Mortimer pleads for new leadership
Adrian Proszenko | July 20, 2008
Steve Mortimer has made an impassioned plea for the man who set up the AFL's independent commission to be invited to do the same for the NRL.
There is a renewed push for rugby league to streamline its archaic governing body after the appointment of a game structure committee comprising NRL club bosses Denis Fitzgerald, Michael Searle, Steve Burraston, Tony Zappia, Bruno Cullen, Brian Waldron and Shane Richardson.
The Sun-Herald has obtained a copy of a two-page letter sent by Mortimer to committee members, imploring them to invite David Crawford to be consulted about establishing a new, independent governing body for league.
Mortimer wrote that the present structure "doesn't stand up at all and is not at all appropriate, where the game is owned 50 per cent by a publishing company in News Ltd (who undoubtedly have their own agenda in business but have brought much-needed business acumen to the administration and operations).
"And the other 50 per cent [is owned] by the ARL, where there have been some good people serving our game in the past but the majority of stakeholders in this organisation for many, many years have shown signs of self-indulgence and self-interest in keeping their blazers, their beers and pies, etc �c and seemingly showed no initiative at all in preparing and planning for the future of our game."
Mortimer, who first went public with his concerns a year ago, is pushing for a commission to be established by 2010. He fears that any delay could give a start to league's biggest rival, Australian football.
"For every day that something isn't done, there's more kids kicking a Sherrin instead of a Steeden," he said. "As a business person I can see the model the AFL are employing is growing the game and we need to address this.
"Before I pass this earth, and hopefully it will be a long time before I go, I'd like to see rugby league on the same dais as AFL - maybe even higher. I'd love to see it as the dominant code in Australasia.
"I'm not trying to be a maverick, I think it's great we've got this committee, but I'm like a little bulldog, a little fox terrier, nipping at the heels. I want to see this happen as soon as possible."
As well as writing to the committee, Mortimer also penned a letter to Crawford, who is the director of National Foods and the former Australian chairman of KPMG.
Part of Crawford's response read: "As you are aware, I am firmly of the view that, if the structure of governance of sport is appropriate, success will naturally follow."
Mortimer named a list of potential board members, including Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon, NRL board member Katie Page, former Broncos forward Shane Webcke, Australian Olympic Committee chairman John Coates, former NAB boss Frank Cicutto, Suncorp chief executive John Mulcahy and recruitment guru Julia Ross. He said countless others had the business acumen to make a difference but whoever was appointed had to be truly independent and passionate about rugby league.
"Things aren't being done in a professional manner while we have two divorced parents," he said of the ARL/News Ltd partnership.
The 52-year-old said some of the top priorities for the newly-formed commission must be:
- maximising the value of the next television deal;
- the reintroduction or relocation of teams to Perth and Adelaide to make rugby league a truly national game;
- exploring new revenue streams for struggling clubs after years of depending on poker machines;
- pumping resources into country and grassroots rugby league; and
- following the AFL's model of building club membership.
The former NSW halfback said the consequences were dire if a new independent commission wasn't quickly convened.
"I see this Steeden football that is deflated and dead, and I see these vultures picking at it - like News Ltd, Channel Nine and 2GB," Mortimer said. "What I'm saying is they have picked what they wanted for their own benefit and when there is no carcass left, they will fly away.
"I want to see the Steeden up high like a halo and everyone wanting to be part of the action."
