Interview with the Welsh banker: crowds, golden point, judiciary...

[t-ba]

I'd be happier to see them play all 3 origin games at different venues every year than for them to ever move a grand final.

Origin is a small rep comp that has outgrown its cage and is now ruining the NRL season proper. Crowds are always up for the first 8 weeks, then take a solid nose dive as soon as the origin period starts and never recover till the finals.

If they can shorten the origin period to 3 consecutive wednesdays we'd be much better off. 3 wednesdays in a row, with either a split round or just non-australian internationals to fill in the 2 weekends that fall between. Get it over and done with in a single month so that it isn't this big giant cloud hanging over almost half the f**king season

It is a real shame that Origin took off around the time Australia pulled ahead internationally. If the current crop of kiwis was running around back then I doubt it would have been half as big and we could have a decent international fixture.

 

[Perth Red]

Games got the double the money gallop had, can you say you've seen a significant positive impact at all levels of the game with this new wealth? If we double it again this time I hope they do something a bit better with it.

So far they are doing well in PNG and pacific, good in supporting now and Qland cup, ok at bailing out struggling clubs, increasing revenue.
They are doing poorly at growing the fanbase, getting people to games, supporting growth across Australia and NZ, kangaroos as the pinnacle of the game, getting more kids playing the game.

We are now onto our second whole of game review in four years, let's hope this one has better outcomes than just changing logos and an end of season final. Over to you Shane (coincidently the first one was also done by a Shane, is it a requisite of the job?)

 

[t-ba]

The main pre-requisite is that they hate Perth.

 

[betcats]

IM still waiting for an explanation as to how negotiating and selling the TV rights to 9 without meeting with other bidders was a good move. Gallop got crucified for the same thing but the spin doctors on here wanna act like its genius move because Netflix or stan might be interested lol that is a couple TV deals away atleast before our internet can handle it. This genius move actually increased the value of the AFL deal, our biggest competitor ffs.

He got a billion dollars and crowds went backwards, as if he has any f**king clue how to grow them.

 

[DiegoNT]

IM still waiting for an explanation as to how negotiating and selling the TV rights to 9 without meeting with other bidders was a good move. Gallop got crucified for the same thing but the spin doctors on here wanna act like its genius move because Netflix or stan might be interested lol that is a couple TV deals away atleast before our internet can handle it.

- the price of the deal. Gallop always undersold the tv rights deal. Because he negotiated with 9 and foxtel at the same time, and because he negotiated in news ltd favour, we never got true value for our product. Smiths free to air deal is worth more than the AFL's

- 4 live games. Gallop only ever negotiated 1 live game. We now have 4 live free to air games as part of the new deal.

- control of the draw. The networks have had to much control for to long. He has managed on a compromise during the origin period (wednesday, Sunday, wedsnesday) that means the Origin Period has less an effect on the nrl season while still getting maximum dollars for Origin.

His only halfway through his TV deal but his already streets ahead of what gallop achieved with any of his deals

 

[t-ba]

The proof will be in the pudding. If he f**ks up he's gone and the NRL is still ahead of the last deal in terms of cash. If he comes up trumps we'll be swimming in untold amounts of cash. This whole business of shutting out other negotiators is crap. Newscorp was in negotiations, were negotiating in bad faith with Ch9 and had a plan to draw out negotiations to a point where the NRL would have to take a shit bid from themselves and Ten and got what they deserved for being underhanded. Now they are going to have to pay, and probably pay well, to get an exclusive Saturday back and maybe even for Monday night football again.

Even the mighty AFL has seen a drop in crowds, with 20 additional fixtures their aggregate is lower than it was eight years ago. This is not an exclusively NRL problem, but it is concerning and this is no excuse for it.

 

[hutch]

Newcastle is not his fault, it's Tinkler. Same thing happened to the Knights.

Besides that, look at the powerhouse European clubs he's brought here over the last couple of years, and look at everything else - our team winning the ACL, and hosting (and winning) the Asian Cup. Our (other) game has prospered more than ever.

The point is Rugby League was better under Gallop than it is under Smith.

That is not true at all. The game was dirt poor under gallop due him to underselling our media rights to his bosses and locking us into a first and last rights deal with the same people who have robbed us of hundreds of millions of dollars. The sport had no strategic plan, no government support and no idea. Gallop held the game back so much the effects are still being felt now.

 

[magpie_man]

I didn't bother reading the article, I don't want to give News the traffic, but Smith has been doing a good job so far as far as I'm concerned.
With such endeavors as unifying the various non-contact/non-collision variants under the NRL banner, intensified lobbying of state/federal governments for stadia upgrades and the initiation of the "future fund" he's laying the platform for the future and we'll be seeing the fruits of his labour decades from now.
As mentioned earlier, the debacle surrounding the minutiae of the rules and officialdom doesn't fall on his head per se but, rather, the Head of Football; albeit if the Head of Football isn't doing his job properly than it is Smith's responsibility to give him the Spanish archer and find a better replacement.

 

[SLRBRONCOS]

f**k I would love origin to be happening right now.

Double whammy upset going on right now. Broncos loss and nothing to watch this weekend bar yawnion Sunday morning.

 

[Son of Minto]

I can't believe I'm saying this, but the game was better under Gallop!

:lol::lol::lol:

"Better under Gallop"

:lol::lol:

 

[Card Shark]

He brushed over golden point quite readily.

No one wants a replay but the grand final would've been so much more exciting if we had extra time.

In regards to live games, they drag crowds down so when FTA gets more live games, expect a big dip in crowd numbers.

 

[Perth Red]

f**k I would love origin to be happening right now.

Double whammy upset going on right now. Broncos loss and nothing to watch this weekend bar yawnion Sunday morning.

SL GF if you have Fox!

 

[cleary89]

Games got the double the money gallop had, can you say you've seen a significant positive impact at all levels of the game with this new wealth? If we double it again this time I hope they do something a bit better with it.

Been great for schools. Under gallop they wanted $3 a kid per session. This year we had 3 sessions free for 350 kids and all got a steeden footy at the end (again free). We had 15 year old jerseys. Just got a set designed in school colours with school logo for free.

We use to have no help from them at all at pssa level. Now they come down and ref league tag every week. Bring parra players and stickers every week. Offer to train teams for tackle (and come out twice a week to do it). Have a shit load of those rugby league reads magazines in every classroom which is most boys go to book every single day. Free footy cards. Sports room stocked with footies. Compared to an offer of $90 a session before.

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Been great for schools. Under gallop they wanted $3 a kid per session. This year we had 3 sessions free for 350 kids and all got a steeden footy at the end (again free). We had 15 year old jerseys. Just got a set designed in school colours with school logo for free.

We use to have no help from them at all at pssa level. Now they come down and ref league tag every week. Bring parra players and stickers every week. Offer to train teams for tackle (and come out twice a week to do it). Have a shit load of those rugby league reads magazines in every classroom which is most boys go to book every single day. Free footy cards. Sports room stocked with footies. Compared to an offer of $90 a session before.

These really are popular, see them everywhere.

 

[cleary89]

They also have chapter books. The afl does specky mcgee. I havent read the nrl version but they gave some to our library

 

[Brutus]

Smith is going just fine.

Gallop was a cancer on our game.

 

[Dakink]

Im with Brutus, Smith is doing not to bad

 

[Sydney Knight]

Newcastle is not his fault, it's Tinkler. Same thing happened to the Knights.

Besides that, look at the powerhouse European clubs he's brought here over the last couple of years, and look at everything else - our team winning the ACL, and hosting (and winning) the Asian Cup. Our (other) game has prospered more than ever.

The point is Rugby League was better under Gallop than it is under Smith.

The jets were already broke when Tinkler stepped in. If anything he extended their life by a few years and saved FFA propping them up for a while .

 

[t-ba]

The jets were already broke when Tinkler stepped in. If anything he extended their life by a few years and saved FFA propping them up for a while .

Don't let facts get in the way of a Bulldogs Farce story.

 

[Ice_Storm]

Thing I got out of the interview is how CHILDISH does rothfield sound? Geez. Is this guy for real? He sounds like a total jerk. " I think it's dumb" etc etc.

The guy should be banned from ever writing in RL. Jerk.