Goddo
Bench
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Sounds to me like News Ltd and former lackeys are having a hissy fit at having Gallop removed.
Just reinforces the idea that the Commission are doing the right thing if they are squeeling.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...me-david-moffett/story-e6frexnr-1226386764772
Just reinforces the idea that the Commission are doing the right thing if they are squeeling.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...me-david-moffett/story-e6frexnr-1226386764772
Former NRL CEO David Moffett. Picture: Kristi Miller Source: The Daily Telegraph
DAVID Gallop's predecessor has described his removal as a "travesty", while warning it might be a deliberate ploy to align the game with former Australian Rugby League powerbrokers.
David Moffett was NRL chief executive for two years before Gallop replaced him in 2002.
Yesterday he declared that the ARL Commission's decision to oust Gallop revealed its naivety for how rugby league is run.
Now living in New Zealand, Moffett said Gallop deserved a more respectful send-off after 10 years service and feared commission chairman John Grant was secretly plotting to be appointed commission chairman and NRL chief executive.
"It seems to me that this very much is a move back to the ARL side of things from the Super League war," Moffett said. "With guys like Phil Gould in there, you also have to question what influence Nick Politis is having behind the scenes. It's all very much ARL.
"You've got a shift back to the old ARL way of doing things, including the way this guy Grant is doing things. That's very much an ARL way of doing business. It's a travesty."Gould has been an outspoken critic of Gallop through his newspaper column and television appearances, and most recently following his involvement as football general manager with Penrith.
He is also closely aligned with Politis, but there is no evidence either played a part in Gallop's removal. Moffett believes Grant has overstepped his mark as commission chairman and would have made the relationship with Gallop untenable.
"The growing concern is this guy Grant is very much a Johnny-come-lately to the game, which is now in better shape than it has ever been," Moffett said.
"He has thrown any semblance of good governance out the window the way they were interfering in the running of the business."
Moffett was particularly critical of Grant's involvement in ordering referees boss Bill Harrigan to fix the wrestling tactics in the game and investigating Penrith's request for salary cap concessions. They were the role of the chief executive involved in the day-to-day running of the game, he said, not a board appointed for its overall welfare.
"All those decisions should have been taken by the executives, not by the chairman," Moffett said. "Anyone who contemplates this job needs to get a good understanding of who is running it.
"If it is the same role as (AFL boss Andrew) Demetriou, this guy Grant should put his hand up and say he wants to be chairman and the chief executive, because it won't work. He will find out after a honeymoon period that he will create as many enemies as I did over a short two years and Gallop did over 10 years.
"You always have vested interests by people trying to get you to do what they want you to do and you just can't do it. You have 16 clubs all wanting different things."
