With Dave Smith gone, it seems that the power-brokers and the media finally got their wish with CEO’s departure. From the beginning, Smith had an uphill battle to gain support from the rugby league community because he wasn’t a ‘league man’.
This insular mindset of needing a league person as CEO prevents the code from achieving its full potential. Those with league experience tend to have self-interest and agendas of their own.
Also, they do not have the financial and business acumen like Smith, who attempted to sort out the NRL’s money woes and was able to post a $50 million profit after a decade of running at a loss.
Whoever becomes CEO must have a clear long-term vision and plan to take the forward route rather than treading water constantly with clubs demanding more money. If anything the clubs should be held accountable for their respective administration and financials.
For far too long the NRL clubs have coasted on grants and have not been pro-active enough in improving their own club. Instead they have lived year by year on grants. Constantly demanding more cash to run incompetent clubs would lead to greater cash drain overall.
A majority of NRL clubs had decades to get it to together financially and to think in 2015 the same clubs are asking to be bailed out shows that rugby league people ain’t fit to run a professional competition.
If anything, it shows the need for professional financial and business acumen throughout the clubs to bring them from the mire and into professionalism.
Rugby league was professional from day one, but for the majority of the time it was anything but under rugby league people. If you want the code to decline by all means appoint another one and see the self-interest and agendas overrun the code once more.
Wayne Lovell
Roar Guru
Anyone who thinks that the glory days of Rugby League are behind us should be kept as far away from the administration of our game as humanly possible. The best thing about Dave Smith's time as CEO was that his lack of prior involvement allowed for decisions to be made with the idea of a truly National code as the image of our product. I personally will find it difficult to trust a CEO who has prior affiliation with a "Traditional club", because the mentality will almost inevitably be a smaller minded city or state competition image of our game.
NF
Roar Guru
*has not despite being the professional code from 1895 yet is the most unprofessional code with constant incompetence and narrow thinking.
NF
Roar Guru
A CEO with Smith's business acumen is the only way forward, the difference is the new CEO should have better communication with stakeholders and even the media. Despite the media clear negative agenda towards rugby league administration as seen throughout Smith's tenture as CEO. The constant nitpicking and hounding by the media must of been emotionally and mentally draining on Smith.
NF
Roar Guru
Passion and excitement for the code doesn't equal business competence, the most important aspect for professional sports is business acumen and professionalism something rugby league has despite being the professional code from 1895.
Michael
Guest
With postings of 50 mil, that's quite an accomplishment compared to Smiths previous predecessors. The next appointed CEO should have that type of business acumen as its really a step forward in developing the sport.
pat malone
Guest
no its not the same thing. people in sydney are not as devoted and Rl is not as ingrained as AFL is in melbourne
Sven Jensen
Guest
Absolutely agree! Brilliant article !! Maintain the rage
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Ahh yes. Footy wire, looks at all games. Away games skewed the average.
marco
Guest
Things haven't gone backwards. With an entertaining finals series, the GF and stadium improvements, things are looking good. It's just that everyone wants things to go forward.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
Right, don't worry about country, junior or park footy.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
To a point I do agree. The current league types in the running may, consciously or unconsciously, lean towards their former clubs. Execs like Politis, Richardson etc, will their thoughts be how will this affect my club? I do feel that it has to be someone with a sports administration background, Warburton or Demetriou come to mind. neither has any involvement with any clubs. Toovey may do OK as manly cut him loose and he has had experience on the NRMA board. I do disagree with you that for someone who is supposed to be money conscious, he did a poor job on the television deal (I'm talking proceeds from the deal not the games). The big deal for Fox was their Super Saturday, that has gone as has their Monday Night Footy. Foxtel may well pick up the other games but not for what the NRL indicates they want for these games.
NF
Roar Guru
TWS Excellent points about AFL being patience something the NRL fail to do to majority of the expansion teams from 90's onwards. Also, the Lions average 18k this season and Suns 12k. GWS averaged 10k not 18k. Small corrections Train. http://afltables.com/afl/crowds/brisbanel.html http://afltables.com/afl/crowds/goldcoast.html http://afltables.com/afl/crowds/gws.html
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
AFL's investment in Brisbane and Sydney has shown that patience will breed success. In 2015 the Swans hit 40k members. They average 32,000 per game this year. The Lions peaked at 28k during their glory years, but in 2014 remained at 24k. Why? Because kids grew up as Lions fans in QLD. The Lions hit 20k in 2000 before their first premiership. They had an average crowd of 21,000 this year. It had got up to 36,000 in their best years. Currently the Suns have 12,600 members and average attendance of 18,000 and GWS around 10,000 and average attendance of 18,000. The Rabbitohs have the best NRL membership. They have 28k. Them and the Broncos are the only teams with more members than the Lions. There are 6 NRL teams that have less members than GWS and 3 that are also in the 10,000 region. That's 6 teams with less members than the AFL's weakest supported team in it's toughest expansion area. The NRL as a whole had an average attendance of below either new AFL expansion team. The AFL expansion teams are successful because the AFL has put resources into making them successfully supported. The NRL has done very little for Melbourne and are seeing that in that they are no better supported than Sydney teams.
Renegade
Roar Guru
"Realism" hahaha that'll do me. Worst idea in history actually has a supporter.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Pat, Melbourne has a huge NZ & PI population. Take the Storm away and all those kids will grow up as Rebels fans.
NF
Roar Guru
Pat by that mindset, the AFL should just fold the Lions/Suns up now there in a bad patch. This mentality Pat it why league constantly doesn't expand due to lack of confidence in the product. Other codes have no problem expanding the fact there is 2 AFL teams in Sydney and only 1 rugby league team in Brisbane sums up the situation. One day, the NRL will break out FROM this narrow-mindess for once and join the other codes in developing a national footprint.
Pat malone
Guest
Wait till melbourne have a bad trot and crowds go to 1000 to match their TV audience. It's not going to work there- realism doesn't equsl narrow minded
NF
Roar Guru
Phil Gould on twitter was asked if he was able to relocate a team his answer was the Melbourne Storm. If that isn't insular, narrow-minded thinking of a rugby league person that I don't know what is. Yet, there are people out there who want rugby league people who narrow vision is to keep in to a QLD/NSW game and keep it in-house and never expand ever while the other codes have courage and vision to do so.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
If things go backward I'm sure newsltd will somehow blame Smith
Dayer
Guest
Wabbit. does Wayne Bennett show passion on TV?