Making the game a professional well run business is a problem?
Shows how much attention we should be giving to your opinion.
Didn't say he was as useless as the other lot before him, but hardly a great leader either. The no punch rule sucks. It has caused more negative knock on affects then a simple punch does. The game has to know and decide what it is.
Do we worry about all the non supporters who only react to the negative things like a punch or the mummies that have always worried about little Timmy or do we cater to the majority of the fans who love the occasional unpredictable stoush and emotion that comes with it?
Sure no one wants cheap shots and they basically were already extinct, but a punch here and there is theatre and the public love it. I'm not talking about the cheap shot punch when someone just clocked someone when not ready either. When that happens the puncher should be sent straight off, no questions asked.
We have become a very reactive sport, that only worries about politically correct opinions, whether good for the game or not. That to me is the sign of weak leadership. Was Smith a good leader? Yes and no. He got some right and some wrong, so he hardly warrants being elevated to good or great leadership status.
At best in my opinion he was an average leader who spoke well in public. Which like I said, therein lies the problem. The NRL needs a GREAT leader to sort out all the merkins that will line up to fight him!