knights.
Gallop’s doing the same as CEO of the Football Federation of Australia, which constantly leaves a grin of satisfaction on Frank Lowy’s face.
Neither would ever think of returning to rugby league under the current set-up.
So who could replace Smith?
Try Phil Gould, Andrew Demetriou, Todd Greenberg, Shane Richardson, and Graham Annesley.
Gould would be a superb choice, but why would he give up his lucrative contracts as Penrith supremo, Channel Nine expert television commentator, Triple M radio contributor, and widely read Fairfax Media columnist.
No way.
Demetriou certainly improved the AFL during his 11 years as the boss, and even though he would know more about rugby league than Smith and probably Grant, there are too many lifelong rugby league potential CEOs to go outside.
Greenberg is the NRL’s head of football, a wide brief, who came from the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs as CEO, with strong credentials to be the new front man.
The same applies to Richardson, who after 11 years as Rabbitohs boss, is now the NRL’s head of game strategy and development which requires vision, and Richardson has plenty of that requirement.
And last, but by no means least, Annesley refereed 244 first-grade games, and he was a mighty good whistler. He became the NRL’s operating officer, then minister for sport in the NSW Parliament, and is currently the CEO of the Gold Coast Titans.
That’s a quality field, Grant, there is no need whatsoever to “scour the world’.
Renegade
Roar Guru
He was asked for his views on expansion this morning and he said he would move the Melbourne Storm to Brisbane.... If that's in the best interest of rugby league then your not a fan - and I know for a fact from your comments that you are a passionate fan so Yes, I am right.
jeandetroyes
Guest
PHIL GOULD???????? OMG - we want the game to go forwards, not backwards! Within a week we'd have brought back the stiff arm and spear tackles, mandatory punch-ups, eye gouging and the headbutt. Referees would be sacked (or quit) on a regular basis and player insurance premiums would soar through the roof. What a terrible article!
nerval
Guest
OK, Renegade, you win. Phil Gould hates rugby league. It was obvious all along.
Kirk
Guest
Russell Crowe.
coltrainz
Guest
Hi David, with all due respect (as I like reading your articles) having rugby league people running clubs hasn't particularly worked for Wests or the Eels. In fairness, having someone outside of league didn't help Newcastle much either, but that's a different kettle of fish entirely...
PGNEWC
Guest
Danny Weidler!!!
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Murdoch couldn't do anything without enough clubs...
Dogs Of War
Roar Guru
James warburton has got my vote. Played league. Done TV rights deals which injected lots of cash into v8s. Has worked with the media as ceo of channel 10. Ticks all the right boxes and rumours ate that he is looking for a new challenge
Fairdinkum
Roar Rookie
Phil Rothfield!!!!
Renegade
Roar Guru
I don't see how you could suggest Gus has the Business acumen to run such a massive organisation.... his a has been rugby league personality. If he cared about the game do you think he would bag the sport for the entire 80 minutes of a match on two occasions every weekend? At Penrith he is the General Manager of Football operations.... Warren Wilson is the one who runs the show.
Terry from Nyngan
Guest
Put Gould in charge of the on field game rules and referees. Let Gould fix the game on the field and it doesn't if the new NRL boss has no league background.
Terry from Nyngan
Guest
The on field game has in my opinion gone down the drain under Greenburg's tenure. They changed the game to appeal to a new fans. Turned out the changes failed at getting new fans and turned off all the current fans. Completely ruined league to watch and probably to play too.
G
Guest
How about Nick Politis? The guy has been around the game for decades and obviously knows the game and business very well, and even coaches and players he has sacked love him. The only issue would be whether he could take his tri-coloured glasses off.
Samtwocan
Guest
Now your sure Rupert Turdoch and Maurice Lindsay weren't just trying to steal what wasn't theirs , and destabilise what was the premier rugby league comp in the world . And low and behold look at the result of self interest , they brought the game to its knees .
NamerTamer
Guest
Whaa?! The bloke who cant select a Blues Origin team to save himself? pahleeeze!
peeeko
Guest
well thats why they appoint greenberg and Richo to help out with football matters
peeeko
Guest
why is so much made of a few verbal slip ups? it doesnt matter except that it gives journos a chance for some cannon fodder
Bryce Walsh Sinclair
Guest
i think the next ceo and chairman should be brian waldron and stephen dank
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
The point is that it occurred due to Arko and Quale marginalising enough parties for them to form a significant group.
Samtwocan
Guest
Oh well how completely stupid of me to think there was an element of personal gain ....please accept my insincere apology .