I've labelled PVL gullible for being played by Nine and Fox. He didn't had to extend Fox's contract in particular for five years at the height of Covid. He could've just said to Fox,
" how about we extend for another three years and all up we are together for another five years. In this situation we need to be fluid. Pandemic could end tomorrow". Or words to that effect.
Despite this, IMO what Smith did back in 2015 was worse for a couple of reasons. Firstly, without the pressure of a pandemic and in relative peactime, Smith decided to announce a FTA deal with Nine which included all of the key timeslots- Thurs night, Fri night, Sat night and Sun arvo. It left Fox with scraps.
And he didn't complete the deal. Where was the subscription side of it? Fox were peeved off and in the end, Smith lost his job. And because of Smith's mistake, the game didnt fully maximise its revenue potential of the 2018-2022 deal.
Secondly, if Smith and the NRL played their cards right card and maximised the 2018-2022 deal, then things could've been different.
Fast forward to 2020, the game is in lockdown due to the pandemic. If Smith did the right thing back in 2015, then who knows, the NRL might've had another $100 or $200 million in savings. In this situation, the NRL has more financial security to fend off a pandemic and could've had less pressure to get the game back on the field. And Nine and Fox would not have taken advantage of the game.
It's easy to point the finger at the current mob in charge. But the game's administrative predecessors should never be forgotten either for their triumphs or failures.