Got to love an anonymous poll!
The Sydney Morning Herald approached 31 of the NRL club chief executives and chairmen to take part in an anonymous poll covering all the big issues in the sport. In the first of a two-part series, 20 of the game's most influential figures answer its burning questions on the eve of the season.
The new ARLC chairman also has a far greater backing from his directors, who until his appointment at the end of last year never wielded such authority over the running of the game.
Now, nothing gets by without their tick of approval.
It's why Greenberg's contract extension, which was meant to be signed off by now, hasn't been rubber stamped.
It's why you can guarantee that when the commission gathers next week, Greenberg's future will be high on the agenda.
"The NRL feels it knows everything," one club powerbroker told the
Herald. " They think they are the smart ones. It's clear arrogance."
Whoever leaked the delay in the deal has given the commission reason to reconsider, and now some clubs smell blood in the water and have chosen the eve of the season to strike.
The
Herald contacted all 31 club chairmen and chief executives last week, with 20 agreeing to take part in an anonymous poll that applied the spotlight on the game's biggest and most sensitive issues.
None more sensitive than the future leadership of the game, with only half of the club powerbrokers indicating they have faith in the NRL chief executive to continue in the role.
Results of the
Herald's 25-question poll - which will be published in a two-part series - will do little to ease tension at head office as the game braces itself to choose sides in a power struggle between Greenberg and V'landys.
The question was put to the club bosses how they rated their faith in Greenberg to continue as NRL CEO. On a scale of one (no faith) to five (complete faith) - the game's heavy hitters voted.
Those who didn't know how they felt, 28 per cent of them to be exact, voted three.
"I'm not either way," one club boss said. "If you're going to get rid of him, by all means get rid of him, but you need to make sure you find a better bloke to do the job. And right now, from what I'm hearing I don't know if there is one."
That man won't be V'landys. People close to the Racing NSW chief executive have told this column he has no intention of becoming the NRL chief executive or executive chairman - although some are struggling to believe that.
A total of 22 per cent of the CEOs and chairmen polled admitted they had lost faith in Greenberg to continue at the helm of the NRL.
That leaves Greenberg with a 50 per cent approval rate.
The question was also asked about V'landys and how clubs rated his first five months in the chair. One, being poor. Five, being excellent.
There was not a single vote below three. While Greenberg only received one vote of five, 57 per cent of respondents gave V'landys a perfect score.
Elsewhere in the poll, 80 per cent of club figures said the ARLC and NRL executive did not do enough to support clubs while 75 per cent agreed the NRL should continue pursuing funding for Sydney suburban grounds.
It's why V'landys has gone against the NRL's original plan to turn its back on
suburban grounds to lobby government for more money.
Club CEOs and chairs were also asked what they believed was the biggest issue facing the game. The future broadcast deal, 40 per cent responded. It's why V'landys spent a week in America with NRL chief commercial officer Andrew Abdo, who the chairman has a very high opinion of,
meeting with the world's biggest streaming services at the end of last month.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl-cl...f-greenberg-poll-reveals-20200307-p547vu.html
