RL independence day arrives - NRL Independent Commission announced for November 1

[Ronnie Dobbs]

Time for News Ltd & the clubs to sack up and f**k the ARL off. Same sh*t has been happening for decades.

Old boys network that only has their own intertests at heart. The CRL will follow in a new guise as soon as the ARL is exiled & there is no money coming from them.

Just cut these old bastards out. Their time has passed. To be demanding more power when the clubs are the game is unbelievable.

I can't wait to read Goulds take on this over the weekens. Give the old merkinz hell Gus.

 

[Magumba]

Time for News Ltd & the clubs to sack up and f**k the ARL off. Same sh*t has been happening for decades.

Old boys network that only has their own intertests at heart. The CRL will follow in a new guise as soon as the ARL is exiled & there is no money coming from them.

Just cut these old bastards out. Their time has passed. To be demanding more power when the clubs are the game is unbelievable.

I can't wait to read Goulds take on this over the weekens. Give the old merkinz hell Gus.

Rip in Ronnie!!!!

 

[Ronnie Dobbs]

Rip in Ronnie!!!!

Mate, I'm in freezing Melbourne and just got in from spending the morning shopping with the wife and her best pal.

Not taking much to set me off right now:lol:

 

[Magumba]

I'm hearing you Ronnie.

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...s-not-negotiable/story-e6frg7mf-1225878640963

ARL's support for an independent commission is not negotiable

* Brent Read, Margie McDonald
* From: The Australian
* June 12, 2010 12:00AM

THE threat of legal action by the Queensland Rugby League grew stronger yesterday when ARL chief executive Geoff Carr revealed his body had no plans to reverse its decision to support the formation of an independent commission.

As revealed in The Australian yesterday, the QRL has taken legal advice over plans to introduce the independent commission, vowing to take the strongest possible action to protect its stakeholders.

The threat of legal action comes less than three months after a split vote of the ARL agreed to support the commission and its proposed structure. The six NSW-aligned members of the ARL voted in favour of the proposal while the four Queensland directors voted against it.

NRL clubs, who will represent 16 of the 26 members under the revised structure, hope to have the commission up and running by November 1. However, the QRL's vehement opposition has cast a shadow over those plans.

The issue will be discussed at an ARL board meeting on Thursday but Carr insisted the directors had already cast their vote.

"News Limited and the ARL have agreed on the structure last March," Carr said.

Asked whether the situation could change, Carr replied: "That's what the resolution of the ARL board is, so you wouldn't think it would.

"We have to keep it moving. We're intent on keeping it moving."

The commission is not the only source of angst between the ARL and QRL. The parties are also at loggerheads over plans to ban Israel Folau for the third State of Origin game, while the QRL has also raised concerns over a potential conflict of interest involving Carr, who is head of both the NSW and Australian Rugby League.

Under the independent commission, the ARL would be dissolved and Carr would concentrate his energies on the NSWRL. Yet the QRL's opposition to the commission threatens to stop that happening.

The QRL board and Maroons selectors yesterday attended the annual pre-Origin luncheon at the XXXX Brewery in Milton, in the shadows of Suncorp Stadium.

Afterwards, QRL chairman John McDonald said he intended to discuss the issue of Carr's dual roles at Thursday's board meeting, where the states will also debate his criticism of Folau's selection in Origin II. Asked whether he wanted a separation of Carr's powers, McDonald said: "I don't have a problem. People are entitled to their own opinion -- he's certainly done that. It's just that we don't agree with it."

McDonald felt sure Queensland was on solid ground when it came to Folau's eligibility for Origin III.

"We had a discussion and we agreed that if players are registered with a club to play for that year, he'll be considered for Origin," McDonald said.

"I think after discussions with us it would be foolish to bring in something halfway through a season. If a player signs on at the beginning of the year with a commitment that he's got to be available for representative honours then that should stand."

But after all the chest beating, the Maroons chairman would not go so far as to say Folau would definitely play in Origin III.

"You never know what's going to happen between now and then -- anything could happen," he said.

Carr said he was yet to talk to the Queensland directors and was unlikely to do so before next week's meeting.

"I want to talk to them first. I am not going to comment on any of that until I have the chance to talk to them," he said.

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...s-not-negotiable/story-e6frg7mf-1225878640963

ARL's support for an independent commission is not negotiable

* Brent Read, Margie McDonald
* From: The Australian
* June 12, 2010 12:00AM

THE threat of legal action by the Queensland Rugby League grew stronger yesterday when ARL chief executive Geoff Carr revealed his body had no plans to reverse its decision to support the formation of an independent commission.

As revealed in The Australian yesterday, the QRL has taken legal advice over plans to introduce the independent commission, vowing to take the strongest possible action to protect its stakeholders.

The threat of legal action comes less than three months after a split vote of the ARL agreed to support the commission and its proposed structure. The six NSW-aligned members of the ARL voted in favour of the proposal while the four Queensland directors voted against it.

NRL clubs, who will represent 16 of the 26 members under the revised structure, hope to have the commission up and running by November 1. However, the QRL's vehement opposition has cast a shadow over those plans.

The issue will be discussed at an ARL board meeting on Thursday but Carr insisted the directors had already cast their vote.

"News Limited and the ARL have agreed on the structure last March," Carr said.

Asked whether the situation could change, Carr replied: "That's what the resolution of the ARL board is, so you wouldn't think it would.

"We have to keep it moving. We're intent on keeping it moving."

The commission is not the only source of angst between the ARL and QRL. The parties are also at loggerheads over plans to ban Israel Folau for the third State of Origin game, while the QRL has also raised concerns over a potential conflict of interest involving Carr, who is head of both the NSW and Australian Rugby League.

Under the independent commission, the ARL would be dissolved and Carr would concentrate his energies on the NSWRL. Yet the QRL's opposition to the commission threatens to stop that happening.

The QRL board and Maroons selectors yesterday attended the annual pre-Origin luncheon at the XXXX Brewery in Milton, in the shadows of Suncorp Stadium.

Afterwards, QRL chairman John McDonald said he intended to discuss the issue of Carr's dual roles at Thursday's board meeting, where the states will also debate his criticism of Folau's selection in Origin II. Asked whether he wanted a separation of Carr's powers, McDonald said: "I don't have a problem. People are entitled to their own opinion -- he's certainly done that. It's just that we don't agree with it."

McDonald felt sure Queensland was on solid ground when it came to Folau's eligibility for Origin III.

"We had a discussion and we agreed that if players are registered with a club to play for that year, he'll be considered for Origin," McDonald said.

"I think after discussions with us it would be foolish to bring in something halfway through a season. If a player signs on at the beginning of the year with a commitment that he's got to be available for representative honours then that should stand."

But after all the chest beating, the Maroons chairman would not go so far as to say Folau would definitely play in Origin III.

"You never know what's going to happen between now and then -- anything could happen," he said.

Carr said he was yet to talk to the Queensland directors and was unlikely to do so before next week's meeting.

"I want to talk to them first. I am not going to comment on any of that until I have the chance to talk to them," he said.

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...-as-rivals-take-free-kicks-20100619-ynul.html

Gallop calls for unity for game's sake as rivals take free kicks
ADRIAN PROSZENKO
June 20, 2010

NRL CEO David Gallop has made an impassioned plea to all of the game's partners to settle their differences over the structure of an independent commission as soon as possible, warning delays are ''giving the knockers within the game and indeed other codes a free kick''.

The 16 NRL clubs signed off on a unanimous motion for an independent commission in January, but News Ltd and the ARL are still no closer to handing over control of the game.

As the code comes under fire over the lack of official action following the Andrew Johns race row, Gallop urged stakeholders to make an IC a reality as soon as possible.

"We're on the verge of bringing the game together into one building which is a fantastic opportunity for rugby league," Gallop said.

"The need to unite the corporate governance of rugby league has been on everyone's agenda but the hesitancy about it happening is creating uncertainty around the game.

"The complex nature of the game's current structure continues to cause confusion that has led over recent days to what has at times been unfair criticism of each individual organisation within the sport.

"In many ways we are giving the knockers within the game and indeed other codes a free kick.''

Phil Gould, the most successful coach in State of Origin history, has said he would consider returning to help the Blues next year - but only if the ARL and News come good on their promise to exit the game.

"We now have a tendency for people to attack one body or another and to talk about things that should happen once a commission is in place,'' Gallop said.

"What we need to do and what the NRL will continue to focus on is what we can put in place now.

"The NRL and the ARL have for some time been working with the Australian Rugby League Indigenous Council on a wide range of exciting long-term indigenous issues that capitalise on the success of the NRL All Stars game and Rugby League's Reconciliation Action Plan.

"The NRL is already addressing issues in relation to the salary cap and club finances.

"With the RLPA, we are seeing real gains in the area of player education and welfare … and in promoting cultural support groups such as those initiated by Nigel Vagana.

"The Telstra Premiership remains incredibly strong in terms of crowds, ratings, on-field excitement and community engagement.

"The interest in representative rugby league through the Harvey Norman State of Origin series remains the benchmark in Australian sport.

"For all that, there can be no doubt that the confusion around the game's structure needs to be overcome.''

As the QRL and NSWRL continue to bicker about Israel Folau's Origin III eligibility in the wake of superstar's defection to the AFL, Gallop urged parties to settle on the format of a new governing body ''in coming weeks''.

"The clubs, News Limited and the ARL have each declared their intention to establish a commission and it is clearer than ever that the momentum needs to be maintained,'' he said.

"We would certainly encourage all leagues and parties to settle their issues and to finalise a commission format in coming weeks."
The long road to independence

July 1, 2007: Bulldogs legend Steve Mortimer first calls for the ARL and News Ltd to make way for an independent commission. ''I fear for our code,'' Mortimer told The Sun-Herald. ''The game will never die, but it will never thrive until we put the game's agenda before our own.''

June, 2008: Seven NRL club bosses - Michael Searle (Gold Coast), Brian Waldron (Melbourne), Bruno Cullen (Brisbane), Tony Zappia (Cronulla), Denis Fitzgerald (Parramatta), Steve Burraston (Newcastle) and Shane Richardson (South Sydney) - form a committee to look at the game's structure.

December 12, 2009: Representatives of the 16 NRL clubs are invited to a landmark meeting in Sydney to discuss the formation of the commission. One official tells the Herald that a breakaway ''reverse Super League'' competition could be discussed if the ARL and News Ltd continue to stall.

January 18, 2010: The CEOs of all 16 NRL clubs sign off on a unanimous motion for an independent commission at a historic gathering at Sydney's Sheraton on the Park. ''We see ourselves as 16 brothers trying to propagate rugby league,'' commission architect Michael Searle said. ''This is an evolution, not a revolution.''

June 20, 2010: Frustrated by the lack of progress towards a commission, NRL CEO David Gallop tells The Sun-Herald that continued delays are ''giving the knockers within the game and indeed other codes a free kick''.

 

[$$Poor Boy Blues$$]

well I have written this about the old world admins


My views remain that they need to move over, accept less of a say, they have failed. Origin is their only decent thing yet that has taken care of itself for 29 years now!


sorry, but f off and die qrl/nswrl, must be hard trying to nail down the clubs all those years, only to have them revolt on you, then decide to ditch you at the first possible chance. must be telling you something.....no one came to say "lets put the qrl in charge!! or what about the nswrl/arl duo!? they did alright!! Lets put them BACK in!!!............
............
.......no, you see, they want a commission largely without you, and are giving you a constitutional part to one, silence your sad arses, and two, its good to consult the elders before you go off and do whatever the hell you want to in the real world!

Yes, your duty will be grassroots, mostly what it is now, without origin and test matches, and thats what you do best, so no, sorry, can't come and transcend a level or two and get a say in the running of the clubs, and pretend you are some pseudo ARL......

for heavans sake, just go along with it....even the nazis began killing themselves after the war, why dont you disolve the qrl and hand all its properties over if you can't hack doing your new part.


____


I then sent it to the qrl, though I have not used a real email, as while it is what I believe, its not the usual format I would write in

 

[hellteam]

The QRL is strong though, I can see where they're coming from, they aren't the basketcase that the NSWRL is.

 

[bluey]

Talk about bite the hand that feeds you.

 

[Brutus]

Ex-News LTD lawyer and best mate of News LTD CEO calls for unity

Another great nothing article.

 

[$$Poor Boy Blues$$]

But it is the model outlined by Roy Masters that is being touted. Not some wonderful body made up of highly skilled business people who will put the sport before their own interests. If you believe that then I have a bridge you might like to buy.

Why is relying on tv money any better or worse than relying on pokies?

It would be good to see some facts instead of motherhood statements. Hence my original question. A lot of people keep trotting out the mantra that RL needs an IC. But no-one really knows what an IC is yet.

Your question is flawed....

so is the pokies logic.

Rubbish. That argument simply isn't backed up by the history of the AFL Commission on which the IC proposal is modelled. The AFL Commissioners are appointed by agreement of 75% of the 16 member clubs exclusively - unlike the IC proposal, the state organisations have no vote at all. Since it gained full autonomy in 1993, the AFL Commission has introduced expansion clubs in Fremantle, Port Adelaide and now Gold Coast and West Sydney. It has negotiated the effective elimination of one Melbourne club by merger/relocation to Brisbane and has invested tens of millions of dollars in grassroots development in NSW and Qld. Perhaps these decisions have all been driven by the motive of improving the lot of the clubs that appoint the commission. But if so, that hasn't prevented expansion and grassroots investment happening anyway as a by product of that motive.

Leigh

funny that.....and I wrote something parra dude should have read....how we all need to move forward as one, grassroots,clubs,reps.....not disjointedly which happens now.

Again rubbish. We all know exactly what it is, how it will operate, how independent it will be in practise and the benefits it will bring because we've had an example of exactly the model of Commission being proposed operating right in front of us for the last 18 years - the AFL (it was actually formed 25 years ago but didn't get full autonomy until 1993). And that Commission has been kicking our administration all over the place in terms of television revenue, stadium development, grassroots funding and expansion. Why should we expect any less success from a Commission modelled along exactly the same lines? Those in favour of the IC are not asking for a leap into some great unknown, they're just asking for the game to learn from the path already forged by our competitors and to give ourselves a chance to at least match the best run of them. This is an effective model for running a game the size and profile of Rugby League in Australia and it has been proven by 18 years of real world testing in the Australian market.

Leigh.

thankgod you answered him....he wouldnt have known otherwise


my first sinking feeling about their superiorty in management came about when I was a kid, and the players in afl had these cool modern drinking bottles, and I wondered why mal and belcher and lewis couldnt drink from something as cool as that....

then the stadiums in afl changed, then they started to make more money, then it went from a 2 minutes breif of match roundups to about 10 mins....and then kids in schools were playing through auskick (the great macdonalds style sporting treat), and now its growing steadily (but not as much as they would have you believe).

when they got an even bigger tv deal than us - and we were on a high about ours - I felt smacked around....and realized our captains were idiots.....later we found out they were morons being lead by assholes.

you get the picture.....buddy, 25 years compounded ontop of one another....the magic of compound-management.

dont be a fool and pretend that good decision making is not possible.....its just not possible with the disjointed, geniused structure we have. yes, geniused in that its limited by its potential.....which is not much.

 

[$$Poor Boy Blues$$]

Anyone who still supports the QRL has to be kidding themselves. Just the sort of recidivists who should be run out of the game entirely.

Sounds like some of them must be hanging on to finish paying off a house or something

what a joke they are.

I sent them a letter telling them to get the hell out.

I have been frustrated to the point of despair by the QRL’s deliberate stalling on the independent commission – and I’m a Queenslander.

Every NRL club, CEO, club captain, NRL player, media commentator & fan wants the independent commission up and running asap.

The QRL have given one excuse as to why they are trying to de-rail the whole thing – they want to protect junior development.

The AFL independent commission have never jeopardised junior development of Aussie Rules, on the contrary they have injected enormous funds and effort into AusKick and increasing junior numbers.

WHY DO THE QRL THINK THE RUGBY LEAGUE COMMUNITY ARE STUPID ENOUGH TO BELIEVE A NRL INDEPENDENT COMMISSION WOULD NEGLECT JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT? It’s insulting and ludicrous to suggest they ever would, it’s obviously a desperate stalling tactic by the QRL.

If the QRL don’t get the independent commission up and running by 01/11/2010 then I believe, as damaging as it will be, drastic action is needed by the clubs for the long term future and greater good of the game. If that means the clubs boycotting state of origin until the independent commission is in place then so be it.

I am with you on that

Time for News Ltd & the clubs to sack up and f**k the ARL off. Same sh*t has been happening for decades.

Old boys network that only has their own intertests at heart. The CRL will follow in a new guise as soon as the ARL is exiled & there is no money coming from them.

Just cut these old bastards out. Their time has passed. To be demanding more power when the clubs are the game is unbelievable.

I can't wait to read Goulds take on this over the weekens. Give the old merkinz hell Gus.

Its time to go QRL....faaaark off!

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...be-left-to-fend-for-itself-20100622-yvsi.html

Baulking QRL may be left to fend for itself
BRAD WALTER
June 23, 2010

FRUSTRATED NRL clubs have set News Ltd and the ARL a deadline of October 5 - two days after the grand final - to hand over control to a new independent commission.

The clubs want the new body in place and functional by November 1 and have set the first business day after the Labour Day long weekend as the date they expect the transition to begin. They yesterday took the first step in speeding up the process by threatening to block funding to the Queensland Rugby League.

The QRL, which has been opposed to the model agreed to by the clubs, News Ltd and the NSWRL, has been told to withdraw threats of legal action over the issue by Friday's ARL board meeting or lose up to $10 million funding a year. Gold Coast chief executive Michael Searle, the driving force behind the push for change, last night accused the QRL of ''stalling tactics'' in a bid to maintain power and said the clubs were prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure the independent commission was operational by November 1.

''There is an agreement in place between the clubs, the ARL and News Ltd for this to happen and it is time we got on with it,'' Searle said. ''There has been a lot of time wasted since the clubs met in January and voted unanimously for an independent commission and we expect there to be a transitional handover on the Tuesday after the grand final and the independent commission to be fully functional by November 1. Talks on this issue have been going on for two years now and we haven't got time to sit there and procrastinate any further. If the QRL wants to take legal action … the clubs would not support the continuation of their funding.''

South Sydney chief executive Shane Richardson, who is on the five-man restructure committee, warned that legal action could send the QRL broke if its funding was cut.

''If they want to take legal action, to hold up proceedings, as far as we're concerned they can take that legal action without getting aid from us to finance it,'' Richardson said. ''Our unanimous decision was that we don't fund any more money to the QRL until such time as that litigation is removed.

''We have to draw a line in the sand … You want a commission or you don't. Threats of legal action are not going to stop the independent commission, it's as simple as that. We have checked out what their legal opinion is and we've got our own - from two separate sources. The reality is that if they want to take legal action, why would we be funding it.''

Ultimately the clubs do not have any control over funding as the money is passed from the NRL to the ARL to the QRL. But with News and the ARL each having three representatives on the NRL partnership committee, they would be expected to make a decision not to allocate any monies for the QRL. The ARL board is also dominated by six NSWRL directors to four from Queensland.

''It's a decision for the ARL to make, but from the club's point of view - and 16 clubs unanimously decided on that today - the NSWRL has the numbers on the ARL [board],'' Richardson said. ''The reality is we don't think we should be funding an organisation that is going to take legal action against the independent commission.''

 

[Perth Red]

yeh I can see the ARL cutting funding to the QRL, their would be civil war!

Geez our game has a stuffed up administration!

I can't see what the QRL's problem is, in AFL the state bodies run the game under AFL with significant funding from the AFL & clubs, the AFL runs everything else. Why is that so hard?

 

[Chook]

All this QRL bullsh*t is the work of John "sewer league" Ribot. I wish he would just f**k off and die. This prick is the biggest cancer in our game.

Chook.

 

[$$Poor Boy Blues$$]

yeh I can see the ARL cutting funding to the QRL, their would be civil war!

Geez our game has a stuffed up administration!

I can't see what the QRL's problem is, in AFL the state bodies run the game under AFL with significant funding from the AFL & clubs, the AFL runs everything else. Why is that so hard?

they wont have any money to fight anything, plus they are outvoted by the nswrl

stunts like the one they have is all they got.

I called for them to accept their reduced involvement. thats all they are capable of

All this QRL bullsh*t is the work of John "sewer league" Ribot. I wish he would just f**k off and die. This prick is the biggest cancer in our game.

Chook.

send them an email like I did. let them know they have no support.

 

[chrisc101]

John Ribot De Brassac, I cannot believe this guy got another gig in RL.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

The clubs are a disgrace. How can any rugby league organisation talk about financially crippling a major grassroots body just to serve their own purposes? This just proves why the clubs cannot be handed control of the game. They only care about themselves. If they are willing to cut funding to grassroots football now, before a commission is even in place, by ordering delegates around within the ARL, what's to stop them doing it again for any other reason when the commission delegates are directly elected by them? To even consider it shows how little they care about anything outside their own club. Richardson has already been at the helm of a club that went arse up in England after just one season and this dickhead is throwing his substantial weight around on matters of financial importance? f**k the clubs. I hope the QRL go ahead anyway and call their bluff. And if the clubs do try to sabotage them it will show once and for all that the QRL is right to keep the grubby hands of the clubs off the game.

 

[gronkathon]

The QRL are an irrelevant sub tier that actually does more to siphon away movey for the grass roots by needless, overladen administration with jobs for the good ol boys etc