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The Art Of Class War - The Monthly Article

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13,797
The last bunch of prime ministers all openly supported or pretended to support League though..
Morrison - Sharks
Turnbull - Pretended he was a Roosters fan
Abbott - Manly
Rudd - feigned support for the Broncos
Howard was a Dragons man.

Albanese is a Rabbitohs tragic apparently.

There's no apparently about it. I knew Anthony when I was at Uni and he is a complete Rabbitohs tragic. Always has been. Pre-buy out by Crowe/Home-a-Court he was also on the Rabbitohs Board for a number of years too.

As to Turnbull, he may not have been as vocal nor die hard as some, but he was a Roosters fan well before he even became Prime Minister.
 

LeagueXIII

First Grade
Messages
5,966
About the only thing Beattie got right if that is the case.In fact News Ltd was pumping for V'lad openly.

Of course they were they wanted to own the game, Greenberg threatened this.

And surprise, surprise Abdo is CEO........who would have thought when V'landys and Abdo went off to the USA in February to meet up with Murdoch they'd be in control of the game 7 months later and Greenberg would be gone and a broadcast deal for SEVEN years would be in News Corps pocket. Who'd think it..............
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,420
How'd he go with that? Just talk? Yeah, sounds like him.

at least he commissioned a proper review into expansion, the only person in 20 years to do so, vlandys came in and totally ignored it. Sigh.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,420
Of course they were they wanted to own the game, Greenberg threatened this.

And surprise, surprise Abdo is CEO........who would have thought when V'landys and Abdo went off to the USA in February to meet up with Murdoch they'd be in control of the game 7 months later and Greenberg would be gone and a broadcast deal for SEVEN years would be in News Corps pocket. Who'd think it..............

coincidence I’m sure lol. It’s one of the best con jobs ever. Dumb rl fans loves vlandys because he makes childish comments about afl and Melbourne, meanwhile he’s put in place his puppet as ceo and sold long term rights to news ltd behind closed doors and refuses to tell us what the deal is. Best con job since Christianity lol. B
 

LeagueXIII

First Grade
Messages
5,966
coincidence I’m sure lol. It’s one of the best con jobs ever. Dumb rl fans loves vlandys because he makes childish comments about afl and Melbourne, meanwhile he’s put in place his puppet as ceo and sold long term rights to news ltd behind closed doors and refuses to tell us what the deal is. Best con job since Christianity lol. B

Have to agree. The truth is out there somewhere, heaven knows the mainstream media won't be critical of him they are too busy trashing the reputation of Grant and Greenberg to con the public that the path we are on currently protects News Ltd interests.........oops I mean the game's interests.

Has he quit his racing job yet? Or is he running it on the side, or is it league he's running on the side.
 
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LeagueXIII

First Grade
Messages
5,966
Let's revisit this article from 9 months ago from Roy Masters. I would suggest the big cut backs the NRL are speaking of this last week are due to News Ltd taking over production. Gone is our independence....again.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/1b...ly-sale-would-be-foolish-20191107-p538bz.html

$1b valuation of NRL digital arm shows early sale would be foolish


Roy Masters
November 7, 2019 — 4.00pm


An audit of the NRL’s controversial digital investment has confirmed the prediction of the ARLC’s inaugural chairman, John Grant, that the asset could be worth one billion dollars and, therefore, it would be foolish to sell it prematurely.

Incoming chair Peter V’landys is a renowned cost-cutter and fears he would roll back the NRL’s digital department, or even sell it to a commercial partner, gained traction at his first press conference when he said, “We’re not going into the space of our media partners".
NRL executives hide behind the “commercial in confidence” narrative when asked to confirm valuations, but one source described it as “a growing business” where income already exceeds expenditure.

Club bosses optimistic for the code’s digital future are confident that V’landys, since coming to the ARLC 12 months ago, now has a greater understanding of the business and the imperative of the game to have a presence in this area.

The ARLC recently locked away the code’s digital investment for the next 12 months, meaning any material reduction in its spend in that area couldn't happen (if at all) until 2021. By that time, the ARLC will have either completed or be close to executing a new broadcast deal which will inevitably shape the game's digital investment and footprint in future years.

Clubs anticipate some wind-back of money spent on the content the NRL’s journalists are producing, but believe it's really part of a phased growth in the code’s digital investment. Perhaps V’landys' comments around efficiencies point to a reallocation of funds away from content and toward marketing, fan, e-commerce and analytics.


When Grant set it up, his objective was to build a one-on-one direct relationship with fans and provide them with an alternate source of news, other than what appears in mainstream media. Above all, he sought to commercialise this relationship and, ultimately, if necessary, to create tension in broadcast negotiations by being able to stream games direct to fans.

Even Grant’s critics accept that the NRL’s digital plan during the current five-year broadcast deal cycle remains on track.

663503f88271bc7bc521aad8cd98ebf2bd022895

Former ARLC chair John Grant lost his job over the $150 million funding of NRL Digital, which put clubs offside.CREDIT:LISA MAREE WILLIAMS

Grant lost his job because of his commitment to the digital environment. He told club bosses he needed more resources for the digital department and therefore could not meet an earlier commitment to pay them 130% of the salary cap.

The quantum of the investment required was determined by Rebekah Horne after he recruited her from Channel Ten while he was acting in the CEO role. Her business case required significantly more investment than a previous one and led to the club’s revolt and the ARLC walking away from the original MOU with the clubs and eventually Grant’s fall.


Of all the personal views expressed by V’landys at his first press conference, the one most measurable is his promise that the code will do better from broadcasters in the next media rights deal. Income from digital will represent a significant part of extracting that value.

So, while the code’s digital investment was the beginning of the end of the ARLC’s inaugural chair, it will define the future of the incumbent.
 

LeagueXIII

First Grade
Messages
5,966
Article from February this year

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/v-...nberg-future-grows-murky-20200227-p544z5.html



OPINION

V'landys' secret Murdoch meeting as Greenberg future grows murky

Andrew Webster
Chief Sports Writer


Rugby league executives have been clocking up the frequent flyer points in the past two weeks, jetting from one side of the world to the other.

NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg was in the UK last week for the Roosters’ successful World Club Challenge campaign, while ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys and chief commercial officer Andrew Abdo were in the US this week.

his remarks at a Carbine Club lunch at the Magic Millions racing carnival in early January about juggling his day job as Racing NSW chief executive while ruling rugby league stirred plenty of chatter in both sports.

“I'll decide in the next 12 months,” V'landys told the room, according to several people at the function. “If I see that I can't do both, I will have to make a decision.”

fa6c08989dc1e73d162a783fa8c3c0910c3db33b

Power player: Lachlan Murdoch with father Rupert.CREDIT:BLOOMBERG

V’landys’ contract with Racing NSW ends at the end of this year, having taken over as chief executive in 2004 and fought — and won — many, many battles.

Rugby league is a different beast, though. In racing, V’landys owns the room. In rugby league, he remains an outsider.


He runs racing through fear and has adopted a similar approach at League Central, promising to sack anybody who leaks sensitive information to the media.

He also made it very clear at his introductory media conference as chairman that he will live and die by the size of the next broadcast deal.

He promised a “better result” than the current deal of $1.8 billion with Channel Nine (publisher of this masthead) and Fox Sports.

This coming season is the third of a five-year deal, but negotiations have been cranked up early because the NRL is wrestling with the idea of expanding its so-called “footprint” from 2023. If new teams are to be part of the next broadcast deal, they will need to be set-up sooner than later.

V’landys tripped himself up last year when he declared in The Courier-Mail he wanted a second team in Brisbane, in a 17-team competition, with Perth to be snubbed because it's an AFL city.



EXCLUSIVE
NRL 2020

NRL expected to announce $30m profit for 2019 despite horror off-season
Many within the game considered the interview to be grandstanding. At the very least, it caught a lot of people off-guard. Why he would make such bold statements about what “the footprint” would look like without first consulting its key stakeholders?

His trip to the US with Abdo and not Greenberg has been interpreted by some club bosses as a sign that V’landys wants to cut Greenberg out of the broadcast deal. It’s no secret that V’landys is a huge supporter of Abdo.

Greenberg attended the WCC after Roosters chairman Nick Politis complained about the lack of any NRL officials at last year’s match against Wigan. He also met with key Super League stakeholders, as well as Australian High Commissioner to the UK, George Brandis, about the Kangaroo tour at the end of this season.

Abdo was supposed to be on the same trip but was a sudden withdrawal before being redirected to the US with V'landys.


(For the purposes of transparency, this column covered the Roosters’ WCC campaign as a guest of the NRL).

ARL Commission sources say the board has been split about Greenberg’s contract being extended. Is Greenberg the right man for the game’s most thankless job — even if it does pay upwards of $1.2 million a year plus bonuses?

The announcement on Thursday of a $30m profit for last season suggests he’s doing OK, although club chief executives will grill him at the annual general meeting about the game’s costs.

31ee50eee92e12d9b3deecaaafe080c49bebbb6e

Peter V'landys and Todd Greenberg ... Can they work together?CREDIT:EDWINA PICKLES

There’s still a belief, certainly among the clubs and the states, that Greenberg is more worried about surviving than having vision; about perception and optics.


He’s made some mistakes but had several wins, and at the very least the game cannot really afford to sack another chief executive and find a new one, especially this close to the start of the season. Better the devil you know and all that.

Should he survive, it will be compelling viewing as he goes about his business for the next two years with V’landys sitting on his shoulder.

They are two different types of sports administrators: Greenberg is a slick media performer who also has the ear of Premier Gladys Berejiklian. V'landys loathes ceremony, avoids a microphone at all costs, and works brilliantly in the shadows.

The game probably needs both but, as it stands, you can fit several cigarette papers between both of them.
 

taipan

Referee
Messages
22,402
Of course they were they wanted to own the game, Greenberg threatened this.

And surprise, surprise Abdo is CEO........who would have thought when V'landys and Abdo went off to the USA in February to meet up with Murdoch they'd be in control of the game 7 months later and Greenberg would be gone and a broadcast deal for SEVEN years would be in News Corps pocket. Who'd think it..............

OK show me exactly what Abdo has done wrong since his number of years with the NRL.We do know he's upped the non broadcast revenue substantially.Got the Foxtel deal up til 2027, the comp up on May 28th with the Apollo team and helped renegotiate the 2020/22 deals.He doesn't play favourites with clubs, like Greenberg did.
He went to the USA with V'Landys to learn about International rights,
speak with major social media companies.As if it was only meeting with Murdoch.

Murdoch's company is a major shareholder with the Broncos, V'Landys & Abdo are looking at a 2nd Brisbane side and will get one provided the bid stacks up.
Remember when Murdoch got off his rocks and bagged Smith for not involving News.AFL were teh beneficiaries.

I don't have time for News, but have to acknowledge Pay TV is a major source of NRL revenue.Just as I don't have time for ch9 and Fairfax, but 9 pays for revenue to the game.
I have bagged Slothfield, Bandana Head, from those organisations monotonously.

The Foxtel deal guaranteed income for the code up til end 2027.Sheesh how dare the code's execs succeed in securing long term revenue.
'We got our game up and running and saved the code from doing a fortune, and Vlad has taken it to the AFL when they suggested they access NRL fan data base in Qld. Our previous CEOs and Chairman at times were as weak as.
 
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taipan

Referee
Messages
22,402
Article from February this year

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/v-...nberg-future-grows-murky-20200227-p544z5.html



OPINION

V'landys' secret Murdoch meeting as Greenberg future grows murky

Andrew Webster
Chief Sports Writer


Rugby league executives have been clocking up the frequent flyer points in the past two weeks, jetting from one side of the world to the other.

NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg was in the UK last week for the Roosters’ successful World Club Challenge campaign, while ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys and chief commercial officer Andrew Abdo were in the US this week.

his remarks at a Carbine Club lunch at the Magic Millions racing carnival in early January about juggling his day job as Racing NSW chief executive while ruling rugby league stirred plenty of chatter in both sports.

“I'll decide in the next 12 months,” V'landys told the room, according to several people at the function. “If I see that I can't do both, I will have to make a decision.”

fa6c08989dc1e73d162a783fa8c3c0910c3db33b

Power player: Lachlan Murdoch with father Rupert.CREDIT:BLOOMBERG

V’landys’ contract with Racing NSW ends at the end of this year, having taken over as chief executive in 2004 and fought — and won — many, many battles.

Rugby league is a different beast, though. In racing, V’landys owns the room. In rugby league, he remains an outsider.


He runs racing through fear and has adopted a similar approach at League Central, promising to sack anybody who leaks sensitive information to the media.

He also made it very clear at his introductory media conference as chairman that he will live and die by the size of the next broadcast deal.

He promised a “better result” than the current deal of $1.8 billion with Channel Nine (publisher of this masthead) and Fox Sports.

This coming season is the third of a five-year deal, but negotiations have been cranked up early because the NRL is wrestling with the idea of expanding its so-called “footprint” from 2023. If new teams are to be part of the next broadcast deal, they will need to be set-up sooner than later.

V’landys tripped himself up last year when he declared in The Courier-Mail he wanted a second team in Brisbane, in a 17-team competition, with Perth to be snubbed because it's an AFL city.



EXCLUSIVE
NRL 2020

NRL expected to announce $30m profit for 2019 despite horror off-season
Many within the game considered the interview to be grandstanding. At the very least, it caught a lot of people off-guard. Why he would make such bold statements about what “the footprint” would look like without first consulting its key stakeholders?

His trip to the US with Abdo and not Greenberg has been interpreted by some club bosses as a sign that V’landys wants to cut Greenberg out of the broadcast deal. It’s no secret that V’landys is a huge supporter of Abdo.

Greenberg attended the WCC after Roosters chairman Nick Politis complained about the lack of any NRL officials at last year’s match against Wigan. He also met with key Super League stakeholders, as well as Australian High Commissioner to the UK, George Brandis, about the Kangaroo tour at the end of this season.

Abdo was supposed to be on the same trip but was a sudden withdrawal before being redirected to the US with V'landys.


(For the purposes of transparency, this column covered the Roosters’ WCC campaign as a guest of the NRL).

ARL Commission sources say the board has been split about Greenberg’s contract being extended. Is Greenberg the right man for the game’s most thankless job — even if it does pay upwards of $1.2 million a year plus bonuses?

The announcement on Thursday of a $30m profit for last season suggests he’s doing OK, although club chief executives will grill him at the annual general meeting about the game’s costs.

31ee50eee92e12d9b3deecaaafe080c49bebbb6e

Peter V'landys and Todd Greenberg ... Can they work together?CREDIT:EDWINA PICKLES

There’s still a belief, certainly among the clubs and the states, that Greenberg is more worried about surviving than having vision; about perception and optics.


He’s made some mistakes but had several wins, and at the very least the game cannot really afford to sack another chief executive and find a new one, especially this close to the start of the season. Better the devil you know and all that.

Should he survive, it will be compelling viewing as he goes about his business for the next two years with V’landys sitting on his shoulder.

They are two different types of sports administrators: Greenberg is a slick media performer who also has the ear of Premier Gladys Berejiklian. V'landys loathes ceremony, avoids a microphone at all costs, and works brilliantly in the shadows.

The game probably needs both but, as it stands, you can fit several cigarette papers between both of them.


Hardly a scoop, and written by Andrew Webster Fairfax and ch9 contributor.They are not going to praise anything to do with News Ltd and Murdoch ,which has been their agenda.
When SL started Fairfax dropped the amount of rugby league coverage dramatically because News owned SL and what was left of the rugby league didn't offer that much .

No ,mention by this guy Webster, of visits to major social media outlets in the USA or broadcasters re International rights nor possibilities.
He on CH9 has stated he was not a fan of an in house selection, suggesting a global search.I mean Webster is a great businessman in his own right.Oh wait, he's just a run of the mill rl journo,who has his likes and dislikes.
"Greenberg is a slick media performer" LOL trying to be a good guy for everyone.It doesn't work in sport.

As far as the 2019 profit was concerned initially it was expected they would make a lot more and in fact they probably would have if "the wastage or cost trimmings " had been effected when they should.
 
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Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,420
Have to agree. The truth is out there somewhere, heaven knows the mainstream media won't be critical of him they are too busy trashing the reputation of Grant and Greenberg to con the public that the path we are on currently protects News Ltd interests.........oops I mean the game's interests.

Has he quit his racing job yet? Or is he running it on the side, or is it league he's running on the side.

only time will tell.
We know we’ve lost $100mill from Telstra by giving fox streaming rights for 23>
We know we’ve given Fox a 7 year deal but don’t know for how much.
We don’t know what we’ve given Fox that will reduce the fta value in terms of simucast and Saturday night
we know we’ve given Ch9 reduction for 3 years but dont know how big a reduction.
That’s all we know for fact, everything else is guesswork at this time.
 

taipan

Referee
Messages
22,402
coincidence I’m sure lol. It’s one of the best con jobs ever. Dumb rl fans loves vlandys because he makes childish comments about afl and Melbourne, meanwhile he’s put in place his puppet as ceo and sold long term rights to news ltd behind closed doors and refuses to tell us what the deal is. Best con job since Christianity lol. B

LOL.
He was told the AFL had plans to access the Qld NRL fans' data base.V'landys responded accordingly.
We have had too many weak kneed CEOs and Chairmen who did not stick up for the code, whenever the AFL crowds etc was thrown up to them.
You obviously live in a bubble when the likes of Demetriou/Mcguire,Kennett,Shepherd had or have no trouble bagging the NRL when they see fit.

And you have the audacity to bag NRL fans as dumb.Coming from a guy(ooh I'm a rugby league fan),yet spends an indeterminate amount of time bagging every administrator ,just about every decision made.And lavishing boot licking praise on the AFL,ignoring completely any ballsups or decision they have made.
"He puts in place his puppet".Clueless.The guy has been working within the NRL at head office for years, and interim CEO for 5 months.During the 5 months stint we had the COVID crap and Apollo team got the code protocol compliant so they could start up the code on May 28th.He prior to the COVID secured major non broadcast increases, plus involved in TV negotiations.The decision was made by the board, not just V'Landys.They get financials,reportys etc from Abdo and observe him ion action.

Comments based on ignorance and just plain hate are TBH childish and cringeworthy.That wicked V'Landys is telling the AFL: to stick it where the sun don't shine.The poor snowflake is upset ,he stood up for his sport.

" Biggest con job since Christianity?" I wasn't there ATT. LOL.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,420
LOL.
He was told the AFL had plans to access the Qld NRL fans' data base.V'landys responded accordingly.
We have had too many weak kneed CEOs and Chairmen who did not stick up for the code, whenever the AFL crowds etc was thrown up to them.
You obviously live in a bubble when the likes of Demetriou/Mcguire,Kennett,Shepherd had or have no trouble bagging the NRL when they see fit.

And you have the audacity to bag NRL fans as dumb.Coming from a guy(ooh I'm a rugby league fan),yet spends an indeterminate amount of time bagging every administrator ,just about every decision made.And lavishing boot licking praise on the AFL,ignoring completely any ballsups or decision they have made.
"He puts in place his puppet".Clueless.The guy has been working within the NRL at head office for years, and interim CEO for 5 months.During the 5 months stint we had the COVID crap and Apollo team got the code protocol compliant so they could start up the code on May 28th.He prior to the COVID secured major non broadcast increases, plus involved in TV negotiations.The decision was made by the board, not just V'Landys.They get financials,reportys etc from Abdo and observe him ion action.

Comments based on ignorance and just plain hate are TBH childish and cringeworthy.That wicked V'Landys is telling the AFL: to stick it where the sun don't shine.The poor snowflake is upset ,he stood up for his sport.

" Biggest con job since Christianity?" I wasn't there ATT. LOL.

yawn. Broken record.
 

LeagueXIII

First Grade
Messages
5,966
So fairfax is biased but news isn't....you follow the narrative they peddle...they tell you Smith etc are rubbish and you believe it and on the other they say how great abdo and Pete v are and you swallow it hook line and sinker....can't you see the clear path and agenda here.
Tell me why did they drive Dave Smith out....why???
 

LeagueXIII

First Grade
Messages
5,966
For years we have been compared to AFL and how well their game is run. I live in Melbourne so I see it everyday.
Now they work with their partners and find the balance in the interests of the sport.
Why did they only do a deal until 2022?????????????? Why....because they know the landscape is changing fast.
Yet good old Pete v peddling the fear factor signs us up for 7.
 

taipan

Referee
Messages
22,402
So fairfax is biased but news isn't....you follow the narrative they peddle...they tell you Smith etc are rubbish and you believe it and on the other they say how great abdo and Pete v are and you swallow it hook line and sinker....can't you see the clear path and agenda here.
Tell me why did they drive Dave Smith out....why???

I said they are both biased for the 1k time.Any one who sees my posts against Murdoch/Sloth/Hooper/Crawley might get the idea.You tend to live in a bubble if you believe I narrate all the crap News deals up.I cancelled my Pay TV subs with Foxte last year,hardly a sign of bowing to that mob.
Yet your mate PR has no trouble linking/quoting News Ltd to try and back up his arguments.

I take little notice of what New's propaganda said ATT of Smith's move.I saw him at his press conference (on his own) bragging on about the deal he did with ch9.No sign of any member of the Commission in attendance.Why? Every other deal has had at least 3-4 in attendance including the Tv execs.

I watched the AFL TV deal announcement ,and Murdoch's comments about the NRL and AFL being the better code.And even Roy Masters state ,the AFL got extra loot.due to Smith going feral.

I heard Smith admit he knew little about rugby league and certainly its politics on his appointment.And it showed.Yet you seemed to ignore it.

IMO Smith lost the confidence of the board, the clubs, just like Greenberg.And guess what that happens in big business.Ask Amp,and the Banks.Smith took on board high flying people(consultants) on high salaries one who two who performed ,the remainder heard little about them.
And BTW V'Landys wasn't on deck ,so you can't blame him on Smith.

As far as V'Landys and Abdo go.It's all out there what has happened this year getting the code up and running and having to negotiate old and new TV deals.That's got zero to do with what News thinks.that is what happened.Even PR's AFL got the sh*ts because the NRL started on 28th May.
And any leader who gets under the skin of the opposition, when they have been doing the same to the NRL for years, gets my vote.
In the end it's the board who decides, not News ,not Fairfax.
So bud don't try and tell me how or what I think, if Abdo stuffs up and indeed V'Landys they won't get any sugar coating from me.
 

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