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

[Brutus]

Dear oh dear..

A guy that has been acting largely in a media company's interests for the majority of his tenure is now being looked at as not only the CEO, but one of the eight commissioners with a vote.

Independent my arse.

 

[Brutus]

Oh dear. Independent? How indepenent is this body going to be when the News Ltd puppet is telling them he WILL be CEO even before it's been put in place?

This was obviously one of News LTD's exit demands.

The question remains: Are they really exiting?

They'll be ensuring the commission is full of people sympathetic to their cause.

 

[Doomednow]

Its not his go.

Maybe he's just talking it up. And I suppose there is an outside chance he's developed a love for the game and wants to remain at the helm with its best interests at heart? Maybe he believes he has the experience to make it the best anyone can?

Probably not, though I might start to believe it if he gives News Limited a huge public double bird once the comission is in place.

 

[Brutus]

No how can we undersell the TV rights this time around without making it so damn obvious?

 

[docbrown]

I'm fine with Gallop remaining the CEO for 1-2 years after to ensure a smooth transition.

However - he should not be involved in negotiations with News over the next broadcasting deal. The clubs already know that and so does Gallop, which is why he wants the commission in place before the negotiations begin, so they can co-ordinate it.

 

[axl rose]

Super League lawyer, wonderful. Why not bring back Arko as well.

 

[Brutus]

I'm fine with Gallop remaining the CEO for 1-2 years after to ensure a smooth transition.

.

As long as he's nowhere near the important decisions.

We really need a strong figure as the face of our administration - a strong figure with no media links.

It should be more than just a change of glasses.

 

[docbrown]

As long as he's nowhere near the important decisions.

We really need a strong figure as the face of our administration - a strong figure with no media links.

It should be more than just a change of glasses.

His conflict of interest is with News. Gallop has already come out and said that he wants the commission to deal with those negotiations and he'd stay out of it - I'm fine with that.

I agree about a new leader, but let's make sure the new structure is actually working before we change CEO's.

 

[Phil McGrawhan]

His conflict of interest is with News. Gallop has already come out and said that he wants the commission to deal with those negotiations and he'd stay out of it - I'm fine with that.

I agree about a new leader, but let's make sure the new structure is actually working before we change CEO's.

As much as i didn't like him as a pollie,i would love to have Howard involved...
Think he would make a good leader...& also is a RL fan.

 

[Parra]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...-plans-to-lead-commission-20100904-14v7i.html




I thought Independent is not just supposed to mean independent from individual clubs, but most importantly having no affiliation with News Limited.

The entire structure is dependent on the unreasonable exit demands of News Ltd.

There has never been anything independent about it,

They only have to fool just enough people to get away with it. So far they are doing a good job.

 

[TheRam]

What the hell!!! He wants to be the NRL's Andrew Demetriou. Well of course then he will be up to his arm pits in the negotiations of the next TV deal and every other important deal (internet) that needs to be maximised. He is setting the agenda and tone, for fu*k sakes!!!

This is a gee up, has to be. Right? They can't possibly think that we are that stupid, can they?

Is this the NRL's version of the political two party system, where we are all meant to believe that we have REAL choice and voting for one over the other will Really make a difference and that they will not instead look after their true masters the Banks and big business.

If this happens, we are screwed. Even if it SEEMS that we have gotten a fair deal, we wouldn't have, we will never know what we truly should have gotten.

I believe that whatever the AFL can get, we if truly independent should be able to extract even more. The eyeball don't lie, and when it comes to TV deals, Eyeballs talk, bullsh*t walks.

 

[Brutus]

There is no way I will put my faith in somebody who has, in the past, been perceived not to have put rugby league's interests first in certain crucial negotiations.

 

[docbrown]

I'm against News Ltd's involvement in the game and I want them out. Yes - Gallop has made mistakes but most of what he does is behind the scenes and has been successful in doing so. Rugby League has this negativity and criticism that encircles it so any mistake is blown up into epic proportions.

The last TV rights deal set a record for Rugby League when it was signed. At the time it was actually lauded. It wasn't until the AFL deal was signed afterwards that it was criticised and people compared the two. The difference is though - we didn't become the most watched competition until last year. The criticism has only really been valid since then, not when it was actually signed.

The past eight years have seen crowd records and averages broken. Record TV ratings. A new team admitted to the competition. Five official bids for new franchises (not dummy ones set up by the administration). Record revenue. Record participation. The NRL is now a Top 500 Australian company. This year has also been one of the most scandal free in the league.

All that stuff didn't come from nowhere.

 

[Brutus]

The past eight years have seen crowd records and averages broken. Record TV ratings.

You can look at that whatever way you want.

Our crowd averages have gone nowhere in the last five years is another way you can look at it.

 

[docbrown]

You can look at that whatever way you want.

Our crowd averages have gone nowhere in the last five years is another way you can look at it.

2002 - 13,084 Total Attendance: 2355184
2003 - 14,469 - record
2004 - 14,671 - record
2005 - 16,468 - record
2007 - Total Attendance passed 3,000,000 for first time since before the war
2009 - Total Attendance with 192 games: 3084481 first to beak 1995's with 220 games: 3061893
2009 - Total Finals Attendance was the biggest ever with an average of 39,050 per game
2010 - Total Attendance Record already broken again - will be over 3.1 million for first time ever and average record within a whisker of being broken (with more games)

Increase in attendance over past 8 years: 729,297 - about 30% increase

For all the talk of AFL's wonderful growth, the AFL increases in attendance over past 8 years: 623,360 - about 10% increase

Yes the NRL added one more game a week - but should only increase crowds by about 1/8th or 12.5%.

Overall in terms of attendances, NRL is outpacing AFL.

 

[docbrown]

I'll even go one further - I bet that with in 5 years NRL attendances will break the 4,000,000 barrier.

 

[Brutus]

I don't see much growth average-wise since 2005.

Not interested in the cumulative figures because we all know there's an extra game per week since the Titans came in.

I think Gallop mentions "massive crowd growth". I somehow doubt that.

We'd get bigger crowds if we didn't pander to Fox Sports.

 

[Brutus]

I'll even go one further - I bet that with in 5 years NRL attendances will break the 4,000,000 barrier.

If we get the right structures in place on a lot of levels then I will agree with you.

We have so much potential and we are more than just a TV product.

 

[Billythekid]

I don't see much growth average-wise since 2005.

Not interested in the cumulative figures because we all know there's an extra game per week since the Titans came in.

I think Gallop mentions "massive crowd growth". I somehow doubt that.

We'd get bigger crowds if we didn't pander to Fox Sports.

We were held back this year by the knights stadium and the storm scandal. We have also only just started pushing for memberships and it was always going to take a while for that to really start improving crowds.

I guarantee that next year we will comfortably break the aggregate and average crowd records comfortably (barring some massive issue like the storm this year).

 

[taipan]

The entire structure is dependent on the unreasonable exit demands of News Ltd.

There has never been anything independent about it,

They only have to fool just enough people to get away with it. So far they are doing a good job.

If the demands were so unreasonable, there would be no ARL/ QRL go ahead for the I.C.
Geez mate give it time, instead of the constant bitching ,as no I.C is actually in place yet.No one has a clue to the name of the new 8 commissioners .
News Ltd is out and some of the incompetent ARL leaders are out of the equation ,thta is a plus IMO.