Veteran Nine commentator Phil Gould predicts the rest of the NRL season will be a wipeout because it won’t satisfy the current broadcasting deal.
The league will on Thursday hold season-defining talks with Nine and Fox Sports that will decide what a restructured competition would look like should it resume.
A potential start date of May 28 has already been pencilled in by the NRL’s Project Apollo team, however Gould believes there won’t even be a liftoff.
“Personally, if you ask me, I think we’re going to struggle to get back at any time this year,” Gould said on his Six Tackles With Gus podcast.
“I don’t think we’re going to be able to sustain a competition that will be anything like what was planned, or what would satisfy the broadcast agreement.”
(Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
Gould’s comments come almost a week after Nine’s extraordinary attack on NRL management, accusing the league of financial mismanagement.
It came not long after the free-to-air network declared it would save $130 million if the remainder of the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There is also widespread speculation that Nine is positioning itself into forcing the NRL to open talks on a possible extension of its current broadcast deal.
ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys held a crisis meeting with Nine chief executive Hugh Marks on Tuesday. The pair will next be joined by Foxtel chief executive Patrick Delany, with the trio expected to determine how many games will be played this season. And, more importantly, how much the broadcasters will pay for them.
Gould, a two-time premiership-winning coach, claimed any re-jigged season will fall short of what Nine originally agreed to support in its broadcast deal.
“The NRL can’t provide that content at the moment,” he said.
“The NRL seems to think it can provide any sort of content over any period of time, starting and finishing whenever it can, to satisfy that agreement.
“I would think the broadcasters would disagree with that interpretation.”
jamesb
Roar Guru
And what happens if Covid 19 carries over to next year?
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
All the more reason to wipe this season and start again next year. Impacting 2 seasons to save one makes no sense
jamesb
Roar Guru
By early November, half the clubs will be on mad monday. If it disrupts two seasons, so be it. We are in the middle of a pandemic.
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
Different situation. That was rep footy so not every club was affected. You shouldn't disrupt 2 seasons to save one. If we can't complete this year by early November at the latest it needs to be scrapped. Even now we are looking at a season with half the games. Would be a pretty weird premiership whoever wins.
Walter Black
Guest
Your selective quote was by way of scene setting to my argument - so the point of your comment is ?
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Nice try Clipper having his usual discreet anti rl dig, but according to Weekend Australian John Stenholt:- " An interest rate at general market rates for relative short -term lending will be struck,but that rate will be halved, in effect,if the NRL is able to secure support from the Federal government for the loan." And interest rates even now fort commercial and domestic are at an all time low.The ability for the NRL to repay ,is not in question.Even allowing for a reduced Tv deal. In fact having this backing now has put the NRL in a much stronger position re 2020 dealing with ch9, and there are indications both Tv outlets now have agreed to a May resumption.
deucer
Roar Rookie
Don't think anyone would use WWE, UFC and the Belarus Football league as example of who we should follow - think I'll stick to the health experts.
Big Daddy
Guest
Latest news is it's a line of credit. Some can be secured and some can be unsecured and interest rates can vary based on the above from 5%-20% and interest is charged on the amount drawn down at any one time. I would love to see terms and conditions of it but all live in hope.
Nick
Roar Guru
Fair enough. :) Have a good weekend.
Nat
Roar Guru
Really Clipper? Another post with nothing to say? At least SM has the balls to have an opinion, what are you bringing? You're the tosser taking pot shots from behind the big bloke in the fight.
Nat
Roar Guru
Happens all the time but I have the grace to allow someone to comment, if they choose, before I start running down the page with: "Your silence Nat is deafening. I’ve given you what you asked – your turn." "You’re awfully silent, Nat? I presume since you don’t tend to read much, these articles might come as a bit of a shock to you" all before your posts were put up. Sorry mate, but to say you were replying to my comment is a bold face lie. I acknowledge I did get dark in reply, I'll try to be better. I do respect a lot of your posts and happy to debate but can we leave the personal insults at the door?
trilby
Roar Rookie
He’ll be using the Belarusian football league next!
Nat
Roar Guru
Exactly, you don't know but you still post. You seem to spend a lot of time on these league threads for someone who has nothing to say.
Nick
Roar Guru
Calm down, Nat... I feel I may have been misrepresented there. I don't control what time these posts go up, and you know that. I'm sure yourself have had a few come up later than you posted. I take offence because when you asked me to provide evidence, I did, and then you questioned the integrity of it (primarily because YOU couldn't open it behind a paywall). Why am I wrong to call that out? Take it down a notch. We were prepared to move on, remember?
clipper
Roar Rookie
Really Nat - using WWE and UFC and organisations others should follow - now that is an ill informed comment!
clipper
Roar Rookie
Not only that, but loans from consortiums after other loans have been rejected, would be even higher.
clipper
Roar Rookie
getting snippy again, Nat - you didn't specifically mention the Guardian, just thought you were replying in general from other sources as you have done in several ill-informed posts (see how easy that is)
Big Daddy
Guest
Clipper, 100 % correct. Business loans are always 2-3 % higher than normal home loans and have to provide last 3 years of profit and loss. It would be good to see details of the loan arrangements. Documentation of overseas loans would take a lot longer than local banks.
Nat
Roar Guru
Really? Check the timeline. Your posts never showed up until after 6pm last night (which is documented), therefore, I had not had the chance to write that reply before you posted your little insults. But it wasn't the first one was it? You take offence that I will not take you word on something we disagree about? Who the F do you think you are? You're another online anonymous like the rest of us so get over yourself. I was very civil to you until last night, can you say the same? I don't ask for your respect, your opinion of me is not my concern.
Nat
Roar Guru
Read the reply I posted about said Guardian article SM posted. Hence the detailed comment with direct quotes. Stay in your lane champ, at least I have some respect for SMs opinion, your level of input is reflected in another ill-informed post.