I am a firm believer in the idea that there is a place in sport for everyone.
No matter who you are, what your background or what your skill level, there is always a role for you if you want to contribute.
The roles look different. You may be best suited to sit on a board, or to volunteer or to play, but the key message is that there is room for all of us.
The trick is finding the right people for the right roles at the right time.
In rugby league at the moment, there seem to be two prevailing views about Australian Rugby League Commission chair Peter V’landys.
Either you are with him or you are against him.
Either you think he is the best chair that rugby league has ever had or you think that under his watch, the game will self-destruct.
But like most issues, I don’t think that this is one with a black-and-white answer.
Rugby league was extremely fortunate to have had V’landys as chair last year during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Bully’ is a strong word, but it may be appropriate in this case. V’landys helped rugby league bully its way back into the frame.
Given V’landys’ connections, his business savvy, his supreme focus on a goal and his ability to influence key stakeholders, rugby league returned on 28 May 2020.
Rugby league was the first sport to return in Australia following the lockdowns. When V’landys first announced that he was targeting a 28 May return, people scoffed at him. Many, including myself, didn’t think it was possible.
But rugby league achieved the impossible last year and a big reason for that was the contribution of V’landys. At that time, he was the right leader for the sport.
But what’s interesting about organisations is that they behave almost like living, breathing things.
They change over time – their culture changes, their direction changes and so do the organisation’s key priorities. This is the case in rugby league too.
Last year, the priority was survival. Is that the priority this year too?
Is V’landys’ style still the best suited to what rugby league’s strategic directions are going forward?
I’ve watched what has played out this year with interest. First there were the hastily introduced rule changes, which were communicated merely weeks out from the start of the 2021 season.
We may not have enough data to understand their full impact yet. But it isn’t too much of a stretch to say that making the game faster causes fatigue. When players are fatigued, they are more likely to get injured and more likely to make silly errors.
In the opening weeks of the competition we saw an increase in concussions and many players impacted by injury. To what extent was this caused by the rule changes?
In response, another announcement came down from the ARLC: a crackdown on head-high tackles.
We all know what the impact of that has been. Multiple players binned. Multiple players put on report. Multiple players sent off.
The approach that the Commission took both with the announcement of the new rules and the crackdown on head-high contact was similar to how the pandemic was handled last year: move quickly and get it done.
The difference is we are no longer in survival mode and I’m not sure that this approach is the best.
When you talk about the crackdown, most rugby league fans seem to be in agreement – ‘most’ being the very important word in that sentence.
Most people recognise that head-high contact is a risk to player welfare. Most want head-high contact to be policed and the rules to be enforced.
The problem in this scenario, though, is not the outcome, it’s the process. The crackdown was imposed mid-season, without any warning and most importantly with little consultation.
During the previous administration, Peter Beattie and Todd Greenberg were at pains to point out the important role that players have in our game.
The players are key stakeholders in the game and are the reason that our sport exists. Without James Tedesco, Cameron Munster, Clint Gutherson and Nathan Cleary, there is no rugby league and there is no product.
So it seems peculiar how little the players and the Rugby League Players’ Association have been consulted about rules and interpretation that impact them.
Organisations have different needs over time. Those in charge of organisations need to recognise those changing needs and adapt their style so that the organisation’s strategic imperatives can be achieved.
Rugby league survived last year and led the way for sports to return to play. But we are in a totally different situation now and the approach used last year will not work as effectively going forward.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
The logic given was the sport as its played has parents not signing up kids. This has always been a reason for the low numbers of kids playing Rugby League. But whenever there was a fight, the cameras at the game or the pictures appearing in Rugby League Week, would show, in the background, the crowd at the ground were really getting into it. The faces weren't always in focus but it looked like they were happy and excited and all were having a good look. Violence is okay when it's someone else taking a beating. Rugby League is a hard body contact sport and everyone likes the big hits.
Monorchid
Roar Rookie
Ramon Narvaes was a Spanish general who died in 1868, matth. As he lay on his death bed, his priest asked if he forgave his enemies. He replied, "I do not have to forgive my enemies. I have had them all shot." Best not to let PVL hear about this management technique.
Monorchid
Roar Rookie
You're quite right Mary. Saint Peter saved the NRL in spite of itself. But I must respectfully disagree with you when you say that RL is no longer in survival mode. COVID showed the fans for the first time what a stupid financial model the NRL was using. One reversal and the whole edifice almost came crashing down - except for V'landys arriving. But the NRL is still seriously reliant on broadcasting money. And there are signs that the ridiculously eyewatering amounts of money paid in the past may not be there in the future. This is why both rugby codes have been exploring the idea of overseas private investment. There's just not enough private or public money in Oz to support the greed of professional football. With respect to the rule changes, it could be worthwhile checking on the degree of consultation with the RLPA and the players. I'm sure I saw a report where Abdo was saying that the RLPA had been invited to comment and hadn't done so. Oh, and should V'landys be asked to stay for a while? Who else would you put in his place? Beattie?
Midfielder
Roar Guru
Mary love your work... Change management is a very interesting topic especially if you apply it to sport i.e treating sport as a business... All sports today face challenges and challenges can be way way into the future or something needing urgent action that needs to be fixed almost straight away.. In guiding change its interesting to see if you need adaptive solutions or technical solutions... very simply the difference between the two is Adaptive Challenges is where there is no know solution or there are two many solutions but no clear choices.... A Technical challenge is were using existing information and knowledge a solution can be found, further they are easy to identify and there is a simple solution. Beyond this the challenge or issue needs to ranked to see if its a threat to be met or an opportunity.... The logic given was the sport as its played has parents not signing up kids thus a thread to the future player base... and law suits especially if little to no action is taken when other codes are changing their internal structures and operational frameworks.. For me league has adaptive challenges, the solutions are neither obvious or simple... however many within league think they are technical meaning the solutions are easy to identify and simple.. Whether PV IMO has identified a threat to league and is trying to think his way thu it... or he is totally wrong I am in no way close enough to comment... but he seems to be taking an adaptive approach in that leagues needs to adopt to a new society norm... and many of the people who disagree are taking a technical approach in that its an easy and simple solution
Walter Black
Guest
I am pretty certain that the most of the Players association will be in favour of the crackdown. How many current players have been knocked senseless in the last few years ? I doubt they would be voting against Vlandys. It seems that most of the vitriol is coming from Newton and DCE (who seems to have some personal gripe with him). I would like to see the Players Association go to its members and get a mandate before going after the CEO.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
ferret , I'm looking at PVL from a different angle. I listened to his logic regarding the Covid restart and it proved to be spot on. Likewise , I'm agreeing with his logic now more so than his critics. After calling for more action on head high tackles , the introduction of captains challenge and the six again along with redevelopment of suburban grounds and technology on forward passes for a few years of course I'm going to support his actions. Maybe I'll be shown to be out of order but we'll have to wait and see. I was the odd one out at Manly when Bozo was employed to get the place fired up. It might have taken longer than expected but the juniors are very strong and lots of good players are waiting in the wings and my guess is that it's largely due to Bozo and family. Those who were predicting he would ruin the joint are at the opposite end of the spectrum to me and it's a similar thing with PVL.
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
I'm not a big V'Landys fan and I'll admit he's done a good job since his appointment. The changes he's implementing seem pretty harsh compared to what's happened in the past. But are we getting carried away with what he's doing or the way he's doing it. But when we judge him on what he's doing or are we judging previous administration for doing stuff all so his style is so different to Beattie or Greenberg. What amazes me is he got rid of Greenberg but Beattie stays firmly entrenched as a board member and Abdo appears to be a mild mannered CEO very much in the Greenberg mould. What he's done in the racing industry is positive but even there he's not a popular leader at least in Victoria anyway. One of the problems is he gets too involved in the every day running of the NRL and really is that his job.
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
he's Greek so probably "Christos"
matth
Roar Guru
Maybe they saw Ian Robert’s on the ABC talking about his memory loss or Willie Mason on the same program saying he never remembered over 100 of his games
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
The Facts!! You can’t handle the Facts .Did YOU order the Crack down,Yes or No
Adam
Roar Guru
That is true. But there is a lot of territory between the waist and to armpits. Not sure why so many have a need to tackle in the 6 inches between nipple and neck...
Nick Maguire
Roar Rookie
matth, the problem with "bad implementation" is that the negative over-reaction and push back from the RL Meeedja cronies might see the NRL fold their tent and go back to the way it was pre the "crack down" (on laws that already existed). In that scenario they could actually go backwards and be worse than no action. Hence why the implementation plan is important. TBH I can't see the NRL backing down. Doing some work in safety myself I just can't see them now making a decision that makes the players less safe as that's pretty hard to justify morally and legally. Cheers
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
Adam depending on which research you want to believe- there are more head knocks from tackling below the waist to tackling above.As Mary said this is not a Black n White issue.
max power
Guest
wow, he took a punt on our closed borders keeping the virus down. the AFL started 2 weeks later and had to contend with the melbourne lockdown. he then panicked and sold future TV rights at a discount and wont disclose the amount
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
So is his middle name Jesus
Albo
Roar Rookie
Maurice Blackburn & Slater & Gordon have been asking a lot of questions , perhaps ? :unhappy:
Mary Konstantopoulos
Expert
Another very interesting point, Roberto. That could be another article in itself!!
Mary Konstantopoulos
Expert
The Barry, could not agree more! Why has this all of a sudden become a priority?
Roberto Bettega
Roar Rookie
Is V'Landys the best Chair, or the best CEO in disguise?
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
Definition of "savior" a person who saves someone or something from danger or difficulty. PVL saved the NRL $400m last year, so that's pretty close to being a savior.