I grew up on rugby league. It flows through my veins. When I was six my mum was my first footy team manager, washing jerseys and cutting up oranges for the little devils wearing red and blue.
When I was eight I used to hand deliver letters to my housing commission neighbours to spruik a neighbourhood game of footy I was organising, my very own Figtree Suburb of Origin. These matches would always draw quite the crowd.
Mum used to buy me footy boots that would fit me for a few years. It was hard work flying down the wing in something akin to clowns shoes with steel studs – I hated the plastic ones.
Sometimes we wouldn’t make the game because our car wouldn’t start. As a bit of a sooky young fella, I wouldn’t take this too well. I cried when it rained too. Nothing worse than when footy was washed out.
Fast forward 30 years, three different country league clubs, 300 senior games of rugby league and last weekend at age 37 I finally pulled the pin. Next winter I won’t be pulling on a jersey or moulding a new mouth guard. I’ve had my last rodeo.
I’m not here to toot my own horn or beat my chest. The point of this story is to highlight how rugby league I am. Not a prodigiously talented player but somebody who has sacrificed and struggled for the Game 1 love so dearly.
That’s why I am writing this tale with so much disgust in my heart. Total and utter frustration and anger. The game’s administration has let me down – me and the many thousands just like me, who belong to rugby league. Are rugby league.
On the back of all the other ridiculous decisions the NRL has made in the last five or so years, now to top it all off, it’s decided it was appropriate to buy Cameron Smith’s wife a diamond ring worth 15K for no apparent reason.
The decision makers couldn’t think of any more appropriate way to spend that money. Just have a read through the social media commentary on this issue and you’ll get a feel for how bad this decision was.
This is an administration that finds itself so far out of touch with its biggest stakeholder, the fans, that people like me are forced to turn to amateur journalism in the hope that somebody will listen to some common sense.
Because the people leading rugby league at the moment are going worse than mum’s old Datsun 180. No doubt it’s time for an upgrade.
Dutski
Roar Guru
I'm at the airport heading off for work now. my wife would love a new ring. do I ask Greenberg directly?
Tom G
Roar Rookie
Precisely… the game is run by amateurs. This “gesture” is proof positive of that. The ratings issue is a big commercial problem given that this the first year in ages that the NRL has posted a profit and that has all come from TV rights. Those rights are negotiated on the basis of how many eyeballs the Game provides.. quite simply if they deliver fewer viewers they get less cash.
Mat Clarke
Roar Rookie
Just One of the many reason why the game I once loved has Lost it’s way in the heartland. The Wrestle and The Ring Good luck to barb.wonder what Yvonne is getting?
ac
Guest
Something is wrong TV ratings are down as are attendances. No one I know speak of how their team are going. This article might point to the reason.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
The only thing you have said that I agree with us that the argument is going nowhere.. but it never was. That’s what happens when you argue with someone without a point
Big Daddy
Guest
Normal companies answer to shareholders. The NRL are a not for profit business and answer to no-one except themselves. If Melbourne had done it I would find it more palatable. Remember the NRL give them $10 million per year grant ( your words) and the bottom line to me is they are rewarding the rich and the strugglers don't get recognized in the same way.
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
I would of thought a personally autographed Ref's jersey more appropriated.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Mate, it'd be easier to take your arguements seriously if what you were criticising the NRL for didn't "evolve" every post. There's no way the NRL has a budget for this, it's never been done before! It's a fairly regular occurance. They shouldn't be wasting this much money on this! It's not actually that much compared to their budget. It's not their money to spend! Well, it is. That's not how you run a sucessful business! They've been pretty sucessful lately and it's really not that much money for them. That's only because most of their money comes from a key part of their business model! And it's a lot of money for much smaller businesses that I've been involved with! Normal companies don't do this! You're dumb! Ok? Normal companies don't normally run sporting cometitions either, awarding rings isn't exactly a rarity in team sporting competitions. As much as I'd love to see what the next arguement is it is getting late and this doesn't look like it's going anywhere anytime soon.
Emcie
Roar Guru
both of which the NRL pumps significantly more then $15k into already
Tom G
Roar Rookie
The financial colossus that is the NRL has posted big losses plenty of times over the last few years. All under the watch of these clowns. Why the big boost this year? TV rights cash. Nothing else changed. Don’t believe me read their own annual reports. Your idea of a balance sheet is linen over a bloody seesaw. For what it’s worth I have managed budgets over several million and have had boards and shareholders to report to in my career. If I had once decided to squitter away 100k on junk jewellery I’d have been rightfully flicked. This is not normal for any big corporate which by the by the NRL isn’t a large corporate. Also a good billboard actually promotes a business.. what promotional benefit is derived from bejewelling select employees?. I must however defer to your great knowledge of business. What exactly was that again playing monopoly with your dad.
Emcie
Roar Guru
I think you'll find that's no different to how the majority of comercial entities are run mate, and I'm not sure you can have a crack at the financial management of a business that's coming off a $42m surplus. And I'm not sure you understand just how little $100k is for big business. That kind of money might get you a good billboard for a month, or maybe about 3 prime time ads. I'm not sure you can label a company allocating around 0.02% of their anual revenue towards player acknowledgement as financial mismanagement.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
No, because the money could have been better spent on the game. Providing training equipment for juniors and country rugby league. Travel assistance for country league teams. Or using this money to promate and aid women's rugby league.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
Good business model that... lay them eat cake strategy ! So well known for success. Fans may not have official capacity but they sure as hell have a say and if you believe seriously that squirting over 100k on bling is sensible governance of money then there is absolutely no point in discussing this further. Let them kit players out like Mr T
Emcie
Roar Guru
Oh, is that it? Well for a start the fans have no official capacity in the NRL for anyone to be answerable to them, so I'm not sure what that's about. And the clubs are actually part of the commision soo, yeah. If they're the ones responsible for the "fiscal management of the sport" then it would appear that they do in fact have the authority to spend it how they see fit and it's not somebody elses money. The fact that you don't agree with how they spend it has no impact on their authority to do so.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
The sport is governed by a commission who supposedly provide governance to the game. They are responsible for oversight on all manner of things including the responsible fiscal management of the sport. The money is not theirs they are custodians not owners and ultimately are answerable to stakeholders namely the clubs and their fans
Emcie
Roar Guru
People keep saying that, who's money did they use?
Tom G
Roar Rookie
I guess the bling budget is therefore justified. I can’t understand what all the fuss is about.. you do realise that it isn’t their money right?? I guess not given that you refer to the money given to clubs as hand outs
Big Daddy
Guest
Is that called any port in a storm.
Emcie
Roar Guru
Considering the give about $160m of handouts just to clubs $100,000 isn't exactly a lot in the grand scheme of things. To put it in perspective, clubs have players on the books on more then that who won't see a game all year. And that's assuming that what the NRL pays for the rings is the same as what they're valued.
Tom G
Roar Rookie
I apologise.. I hadn’t realised they had over $100,000 lying around to blow on rings. I guess those juniors selling raffle tickets to survive can have a good laugh with you over people having the temerity to question such a valuable decision.