http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...-to-aussie-rules/story-e6frexnr-1225941457139
AND the winner for the AFL's employee of the year is ... Australian Rugby League chief executive Geoff Carr.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal that Carr's ongoing crusade to ban AFL convert Israel Folau from any representative rugby league since news of his looming defection broke in June has given the rival code at least $2.44 million worth of free publicity.
The value, compiled by Media Monitors at the request of The Daily Telegraph, includes Carr's campaign to ban Folau from Origin II and III to the most recent blow-up over the former Kangaroos Test star's desire for a Tongan farewell game this weekend.
No wonder officials at AFL headquarters are laughing and joke that Carr is their game's "best employee" who has helped put GWS on the sporting map. It is believed the second Sydney team had barely created a ripple in the NSW sporting pool until Carr claimed in April last year that the AFL's push into western Sydney would be the rival code's version of "Vietnam".
An AFL spokesman refused to comment on the research, but sources claim they are surprised that the ARL chief has spent so much time talking about their code rather than let the issue simply rest.
SEE HERE HOW GEOFF CARR HAS HELPED KEEP GWS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
"[Signing Folau] has obviously created a bit of discussion, but we did not expect it would generate from the ARL," said a source.
"It's a bit surprising when their sport is going so well he is constantly talking about ours.
"It's been bonus coverage. We don't want him to stop."
Since Folau signed with GWS in June, he and Carr have appeared together in almost 1500 news items across TV, radio, internet and press.
In The Daily Telegraph alone Carr and Folau have featured in four back page stories, the latest last Monday over the skirmish about being a waterboy for Tonga.
Of course, Carr cannot be fully blamed as he has simply replied to media questions when approached.
However, it has been noted how quiet NRL boss David Gallop and western Sydney club CEOs have been on all matters AFL.
The AFL measured coverage of Folau's signing to be worth $12.5 million. Just when that fanfare subsided, Carr launched his crusade over Origin selection which were the "happiest days" for the rival code and GWS.
Carr even used Folau's eligibility for Queensland as leverage in the independent commission debate with the QRL.
And with the independent commission looming it is uncertain what role Carr will play in rugby league in 2011.
