Welcome to the hot seat, Peter V’landys.
When you step into the role of ARLC chairman after October 30, you are entering the position at a time of great opportunity.
You are able to stamp your authority and really make a difference to the great game of rugby league.
The big question is: will you? Or will it just be more of the same?
I know you’ve only been on the ARLC board since the start of 2018. However, your experience as chief executive of the NSW Harness Racing Club, and now Racing NSW, sees you very well qualified to sit at the pinnacle of rugby league in Australia.
I don’t know which team you go for, but that shouldn’t matter anyway. Your challenge is to make the NRL as successful as you seem to have made Racing NSW.
I love your ambition too. A person who tells the VRC to move the date of the Melbourne Cup thinks big and has great big cojones.
The good news for you is that, while rugby league in Australia has some challenges, the game is still in reasonably good shape. However, you have the opportunity to take it into another golden era like we saw in the ’80s and early ’90s, before the Super League war and all that unpleasantness.
While I know you’ll have a few ideas of your own, I’ve got a list of actions that I reckon could really get things rocking straight away and endear you to league fans across the nation.
Incoming ARLC chairman Peter V’Landys has a big job on his plate when he takes over the role after October 30. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)
Replace Mark Coyne
It was sad last July when former Dragons and Maroons player Mark Coyne resigned from the ARLC. He now needs to be replaced with an ex-player. Ideally it would be someone also in the mould of Wayne Pearce: highly respected and universally popular. There are a fair few options to choose from.
Here are three great options, beginning with Alan Tongue. The ex-Raiders captain is one of the best humans I’ve ever met. He makes me want to be a better man. He spends his time travelling the country – often for the NRL – educating people about domestic violence.
Ruan Sims is my second choice. The recently retired Roosters and Jillaroos front-rower is an awesome human and dedicated to the game. From just south of where you grew up, her brothers also are handy players. She has been pivotal in the growth of women’s rugby league in Australia. We’ll just ignore that she also played union.
Third, Steve Renouf. The Pearl was just an awesome player and universally loved, even when he was scoring on your own team. A proud Murri from Murgon in Queensland, he works for the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health, as an ambassador for the Deadly Choices preventative health program.
Help out grassroots rugby league costs
One of the things that is hurting the lower tiers of rugby league in this country is the costs of insurance. Insurance companies assess the risk of injury in our great game as being quite large and their premiums reflect that.
That has caused registration costs at all levels to rise to the point that some people can’t afford to sign up their kids or continue playing themselves.
If the NRL set up their own insurance scheme, this could mitigate these rises and encourage people to sign up to, remain in and return to our game. If things worked out well, the NRL might even make a profit from it, too.
Get a second league side in Brisbane
The person who manages to get a second NRL side in Brisbane should be immortalised in bronze. We know they are the most hardcore fans in the country (deal with it NSW people, it’s true), yet they’ve only got one side to cover a city of 2.3 million.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Just think, two sides in Brisbane doubles the chances of having a side from south East Queensland in the finals each year, with the resultant ratings and advertising revenue that comes with that. Can I suggest that you use an established club – like Redcliffe – with an established supporter base and funds.
Ensure the NRL draw is done fairly
Over that past few seasons, the major emphasis for the scheduling of the games during the home-and-away season has been to ensure the best-rating sides were scheduled in the free-to-air spots. Due to the primacy of the broadcast deal, I’m OK with that.
However, can you please do something about ensuring that sides don’t have to play with only five-day turnarounds between games, especially not with travel involved. Please get some people at NRL HQ who are smart enough to give the broadcasters what they want, while also not handicapping sides by making them play without a fair break, often against well rested sides.
Guarantee consistency and transparency from the match review committee
Please Peter, can you please get the match review committee process run by people who are able to lay charges consistently and fairly? There were so many instances this season where one player got a big charge laid for something another player got a slap on the wrist for.
While we punters couldn’t tell the difference between one shoulder charge/crusher tackle/eye gouge/spear tackle and another, the MRC came up with often massively different verdicts. It is this part of the judiciary system being a mystery that Sam Burgess was referring too, not the actual panels hearing the cases.
Remove on-field trainers
I have been on the back of the current NRL operations manager Nathan McGuirk for years now to actually enforce the rules as set out in the NRL’s own operations manual and properly curb the access each team’s trainers have to the playing field.
Under McGuirk’s watch they have been allowed to be on the field more often than not. This culminated in the Roosters’ trainer interfering with the play during the NRL grand final. This made the whole organisation look stupid and incompetent for ignoring the warnings for years that just such a thing could happen. You don’t even need to change the rules, just get a new operations manager who will actually enforce the current ones properly.
While I’m sure we’ll come up with a few more improvements that can be made to benefit our great game, getting on with these ASAP will instantly yield great results and usher in your reign with a wave of popularity and optimism.
Good luck, Peter. We are all behind you.
mushi
Roar Guru
Face palm
mushi
Roar Guru
Will be interesting as to how the current controversy plays out. He's either falling into the camp of ignorant or complicit, neither are great.
Wayne Turner
Guest
A big issue you did NOT mentioned is:- CONTRACTS - They have become an embarrassing meaningless mess in the NRL. Caused by both sides. From players sooking mid contract and DEMANDING more money or else.To clubs wanting to dump players mid contract.Neither side was held at gun point and forced to offer and/or sign said contract.Both clubs and players should be forced to honour contracts in full,as they were originally signed.The current state is a mess,that damages the game,bad for fans,along with making clubs and players look like self serving pigs. The NRL MUST do something about contracts.From regulating players managers more,to possibly punishment of players and clubs for threatening to walk or dump players.Recent examples of course: Ryan Matterson and John Bateman. While Mitchell Moses should have been punished by the NRL,with a long suspension and big fine,for clearly giving up in games when he wanted out of Wests Tigers,to run off to Parramatta Eel.Instead the weak NRL did nothing,and the sook got his way. Imagine how players and their managers would react to down grades mid contract: https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/contract-upgrades-ryan-matterson-john-bateman-kalyn-ponga/b8155c77-436d-4771-a7a1-f29bd421efe2 Also,the refereeing needs to get better.It's horrible at the moment. 6 again,to out of position touch judge incorrectly ruling a player out.Also,two refs does not work,increases penalties,and two refs disagreeing with decisions.Add to that,refs hardly or don't get punished for poor performances.
ScottWoodward.me
Roar Guru
Hey Tim, Knocked it out of the park with all of your points; maybe Peter should have you on his Board. I particularly liked your point: "Help out grassroots rugby league costs". If I could expand. The cost to play footy for struggling families is exorbitant, and one of the key reasons why our game is evaporating in the country towns. The game of Rugby League as we once knew it is quickly losing its identity as kids from NSW and QLand country are becoming fewer. They are being replaced by players from the Pacific Nations. All Nations should be welcome to our game, but we should never lose sight of where we came from and how we started. It is the job of the Commission to preserve that identity.
David martin
Guest
The game would be a better spectacle for fans if an interchange board was used fans at the game need to know when players are replaced often the announcer makes a comment but it’s three or tackles too late. Something like soccer a large board is held showing who is replacing whom.
Peter
Guest
The only similarity between Randy and Rationality is that they both begin with “r”.
Rellum
Roar Guru
You know you would need a chip on the players and each of their hands as well right?
Rellum
Roar Guru
Can I suggest that you use an established club – like Redcliffe – with an established supporter base and funds. This is what should happen, or Brothers. But it won't happen.
Nat
Roar Guru
The stadium thru built is superior to most Sydney clubs. If it has to be Redcliffe (and I lean more toward the Southside for a 2nd team) I would say Dolphin stadium is s place where smaller crowds can become more familiar and add more atmosphere to a fledgling club. If and When they gain popularity can they move into Suncorp. Like ANZ, 10k is a lonely place in a big venue but huge pout there. Just my opinion.
Nick
Roar Guru
Woden WAnkers Tuggeranong Tug-lovers Belconnen Bums
pcpinme
Roar Rookie
Sack Todd Greenberg and Tony Archer.
Succhi
Roar Rookie
Good article Tim - and I must say, all those points are really doable and in a short space of time. I’d love to see the “tribalism” brought back. More players that play for the area that they grew up in and bring back the suburban ground.
Renegade
Roar Guru
You do realize the AFL have 18 teams and an extra game each week without having to play a Friday 6pm game? The NRL don’t have to look for very far to see how it’s done... Now on the talent pool - that’s a completely false and incorrect perception, people were claiming Mitchell Moses wasn’t first grade standard two years ago.... how times change with a bit of experience in the top grade.... guys like Papenhuyzen, Nikora, Xerri, Cody walker, Hamlin Uele, etc all just needed to be given a go - no question as to the standard once there.... look at how teams like Manly and Cronulla competed most of the year without their stars...the whole notion that there isn’t enough talent is mind boggling. And if you think there isn’t enough talent in Australia and NZ (which there no doubt is)... look at all of the English imports who dominate from their very first season in the NRL (plenty more where that came from).... Justin Olam was given a go by the storm and with the right development - did you see how he went? Huge pool in PNG ready to go.... likewise Maika Sivo and Radradra (they literally started playing RL a few years ago). Shortage of talent is the biggest myth going around right now, and absolutely grinds my gears as you can see!
Bearfax
Roar Guru
As long as you keep the number of teams limited to a lower level, you will diminish the number of players worthy of first grade teams. They will go elsewhere, do something else. Those committed to playing the game want to know that their chances of playing first grade and making a decent living out of the sport, justifies their efforts. More opportunities will increase the number of potential first grade players developing. As long as the League ignores its juniors and country locations, it will drive athletic youngsters elsewhere, such as in Aussie Rules, which offers an easier path to success. Not surprisingly that sport is now thriving in NSW and in schools
Bearfax
Roar Guru
That's next on the agenda. My point was that there are many issues that need to be addressed in the game before it has a chance of competing effectively with Aussie Rules. Some of my suggestions made are of course pie in the sky and unlikely to be considered. But the range I suggested aims at showing to what extent the game has fallen into disrepair since the SuperLeague War, issues that need to be at least looked at. Consider one issue alone. Other than with Rugby Union, how many sports complain as consistently about the refereeing or umpiring of a game? Complaining about refs is an old sore in most games, but League and Union leave other sports for dead with problems relating to refereeing decisions. It comes from too many issues having discretionary elements in decision making, and that is brought about by the nature of how the rules are developed and interpreted.
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
And while your at it can you also fix Climate Change ,Brexit and the Middle Peace Process
Big Daddy
Guest
:thumbup: Agree 100% on the insurance angle, but getting all codes to work on the same page at be difficult as Randy says. They still may have to go through someone like AON. What do they do in the NFL and EPL.
RudyZarzoff
Guest
Even four or five , but 7.30 is so family unfriendly, and just poop overall.
Randy
Roar Rookie
do you really think those other codes would eve work with each other? RU would rather die than ever work with League. AFL is hell bent on destroying the grassroots of all rectangular codes and will tell whatever lies are necessary to achieve It's goal. Soccer is probably not going to have the high overheads of the other 3.
Clanger McClunk
Guest
Rob, going by your opening question you must be doubtful about the talent pool. I have no doubts about the talent pool, it is not big enough to support another team, let alone two. If anything, reduce the comp to 14 teams to raise or at least maintain a decent standard once injuries, suspensions and SOO hangovers happen. There are players in first grade who are not up to standard now so to expand would only dilute the standard even more. I see on here some don't like the 6pm timeslot for games yet one poster suggests expansion, Don't know where he will fit the extra games in. With 14 teams the 6pm Friday game would go according to TV ratings.