V’Landys’ power is not coast-to-coast — he needs to get on a plane to WA and actually make his pitch to West Australians, or risk setting the Bears up for failure.
thewest.com.au
Multiple articles a day lol
Dylan Caporn: If the NRL wants WA for more than our money, they must work on their pitch
On Saturday, Roger Cook and Peter V’Landys were 3300km apart.
As the WA Premier was enjoying the hospitality at the NRL’s double header at Optus Stadium, V’Landys was at Randwick racecourse in Sydney — a result of his dual roles as Australian Rugby League Commission chairman and Racing NSW chief executive.
It makes V’Landys a busy man, between managing the expectations of racing lovers in Australia’s biggest city, while also turning his focus to upcoming broadcast negotiations for the next round of league TV rights.
The nation has long been divided on sporting grounds, with Australian Rules dominant in the southern States, while rugby league had the home ground advantage in NSW and Queensland.
Both have sought to conquer territory in recent years, with the league moving into Melbourne in the late 90s, and the AFL’s Gold Coast and western Sydney expansion in the 2000s.
And as Aussie Rules seeks to formally set up operations in Tasmania, it should come as no surprise the NRL wants coverage in the third of the country it has no team or little interest from fans and viewers.
Ratings for regular season NRL games rarely breaks into the top 20 in WA, and local participation among children and adults sat at just 6000 last financial year — about the same number of West Aussies who play “flying disc”.
Sliding attendance rates at NRL double headers — which drew 31,000 to the 60,000 seat Optus Stadium on Saturday — show the appetite for league is not consistent or reliable.
When WA seems so detached from NRL, it is little wonder Cook is eager to play down talks with V’Landys.
Cook admitted there was a “delta” between the State Government and the league over the deal, but then refused to go into further detail over how far apart the parties were.
The Premier’s office revealed details of the offer — to which there has still been no formal, written response — including $35 million for growing the sport, and a place for a centre of excellence in Malaga.
But finding out the progress and developments of the negotiations has relied upon what gets leaked to Sydney media outlets. Nothing has been directed to outlets which have a presence in WA.
Peter V’Landys needs to get on a plane to WA and actually make his pitch to West Australians, or risk setting the Bears up for failure.
Week after week, cryptic messages from “NRL insiders” and demands for big sums of cash — as high as $320 million, including an insulting $120 million 10-year licence fee — are revealed to journalists in Sydney.
They tell the story of an overzealous league, attempting to strong-arm the cash-flush WA State Government.
Leaks during the election caused one of the few headaches for Cook during his campaign, forcing him to rule out sending any taxpayer funds to the league.
Attempts to contact the NRL, and to speak with V’Landys have gone unanswered, with only a commitment from staff in Sydney to run it past the higher-ups.
Also on the table is a rumoured request to redevelop HBF Park in Perth — at a cost of $200 million — despite recent upgrades for the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the regular hosting of the Western Force and Perth Glory home games.
It’s a typical Sydney power move adopted by V’Landys — barge in with the expectations of a fan base “starved” of sporting entertainment without trying to bring the community with them.
In all this time, the NRL and V’Landys have failed to travel to WA to make its pitch in the past nine months.
Where has the local engagement with fans and potential supporters been? Where are the attempts to demonstrate an understanding of what matters to West Aussies?
After the Federal Government tipped in a $600 million package to fund a Papua New Guinean side into the league, V’Landys has a taste for expensive taxpayer-funded deals.
Rumours of a deal, including one where Anthony Albanese swoops in to save the day in the final weeks of the campaign, have run hot in recent days, despite the on-again, off-again nature of the talks.
The scrapping of the Western Bears group, lead by Cash Converters’ Peter Cumins, looked to be the move of a league and a boss fixated on stable, political funding.
Why risk partnering with a consortium which is liable to falter to both market pressures and personality? A State-backed deal is neater and could prove longer lasting.
Internally, State Government figures were baffled by the decision to pursue taxpayers for a deal, given how niche the sport is in WA.
Earlier this month, Cook said V’Landys did not get WA, and the league needed to treat the State with more respect, accusing the competition of only seeing the surplus State Government as a “cash cow”.
V’Landys’ power is not coast-to-coast — he needs to get on a plane to WA and actually make his pitch to West Australians, or risk setting the Bears up for failure.
