http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...-must-tackle-big-problems-20101127-18bcp.html
Independent commission must tackle big problems
With the independent commission looming, Adrian Proszenko urges the game's incoming powerbrokers to be bold.
1 RAISE THE CAP
It is time for the salary cap to go up. Significantly. Hailed as the great leveller of talent, the cap has also held the game back. Putting a ceiling on the amount the stars can earn has forced some of them out of the game. While some have returned, many others have not. League is poorer for the absence of Sonny Bill Williams's shoulder charge, Craig Gower's tenacity and Craig Wing's pink pants.
The argument that the cap protects clubs from themselves is insulting. The strong should not be held back by the weak. ''Rather than looking at the constraints we put on the sport, we should be looking at ways to expand it,'' Penrith coach Matthew Elliott told
The Sun-Herald earlier this year. ''It befuddles me that each club has CEOs and CFOs appointed, yet part of the charter of salary cap is to protect clubs from themselves. If that's the case, we need to get rid of all the CEOs. What are they there for? That argument needs to be removed as a premise of what the cap is there for.''
The streamlining of the game's governing bodies will bring efficiencies and some of those savings should be passed on to clubs. A new TV deal, purportedly worth $1 million, is also looming. There is no excuse for the grants from the independent commission to clubs to not match the cap. The minimum wage for a first-grade footballer must be raised to $75,000.
2 MAKE A STATEMENT IN WESTERN SYDNEY
Western Sydney is league land. The IC must keep it that way. A strong message must be sent to fans - and the AFL - that demonstrates that the lifeblood of the game will not be taken for granted. The IC can start with a festival of football in western Sydney. This should comprise a double-header at ANZ Stadium. The venue would soon be sold out following the announcement that Parramatta will open the season with a clash against arch rivals Canterbury. Penrith will then take on Wests Tigers on a day that celebrates the fans. Andrew Demetriou must be sent a message that he started a war that can never be won.
3 OVERHAUL SCHEDULING
The first matter of business should be to lock in the regular-season schedule at the start of the season. This will follow the lead of the AFL and give fans certainty, allowing them to plan their visits to the football well in advance. The IC - and not the broadcasters - must be responsible for scheduling.
The representative season requires an overhaul. The order should be City-Country, followed by Origin and then internationals. If City-Country isn't treated like a genuine selection trial for NSW jumpers, it should be scrapped altogether. Origin matches should stand alone. The TV rights to these events should be sold separately.
The IC should also form a committee to examine the merits of a switch to a conference system. Teams could be split into zones (western conference, Queensland conference, etc), ensuring that local derbies are played home and away. The committee should also investigate the relevance of the Anzac Test in its current form.
4 OVERHAUL SECOND-TIER COMPETITIONS
The National Youth Competition has its merits but the age should be raised from 20 to 23. The NSW Cup should be modelled along the lines of the Queensland Cup - with the winner of each competition facing off on grand final day. Too many players are lost to the game due to the absence of a proper second-tier competition. This must be remedied immediately.
5 EXPANSION BACK ON THE TABLE
Two additional teams must be granted licences into the league. The Central Coast Bears should be one of them. This will provide further bargaining power before the new broadcast deal is negotiated. A committee must be set up to inspect and grant the bids.
6 INTEGRITY UNIT
The IC must create an integrity unit, which will investigate issues including problem gambling, serious breaches of player behaviour etc. When players transgress, punishments should be taken out of the hands of the club and dealt with by the IC. This will ensure uniform punishments and will prevent the clubs acting in their self interest.
7 REFEREE ACCOUNTABILITY
Referees, or their bosses, must front up and explain their decisions. Bill Harrigan and Stuart Raper should be required to explain controversial decisions to the media at the conclusion of every NRL round. They should put their hands up when a mistake has been made.
8 RULES COMMITTEE
A rules committee must be formed to review the season and make alterations as required. This responsibility should be taken out of the hands of club coaches, who have previously made modifications which are solely in their interests rather than that of the game. Stripping, torso tries and the downtown rule should be debated by past players and coaches.
