NRL rebellion: Rugby league clubs want CEO Dave Smith gone or threaten to leave comp

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I don't believe they can't afford 2 more club grants with the sheer size of the deal they have secured. Furthermore, an inability to convince current clubs how an extra game per week and further national or international reach is beneficial for them shows either an unwillingness or inability to move the game forward.



And they've been covered extensively elsewhere.

The NRL competition is the centrepiece of the whole operation and should attract the most attention. We all know it has various flaws, but the NRL is too afraid to even slightly upset the status quo to fix them. So we have endless deckchair shuffling:

-Thursday games instead of (as well as!) Monday games, instead of really revamping the draw in a fair manner.
-Shot clocks instead of dealing with the scourge that is video ref overuse.
-Knee jerk rule tinkering instead of really giving the rule book a thorough analysis.
-Re-arranging NSW Cup where no one will notice/care instead of expanding the top level or implementing a national 2nd tier comp.
-Not only a failure to address crowds plateauing at mediocre levels, actively contributing to them declining.

And then we look outside the NRL:
- Lack of meaningful commitment anywhere outside the East coast of Australia.
- NRL draw and attitude contributing to a lack of room for a decent test series.
- New Zealand being the only nation the NRL seems to give a shit about in regards to International footy

What has really changed since the Gallop era? They've got 2 massive TV deals with influxes of cash. That's it.

To date, their only achievement is NRL players getting more money, slightly lowering the risk of Union poaching stars.

The ARLC has contributed nothing of note to the growth of the game within Australia or outside of it.

The ARLC has contributed to worse quality football due to Todd Greenberg's rulebook f**king, and has seen crowds slowly decline.

The ARLC has done nothing to address long running player burnout complaints, except stop Australia playing tests for a year - which effects a small group of players and does nothing to address the overall problem.

You start by saying the NRL should be the centrepiece and then finish by complaining that test football isn't. Which is it?

Did you miss the fact that the shot clock is being introduced to compliment the bunker, so whether you agree with it or not you can't say they aren't doing anything to reduce the decision making time of the VR. Will it work? might wait to find out before whinging about it.

Lack of decent test series because of the draw? We had a Four Nations tournament last year and will have another next year.

Only care about NZ in regards to international football? We had PNG, Fiji, Tonga & Samoa all playing an NRL sponsored test in the middle of the season. The NRL have people employed on the ground in those nations as part of their 'Pacific Strategy'.

You whinge about the changes they have made & then whinge they haven't done anything? Seems to me like they are upsetting the "status quo"?

Just because the game has the money to expand doesn't mean it should, everyone keeps saying grassroots are struggling, so where are the players going to come from when we don't even have the depth for the teams we have now? As you are forever eluding to, the game has a lot of issues, expansion is a luxury and is low on the list of priorities. Or do you want your list of problems to be made worse with the addition of two more clubs?

 

[adamkungl]

You start by saying the NRL should be the centrepiece and then finish by complaining that test football isn't. Which is it?

I didn't say that at all.

Did you miss the fact that the shot clock is being introduced to compliment the bunker, so whether you agree with it or not you can't say they aren't doing anything to reduce the decision making time of the VR. Will it work? might wait to find out before whinging about it.

I don't need to wait to know that failing to address the root of the problem won't solve the problem. The money they've pissed away on this bunker could have been used for something actually useful.

Lack of decent test series because of the draw? We had a Four Nations tournament last year and will have another next year.

Test series' constantly hampered by clubs preferring their players to rest and players sooking about burnout because the NRL is at least a month too long (note - preferring a slightly shorter season doesn't in any way mean i don't think it's the centrepiece, before you put more words in my mouth).

And THIS year Australia couldn't be arsed showing up to international footy.

Only care about NZ in regards to international football? We had PNG, Fiji, Tonga & Samoa all playing an NRL sponsored test in the middle of the season. The NRL have people employed on the ground in those nations as part of their 'Pacific Strategy'.

Wow one game. NRL have people on the ground to promote and scout talent. This is yet to result in nations aside from NZ actually playing more test matches.

You whinge about the changes they have made & then whinge they haven't done anything? Seems to me like they are upsetting the "status quo"?

Their changes are either half-arsed, mostly talk, or straight up bad.

Just because the game has the money to expand doesn't mean it should, everyone keeps saying grassroots are struggling, so where are the players going to come from when we don't even have the depth for the teams we have now? As you are forever eluding to, the game has a lot of issues, expansion is a luxury and is low on the list of priorities. Or do you want your list of problems to be made worse with the addition of two more clubs?

It should expand for many other reasons, and having the money means it is capable of doing so.
Expansion is a necessity in today's sporting landscape, not a luxury.

None of the issues I mentioned are in any way resource based and won't be exacerbated by 2 new clubs.

 

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I didn't say that at all.



I don't need to wait to know that failing to address the root of the problem won't solve the problem. The money they've pissed away on this bunker could have been used for something actually useful.

Unless of course it actually does work to improve the VR?

Test series' constantly hampered by clubs preferring their players to rest and players sooking about burnout because the NRL is at least a month too long (note - preferring a slightly shorter season doesn't in any way mean i don't think it's the centrepiece, before you put more words in my mouth).

And THIS year Australia couldn't be arsed showing up to international footy.

I agree the NRL season is too long. I think last years Four Nations was hampered more by the World Cup the year before than the NRL season.

Wow one game. NRL have people on the ground to promote and scout talent. This is yet to result in nations aside from NZ actually playing more test matches.

That one game is more test matches.

Its been maybe two years since they launched the 'Pacific Strategy', and it is not about scouting talent, its about developing the game in those nations.

Their changes are either half-arsed, mostly talk, or straight up bad.

In your opinion, which is fine, but you can't also bag them for not doing anything or not being willing to disrupt the status quo when clearly they are and have, whether they are right or wrong.

It should expand for many other reasons, and having the money means it is capable of doing so.
Expansion is a necessity in today's sporting landscape, not a luxury.

None of the issues I mentioned are in any way resource based and won't be exacerbated by 2 new clubs

New teams without the playing depth will only further compromise the competitiveness of the competition, which will further reduce crowds.

I would love the comp to expand, but not before it is capable. Grassroots and the clubs have to be the priority, the NRL shouldn't be introducing new clubs while owning two and holding a financial interest in two others.

 

[CC_Roosters]

So are the Roosters mediocre or a basket case???

Mediocre

 

[Perth Red]

New teams without the playing depth will only further compromise the competitiveness of the competition, which will further reduce crowds.

I would love the comp to expand, but not before it is capable. Grassroots and the clubs have to be the priority, the NRL shouldn't be introducing new clubs while owning two and holding a financial interest in two others.

Straw man argument. Expansion should be top and bottom. Neither is happening. I very much doubt much of the new grassroots funding is going to find its way beyond NSW and Qland cup clubs. You could make form two competitive teams tomorrow from ex NRL players, reserve graders and players in other codes if you had the desire to do so.

Since the inception of the game there has been clubs in financial strife, always has been, always will be. Its foolish to think all 16 clubs are going to strong robust financially sustainable entities. Most walk the line every year, one failed sponsor, a bad year on the field or a few rainy game days and they are in strife. if we are waiting until all 16 clubs are healthy then it will be a very very long wait. If you think this extra money is in anyway going to stop clubs spending every cent they have to get a competitive edge your kidding yourself. Panthers massively increased their revenue over last two years, they still ran at a loss. Why? because that extra revenue was spent not invested. Such is the way footy clubs run.

 

[taipan]

Straw man argument. Expansion should be top and bottom. Neither is happening. I very much doubt much of the new grassroots funding is going to find its way beyond NSW and Qland cup clubs. You could make form two competitive teams tomorrow from ex NRL players, reserve graders and players in other codes if you had the desire to do so.

Since the inception of the game there has been clubs in financial strife, always has been, always will be. Its foolish to think all 16 clubs are going to strong robust financially sustainable entities. Most walk the line every year, one failed sponsor, a bad year on the field or a few rainy game days and they are in strife. if we are waiting until all 16 clubs are healthy then it will be a very very long wait. If you think this extra money is in anyway going to stop clubs spending every cent they have to get a competitive edge your kidding yourself. Panthers massively increased their revenue over last two years, they still ran at a loss. Why? because that extra revenue was spent not invested. Such is the way footy clubs run.

Where do you get the "always will be" in financial strife.The new grant allocation avoids that possibility,and only an extremely inept club rub by numpties should fall into that category now.

You read what you want to read.Th priority by Grant and Smith has bee to ensure all 16 clubs are financially strong to continue long term.if they were not going to do that,then Perth and Banana 2 would have been announced by now.
Break even or profit is the name of the game from now on,and any club who can't with teh extras monies needs being shirt fronted Putin style.

 

[Diesel]

How long will it take for a club to come back cap in hand wanting more? I suspect not long after 2018

 

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Straw man argument. Expansion should be top and bottom. Neither is happening. I very much doubt much of the new grassroots funding is going to find its way beyond NSW and Qland cup clubs. You could make form two competitive teams tomorrow from ex NRL players, reserve graders and players in other codes if you had the desire to do so.

Since the inception of the game there has been clubs in financial strife, always has been, always will be. Its foolish to think all 16 clubs are going to strong robust financially sustainable entities. Most walk the line every year, one failed sponsor, a bad year on the field or a few rainy game days and they are in strife. if we are waiting until all 16 clubs are healthy then it will be a very very long wait. If you think this extra money is in anyway going to stop clubs spending every cent they have to get a competitive edge your kidding yourself. Panthers massively increased their revenue over last two years, they still ran at a loss. Why? because that extra revenue was spent not invested. Such is the way footy clubs run.

Expansion should be bottom-up, the WANRL should be given greater resources to grow the game in WA before the NRL introduce a club from Perth. Relying on washed up players and code hoppers to field a side would suggest the game is not ready to expand.

Yes, most clubs will always be at best breakeven prospects, but as long as the NRL OWN 2.5 clubs it says the game has structural issues that need addressing before potentially adding to the burden. It is a logic transferable to any enterprise considering expansion, you expand from a position of strength, the state of the grassroots & NRL clubs clearly shows the game is not yet in a position to expand. The funding agreement and richo's manifesto will hopefully at least start to address it.

 

[CC_Roosters]

How long will it take for a club to come back cap in hand wanting more? I suspect not long after 2018

My thoughts exactly. They will piss this money about against the wall and still have the same whinges about having to find their own pathways nut when the ARLC try to take central control of grassroots foor a draft its whinge whinge whinge

 

[adamkungl]

I believe the clubs deserve the lions share of money generated by the game - they sure as shit do more for Rugby League than the NRL administration ever has.

BUT I don't believe that the increase in cash will prevent any club from being in the same position some are in now.

With every club getting a massive increase in income, the top clubs will be spending more than ever to maintain their edge. It raises the standard of the whole game. A couple of bad years on or off the field will still have some clubs scrambling to keep up until their luck turns. More cash doesn't prevent poor coaching, shit recruitment, incompetent management.

The hope that 16 clubs will be profitable year to year is a fantasy. If that's the criteria for expansion then lock it in, we're done here.

 

[Perth Red]

Where do you get the "always will be" in financial strife.The new grant allocation avoids that possibility,and only an extremely inept club rub by numpties should fall into that category now.

.

haha, you haven't been following NRL very long have you? That just about sums up a majority of clubs management. Their answer is to hold out the hand for more. When that more is spent they will be back holding their hand out. Only Souths and Brisbane have radicalised their business models to be sustainable, giving a beggar money doesn't stop him being a beggar.

Grant wanted to keep his job so he has basically given the clubs a massive windfall with no strings attached, no expectations and no kpi's. No doubt some will be sensible and use it to build their businesses, others will just about cover their debts so will be back at square one, others will spend it trying to win a comp and then blame the NRL for 10k crowds and relying on pokies.

 

[Card Shark]

Since the inception of the game there has been clubs in financial strife, always has been, always will be. Its foolish to think all 16 clubs are going to strong robust financially sustainable entities. Most walk the line every year, one failed sponsor, a bad year on the field or a few rainy game days and they are in strife. if we are waiting until all 16 clubs are healthy then it will be a very very long wait. If you think this extra money is in anyway going to stop clubs spending every cent they have to get a competitive edge your kidding yourself. Panthers massively increased their revenue over last two years, they still ran at a loss. Why? because that extra revenue was spent not invested. Such is the way footy clubs run.

yep, it goes without saying really.

Clubs will blow money on other things besides player contracts & it will cancel each other out.

 

[CowboyFuriousFury]

If anything the increase in grants reward the incompetence clubs for there financial mismanagement over the decades. The Sydney clubs had decades to get there house in order and still relying on handouts all that time. It's annoying seen the club bosses get there way over the ARLC.

No other code, has bowed down to the pressure of the sporting clubs it's the administration who lay the hard line on them not the other way around in the NRL.
Wouldn't be surprise if the clubs ask for even more money before the TV deal expires thus draining the NRL cash flow for potential expansion and hold the code down once more.

Insular, selfish NRL clubs should take some responsibility for once and stop using the NRL admin/ARLC as a scapegoat for there incompetence.

 

[DiegoNT]

The thing most people overlook in this whole arguements is that at the moment the 16 clubs as a whole bring in way more money to the nrl then the nrl gives back in grants

 

[siv]

But they also consume a lot of non direct NRL FG costs to get there

Through many many organisations and locations

Just go through the 272 FG players and look at which organizations they came from from u5s onwards that also need support

And the costs of providing the elite FG players with elite recognition

 

[BuffaloRules]

Isn't it a clubs job to push every boundary ( monetary and otherwise within the rules) to try to win premierships?

This will never change...

 

[matrightyeh]

never going to happen

 

[Last Week]

Isn't it a clubs job to push every boundary ( monetary and otherwise within the rules) to try to win premierships?

This will never change...

This is true. And they only look for short term success. They'd rather spend money's now for a chance and an instant result as opposed to investing now for a chance at being strong in the long term.

I was previously against having caps on coaching and football departments, but my stance is changing on that.

 

[taipan]

haha, you haven't been following NRL very long have you? That just about sums up a majority of clubs management. Their answer is to hold out the hand for more. When that more is spent they will be back holding their hand out. Only Souths and Brisbane have radicalised their business models to be sustainable, giving a beggar money doesn't stop him being a beggar.

Grant wanted to keep his job so he has basically given the clubs a massive windfall with no strings attached, no expectations and no kpi's. No doubt some will be sensible and use it to build their businesses, others will just about cover their debts so will be back at square one, others will spend it trying to win a comp and then blame the NRL for 10k crowds and relying on pokies.

Try 40 years rugby league and NRL since Super league folded.Match that champ.

For a start clubs have to fund any Monday night shortfalls,with the larger grant,whereas in the past they were paid $40,000 to make up for loss of crowd.
You obviously have NFI what Cronulla are doing,where there additional funds will be generated.Nor the Dragons looking at a private owned model.Just to name two off the cuff.

Grant ' wanted to keep his job with no strings attached" Ok Bec Wilson straight from the Telegraph archives:roll:.Well the having to pay for monday nights was one string attached,and any club that gets into sh*tsville will not be bailed out.We know you would love that.No expectations that is utter BS.Not even worth a response.

The Boards of many of these clubs has changed from the past run by football only people.And of course any club wants to maximise monies,but I suggest if the board finds it is wasted with no results,good luck.

 

[Captain Apollo]

If anything the increase in grants reward the incompetence clubs for there financial mismanagement over the decades. The Sydney clubs had decades to get there house in order and still relying on handouts all that time. It's annoying seen the club bosses get there way over the ARLC.

No other code, has bowed down to the pressure of the sporting clubs it's the administration who lay the hard line on them not the other way around in the NRL.
Wouldn't be surprise if the clubs ask for even more money before the TV deal expires thus draining the NRL cash flow for potential expansion and hold the code down once more.

Insular, selfish NRL clubs should take some responsibility for once and stop using the NRL admin/ARLC as a scapegoat for there incompetence.

Actually, not that many sporting organisations have a head body that is totally removed from its constituent members either. For example, the NFL and NBA whilst they have day to day managers who are independent, they can do little if the majority of clubs in those organisations do not approve of them. For example, rule changes have to be ratified by a meeting of the owners.

Additionally what is the money being paid for the TV rights for? Is it to watch a meeting of the ARLC? I don't think so.

Also you mention "Sydney clubs" needing to get their houses in order? Last time I looked, there are as many clubs outside of Sydney as within relying on additional financial support from the NRL - or are you saying Newcastle and the Gold Coast are in Sydney? :sarcasm: