It was maybe 15 years ago at the Shelbourne Hotel in Sussex Street, Sydney, that my Sydney Morning Herald sports editor, Ian Fuge, told me he’d like to see more opinion in my match reports.
I was indignant.
If people knew what I thought about a certain issues, I argued, they’d only talk to me if they were in the same camp. It would impinge upon my effectiveness as a news gatherer.
What would that guy back then think of 49-year-old Steve Mascord, starting a petition to make sure players are released for the Denver Test and working the phones to encourage the countries involved to get in first with a statement before the NRL clubs try to ban them?
To be honest, I don’t care what he would think. In the last few days, I’ve made the full transition from journalist to activist. There is, almost certainly, no going back.
My 32 years covering rugby league has been almost entirely enjoyable.
But the perspective of middle age (and the therapy of writing about this stuff in a book) has shown me that the game’s genetic flaw is just that – genetic. Selfishness and short-termism are default positions; people leaving League Central and NRL clubs always report being worn down by it to the point they need to depart so they preserve their sanity.
John Grant described the game in Australia thus: “The battle for money and power; hating, not trusting; club first, game second; winning at all costs; unholy alliances based on favours and self-interest; and manipulating the media.”
(AAP Image/Paul Miller)
But instead of leaving, why not just cease to have a professional role in rugby league but continue agitating?
I guess it’s money again. Most people want to earn more money. I, kind of … don’t. I’ve seen the world during the first two thirds of my life, I don’t care if I stay here in London forever now and just do stuff that inspires me.
One of many things that inspires me is changing the culture of rugby league.
There’s an old saying about it being better inside the tent than outside pissing in.
But that approach has worn down or compromised scores of people. So why not unzip that tent, exit, turn around, reach for the fly and commence urinating?
Rich, smart, famous people who love rugby league often try to do something for the sport. But rugby league is currently spitting in the face of the Denver Broncos – it’s capacity for obnoxiousness is unchallenged.
The best thing a rich, smart, famous person can do right now to leave a permanent legacy in the sport – and repay it for the enjoyment it has given him or her – would be to conduct a culture war.
That is, recruit more smart altruists who don’t need the game as their meal ticket. Install them at every level, from club owner down to fan.
Use Aleksandr Kogan-style individual targeting to change the make-up of the entire community so that the selfless outnumber the selfish for the first time in the entire history of a sport that started with a rebellion that had – righteously or not – money at its heart.
(Sure, there are many selfless people in rugby league. But they don’t have the means, or the vision, or the influence, to steer the entire ship towards global prosperity. The structure of the sport enshrines the status quo with infuriating effectiveness)
I’m not a journalist anymore. I don’t know what I am, I’m looking for a job. But in my spare time, I’m going to do my best to piss back inside that tent.
The only way to save rugby league from itself is to change it at molecular level, once and for all.
PS: The Denver petition is here.
Steve Mascord
Guest
Protocol and procedure. The idea of the Test is more important than the Test itself. If you have an international window, clubs can't control where games are played. If you give them that right, you don't have an independent international game and you can't compete with other sports who do. If you're going to release Tongans, Cook Islanders, Samoans and Papuans you can't refuse to release Brits and Kiwis. Clubs cannot veto internationals because they don't like the venue. If they do, it speaks to a broken, self-destructive structure within our game that will forever hamstring us. It's not the business of clubs whether this game is a good promotion or not - it has nothing to do with them.
godragonsgo
Guest
Steve, if you are still following these comments, why is this Denver test so important? I understand your arguments regarding NRL clubs and officials who only are interested in looking after their own nests. But I also do not understand the reason as to why a one of test in Denver is such a good idea for the future of RL. I would have thought a test match in Toronto to back up the Wolfpacks efforts would be of far greater benefit? PS- Come back and support a Wollongong team please. The St George Illawarra Dragons need your support.
Dan
Guest
No offence, but that's complete tosh. The AFL and NRL dying? Both continue to completely dominate Australia's most sports programs, and their lead over the local iterations of the more global sports of soccer and rugby is actually only increasing. The A-League has seen a troubling drop in both attendances and ratings and Super Rugby has done even worse, despite becoming the most global regular season club football competition on the planet - with teams across 5 continents and time zones. Pop-corn sports fans get off on the big brands, but the fans that pay the bills, by buying memberships and attending games are the ones following the more local and "insular" sports. That's because all sport is a bit like politics - heavily tribal and ultimately local at their core.
The Barry
Roar Guru
I’m not looking for a reason to not play the fixture, I just think it’s silly playing it in June where it puts a huge workload on the players with extensive travel times, acclimatisation demands, limited recovery time, limited training and preparation times and limited time to promote the game. None of those things would be an issue if this were a pre or post season fixture. I fully support the idea of taking games to new markets. The international window is a huge breakthrough for the international game. But it’s future is still fragile. I think they would have been better placed bedding down some regular local international fixtures to make the window a desirable, indispensable part of the league calendar. Instead what’s happened is that they’ve gone full confrontational with the clubs at the first opportunity. I think it’s unnecessary. Now this isn’t me defending the clubs, the opposite in fact. I agree with a lot of the comments here that they put their own interests ahead of the game. We know that, so why are we forcing them into a corner? I think organising a fixture on the other side of the planet in the first week long international window is taking the Mickey and creating a confrontation for no reason. We have organisations who we know thrive on self interest yet are challenging those interests at the first opportunity. It’s not how you win friends and influence people. It may not be right, it may not be fair but at the moment international league needs the clubs on board more than the other way around. It will take one injury - regardless of whether that injury would have occurred anyway - for fans and clubs to be howling this down as a waste of time and use it as leverage to cancel this in future. We all know this. As for one off cash grab, I’ll admit I may be cynical but this seems more to me like an opportunistic promoter taking advantage of the situation than the efforts of an altruistic pioneer taking the game to the world. Theres no evidence that this match is part of a broader plan and any more than a one off. That’s fine. That can still work for the game. The promoter can benefit of the back of the game and the game can benefit too. But I’m not getting caught up in the romantic notion that this is rugby leagues first faltering step step into the wider world until I see what the plan looks like. Otherwise it just remains a one off game played overseas, just like state of origin in Long Beach California in 1987. All these same things about new markets and cracking the US were said then. I also think this fixture would have infinitely more meaning if it were say a four nations final (or even a whole series) or a world club challenge final. It could be promoted as a World Series or world championship, best of the best. Americans would have eaten that up. Despite all of the above I truly have no ill will against the fixture. It’s not the fixture I’m against, it’s the timing. I want the best for the game including the international game. I have no desire to be proven correct (although if the day comes I’ll quietly let you know ?). I hope it succeeds and this really is the first steps of a broader plan to take the game and make it successful in new markets.
Peter
Guest
"A one-off cash grab" but you "have nothing against the fixture." Seriously? By the way, like others, I enjoy and Akhenaten your comments. Thus one just seemed competely out of whack.
Johnno
Guest
If the NRL don't change there outlook and go all insular like the AFL they will slowly die.. AFL will die to, as fans in modern day times are bored of non global sports. The NFL is dieing as gridiron is not global as only two teams are good at. GAA sports in Ireland are dieing but they don't count as they are amatuer anyway so no one cares..
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
It was considered. That's why there is an international window. Sorry Barry, you're one of the few people who comment here that I rarely, if ever, find something to disagree with as your arguments are always reasoned, sensible and well explained. But to find a reason to not play is an argument that I just can't support.
The Barry
Roar Guru
So if the clubs position isn’t considered at all, you can’t blame the clubs for not supporting it...and that’s all there is to it...
Geoff Parkes
Expert
Thanks for the piece Steve. I suspect/hope that despite the current circumstances, sports journalism hasn't seen the back of you just yet. Self interest and parochialism are true enemies of sport, and while almost all major sports are suffering major crises of varying degrees, Rugby League's failings are all the more frustrating because a forward thinking solution for the greater good of the game seems so obvious. The success of SOO is simultaneously the game's greatest impediment. It was sad to see the possibilities for international football come to the surface during the world cup, fans spark up at the possibilities for the game, while knowing that the powerbrokers at the NRL, in NSW and QLD, and the NRL clubs, were merely humouring players and fans for a few short weeks.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
It doesn't 'have' to be in June but it is. And really, that is all there is to it.
maximus182
Roar Guru
Steve, Would you ever consider working for the RLIF...? Surely a role where you would be absolutely invaluable to them given your passion.
Justin Kearney
Guest
New id same garbage Bill
Justin Kearney
Guest
I was referring to Steve. Mea culpa
The Barry
Roar Guru
Why? Fans, clubs, players love origin when and where it is. It is known. If I was trying to build the profile of international football and had just made a monumental breakthrough of having an international window in the calendar, I would be trying to build on that and make the international window a valuable and indispensable part of the rugby league calendar - just like origin - rather than milking that mofo for all it’s worth with a one off cash grab on the other side of the planet. I’m not making a judgement call about the fixture. I actually think it’s a great idea - just the timing is off. We know clubs are self interested and we know if there’s one injury they will try and shut this down. I think trying to take them on head on at the first opportunity is a mistake. Origin didn’t just immediately become a huge brand...it had to be built slowly and clubs and players had to be influenced and won over. I know test footy had been around longer but it is rebuilding its brand. I’m yet to hear a compelling reason why this fixture has to be in June and not pre or post season.
Wolly
Roar Guru
Facts are facts, they don’t have allegiances.
Forty Twenty
Guest
If I could turn back the clock to the Super League fiasco I would like to think I would be wise enough to walk away the minute anyone started talking about it. Some of the propaganda people would repeat while turning red in the face with steam coming out their ears was truly embarrassing. 'Arthurson and Quayle have ruined the game and that's why uncle Ruppy has come to the rescue ..... pleeeeeease! 'A billion people in China are counting down the days to when they can watch hours of super league'
Nat
Roar Guru
Great intentions without doubt but he was a pawn from day 1. I won't go into the politics of his scenario but an altruistic person who doesn't need the money but also has the knowledge/education to know when their profile is being used without significant process to defined outcomes. Peter, for all his values, didn't have that understanding and nearly went to jail for it.
Dexter The Hamster
Guest
Maybe we should play Origin in a more user friendly time slot as well....
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
The players involved are not against it, in fact angry with the NRL for trying to stymie it.Just as the players involved ,are not against SOO mid season. The RLPA/clubs (what a surprise) and the NRL are agin it. The Kiwi doctor who worked with NZ Super rugby teams, stated there is no problem with staging the game at that altitude.Ditto the Pommy doctor.The RFL stated their insurance cover is one of the best . Insular clubs think only within their boundaries, and hang the rest. Yet when it comes to their club being involved in an NRL game in the States,away from their fans,tehy jump at the opportunity. Keep chipping away Steve.
The Barry
Roar Guru
That doesn't explain why it HAS to be played in June. I get it's an international window but if I had players, clubs and fans against it I'd consider a more user friendly time slot...