jones - no way
has no idea how to run a club
Make Turvey commish - Jones
ADRIAN PROSZENKO
December 13, 2009
Steve Mortimer.
html,body { border: 0px; }RADIO king Alan Jones has hailed Steve Mortimer as a ''partial architect'' of rugby league's administrative overhaul and has called for the Bulldogs great to be appointed to its new independent commission.
Mortimer brokered a secret meeting between Gold Coast chief executive Michael Searle and Jones at 2GB's studios last month to discuss the direction of the game under a new governing body.
Jones left it convinced Mortimer, a long-time agitator for an independent commission, should be appointed as one of the new body's eight commissioners.
''I would like to see someone like Steve Mortimer there,'' Jones told The Sun-Herald. ''He has the game's best interests at heart and he's completely objective. He's not interested in any benefit to himself in any of this.
''I don't think Mortimer would be compromised by being on such a [body]. He has no affiliation with anyone and the fact he's a former player gives him great perspective.
''He's a thinker and he's been a partial architect in all of this.
''He's the kind of person who would be of tremendous benefit to new people coming on board.''
Mortimer has spent three years working behind the scenes on the formation of an independent commission. Told of Jones's comments, the former NSW and Australian halfback said: ''It's very flattering for Alan to say that.
''I've never sought anything from this process personally other than to see the game flourish.
''I'm not looking for any personal gain or involvement, although I'm happy to do anything to help. My only motive is to see rugby league realise its full potential.''
The momentum for an independent commission has stalled in recent days. It was hoped the ARL - a part owner of the NRL, along with News Ltd - would sign off on the formation of a commission at last week's board meeting. However, the ARL, citing the need to protect grassroots development, called for further negotiations.
Jones, a passionate Queensland Origin supporter and former first-grade league coach, said it was time for action.
''The time for talk is over,'' he said. ''The whole game is top-heavy with administration. There are ARLs, NRLs, QRLs, CRLs - you don't have that kind of bureaucracy at BHP.
''If you do what you did last year, you get last year's results.
''There are challenges for [all football codes] and AFL is responding. But I have a feeling that if we don't get out of the blocks we'll be left behind.''
Bloody hell, even Alan Jones is making sense!! Why not the QRL?
Whoever is chosen as board members or commissioner to run Rugby League must have no affiliation past or present with any Australian leagues club. I remember the days of Ken Arthurson and his stranglehold of the game to the benefit of his Manly club. Fans dont want to travel down that path again. Power does corrupt.Turvey spells passion and not one ounce of self-interest.
He'd do me
Exactly, he knows f**k all about football and in my opinion he virtually ruined both Balmain and Souths with his stints at each club.
He was also way off the mark when it came to the privatisation vote at Souths, backing the losers to the hilt in spite of all sorts of balanced opinion.
I do agree with him that Mortimer would be a good choice on the commission but as the article illustrates, Mortimer ha been calling for this for a while now so it's just a classic case of Jones stating the obvious.
The problem with that is that it pretty much excludes anyone born of the game with an undisputed passion for the game. I think it's enough that any Commissioner holds no other position within the game at the time of their nomination or during their tenure. Combine that with the requirement that nominees have the support of 75% of clubs and you're pretty much assured that we won't get anyone nominated as part of a kickback deal with their current employer or who is financially beholden to any one club. And anyone with a history of strong partisanship towards one club will never muster 75% support. There are plenty of great people within the RL world capable of putting aside their personal biases and looking at the bigger picture of what is good for the game. We just want to weed out the John Ribots and Dennis Fitzgeralds.Whoever is chosen as board members or commissioner to run Rugby League must have no affiliation past or present with any Australian leagues club. I remember the days of Ken Arthurson and his stranglehold of the game to the benefit of his Manly club. Fans dont want to travel down that path again. Power does corrupt.
Whoever is chosen as board members or commissioner to run Rugby League must have no affiliation past or present with any Australian leagues club. I remember the days of Ken Arthurson and his stranglehold of the game to the benefit of his Manly club. Fans dont want to travel down that path again. Power does corrupt.
Put Alan Jones and Singo on the commission and give 2GB the radio rights for life.
Whoever is chosen as board members or commissioner to run Rugby League must have no affiliation past or present with any Australian leagues club. I remember the days of Ken Arthurson and his stranglehold of the game to the benefit of his Manly club. Fans dont want to travel down that path again. Power does corrupt.