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

[East Coast Tiger]

Yes, it certainly is a load of crap. Couldn't put it better.

 

[babyg]

Surely this is a symptom of the game in general not being managed effectively hence the need for a commission. Qld Cup seems to be running fine but it sounds like the NSW comp needs a restructure.

Agree with ECT that the NRL clubs can't be given too much power. All his points are true.

and the Sunshine Coast would happilly accept either Manly or Cronulla if there was a relocation.

 

[The Observer]

IMO NSW based teams (and the ACT based Canberra Raiders) initially formed alliances with Qld Cup teams largely because Queensland teams are unencumbered by a state tax on poker machine revenue, whereas NSW teams were. The fact that Souths Logan were a long standing club playing in a competition the QRL wants to back is a bonus, as is access to their player base. If Canberra are going to form an alliance with a team out of their region, then they could support the WA Reds moving into the NSW Cup to act as their feeder team. The NSW Cup, with teams based in 2 Australian states and NZ, is best placed to become the second tier to RL in this country. If the Raiders and Souths Logan are adamant that they want to keep the link, Souths Logan should move into the NSW Cup, and the NSWRL would have no more cause to object. This article is interesting:

RAIDERS USE TRIAL TO ENSURE FUTURE OF FEEDER CLUB SOUTHS LOGAN

 

[griff]

IMO NSW based teams (and the ACT based Canberra Raiders) formed alliances with Qld Cup teams largely because Queensland teams are unencumbered by a state tax on poker machine revenue. NSW teams are. If Canberra are going to form an alliance with a team out of their region, then they could support the WA Reds moving into the NSW Cup to act as their feeder team. The NSW Cup, with teams based in 2 Australian states and NZ, is best placed to become the second tier to RL in this country.

So we send fringe players back and forth between Canberra and Perth rather than Canberra and Brisbane? That just makes matters worse.

I think it is more to do with the fact that the NRL emerged from the NSWRL, so in effect the current NSWRL is the second tier from NSW, whereas in Qld the top tier remained the same, with people retaining more of an investment in local football from the pre-Broncos days.

At the risk of dragging AFL into every single debate on this board, its the same reason the SANFL is bigger than the VFL.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

NRL clubs in NSW linked with Qld Cup clubs to get the inside running on their best players. For example, the Roosters and Redcliffe formed one of the first affiliations and it saw players like Mick Crocker and Sam Obst move from the Dolphins to the Roosters. A heap of other clubs did the same thing but they generally didn't work because the NRL clubs only wanted it to work in their favour with very little in the deal for the Qld Cup clubs. In more recent times NRL clubs have used the Qld Cup clubs in lieu of their own NSW Cup sides because it's cheaper to have a squad of about 10 second tier players playing in Brisbane than a squad of 20-25 players playing every week in the NSW Cup. The wider plan was to replace the Jersey Flegg and NSW Cup with the under 20s but it hasn't worked because the clubs have realised that players older than 20 need to be kept in the system as under 20s generally can't make the step up to NRL straight away, especially forwards. By keeping a handful of these over 20s at the club and farming them out to Qld clubs the NRL club gets what it needs in terms of players but doesn't have to run a whole team of them. It's a cost-cutting exercise.

 

[Noa]

Wonder why Blubags hasnt raced in to post this yet

Livermore questions indigenous team concept as Preston dreams of Test


BRAD WALTER AND GREG PRICHARD

February 17, 2010


Queensland officials have questioned the purpose of an indigenous team as Preston Campbell, the driving force behind last Saturday's night's All Stars match, revealed plans for the concept to go international.
Despite the overwhelming success of the event, which raised $2 million for NRL-backed community projects and attracted more than 1.3 million television viewers, QRL boss Ross Livermore said players should aspire to represent their state or country.
"It is my opinion and the QRL's opinion that we should support the under-16s indigenous NSW-versus-Queensland game,'' Livermore told Rugby League Week. ''Aside from that, players of all backgrounds should strive to represent NSW, Queensland, Australia or their overseas country. That is our position."
Livermore is out of step with ARL chief executive Geoff Carr, who told the Herald this week his organisation supported the match.
The criticism also comes as Campbell prepares to lobby for the indigenous team to play against a full Test side, with New Zealand his preference.
''Those guys have got a proud history as well and I reckon they would really warm to it,'' Campbell said. ''But I'm sure the indigenous boys would love to play against any of the top nations, apart from Australia - the Kiwis, Great Britain, France or PNG. I know it's a pretty crowded schedule these days, but maybe there's a way of fitting in a game like this in the next couple of years.''
Told of Campbell's hopes, Manly forward George Rose said: ''That would be unbelievable. It was great to be involved last week and I'd do anything to be a part of that team again.''
ARL Indigenous Council chairman William ''Smiley'' Johnstone said the code had shown the way for all sports in indigenous participation and reconciliation by staging the All Stars game.
"From the ARL appointment of Ricky Walford as its indigenous rugby league manager to the formation of the ARL Indigenous Council to advise the game on indigenous matters, rugby league has been taking significant steps for some time,'' Johnstone said.
Meanwhile, Livermore denied officials attending the QRL's annual conference on the Gold Coast had boycotted the All Stars match.
"We originally were going to buy 400 tickets to it for all our delegates," he said. "But then we realised the times clashed. One of our directors, Greg Sutherland, was at the game - so I don't know how you can say we boycotted it."

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...-as-preston-dreams-of-test-20100216-o90j.html


Interesting to see they didnt even show up.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Because someone else did and they insinuated the same stupid point. Keep up.

 

[westie]

Campbell is an idiot. Good work getting the All Stars up and running. But he'd have to get GB up and running if he wanted to play against them. This is why ex-players should rarely be involved in administration.

 

[Noa]

Because someone else did and they insinuated the same stupid point. Keep up.

My Momma says stupid is as stupid does.

Take heed ECT.

 

[Bluebags1908]

Wonder why Blubags hasnt raced in to post this yet






http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...-as-preston-dreams-of-test-20100216-o90j.html


Interesting to see they didnt even show up.

Are you talking about me?

Well I think Ross Livermore has explained most of the QRL's board members absence, and one representative went to the game anyway.

On the subject on the Independent Commission I fully support the NSWRL/QRL.

But for the record I disagree with Ross Livermore's statement that he doesn't support an Indigenous side because "players of all backgrounds should strive to represent NSW, Queensland, Australia or their overseas country".

For Indigenous Australians, I can't see why you can't be proud representing your state, country and Indigenous people all at the same time. Representing the Kangaroos should still however be the higher honour simply because you need to beat a much bigger talent pool of players to get into the team.

I am in favour of an Indigenous team playing other nations such as New Zealand, PNG, England, etc in one-off games (but not in tournaments such as World Cups) because Rugby League is the only sport in Australia that can organise such an international fixture, and the game should be screaming this out from the rooftops.

Cricket, Rugby Union, and Soccer do not have enough players to form a credible Indigenous team, whilst AFL can but they have no international team to play.

 

[Bluebags1908]

Double post.

 

[Big-Steve]

Don't be fooled that the NSWRL's position is held for reasons of efficiency and good administration. No, they're ticked off that the likes of the Raiders and Storm support Queensland grassroots footy, which strengthens the Queensland origin side and Queensland footy in general. Their agenda is to white-ant Queensland grassroots footy and pump up the NSW grassroots.

These decisions are being made on a zero-sum-gain basis, where it's all about poaching the other side's assets - or poisoning their well, to make your lot look good in comparison. There is no oversight by the ARL to make decisions for the common good of the game. Undermining Souths Logan is in nobody's interest except the NSWRL. It's certainly not in the interests of grassroots players.

I think you should know that for many years the NSWRL has provided financial support for the QLD Cup can't remember how much but is has and it has done this while not providing any financial assistance to any NSW Cup clubs till this year - a grant has been provided by them to finance the Newcastle/Central Coast team after Newcastle cried poor.

 

[Big-Steve]

I think it is more to do with the fact that the NRL emerged from the NSWRL, so in effect the current NSWRL is the second tier from NSW, whereas in Qld the top tier remained the same, with people retaining more of an investment in local football from the pre-Broncos days.

Yep before Super League the NSW clubs had dedicated reserve and junior rep teams (I think all clubs at one point had to field a reserve garde even Brisbane). Super League changed the top grade landscape and of course some first grade teams exited but all the foundation clubs survived (just some were not allowed to field first grade) and so continued to field teams in the other grades.

At one point (before the Toyota Cup) North Sydney was fielding 4 grades while St George/Illawarra only ran 3 grades and Norths were running on a $600,000 budget!

Super League as we now know was only a comp between the top grade teams and News could not control wether a club survived just wether their top grade team survived.

 

[m0nty]

I think you should know that for many years the NSWRL has provided financial support for the QLD Cup can't remember how much but is has and it has done this while not providing any financial assistance to any NSW Cup clubs till this year - a grant has been provided by them to finance the Newcastle/Central Coast team after Newcastle cried poor.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the NSWRL only gets as much money as the ARL board allocates, so that it's effectively the ARL allocating this money to Queensland. Sounds to me like it's part of the grubby deal that the NSWRL made to get majority 6-4 votes on the ARL board. Also, if all of the NSW Cup clubs are aligned to NRL clubs, why would they fund them?

This issue is caused - and I'm not making a party-political point here about ARL vs the clubs - by the lack a draft system in the NRL to even out the talent across all clubs. There are too many Sydney NRL clubs and too many Queensland juniors for something like this not to happen, given that the pathway to the NRL is directly through junior development, rather than a draft which removes zonal recruiting. Would you Sydney fans want the Broncos, for instance, to take over the Logan region and suck all the prospects out of it to strengthen the Bronco firsts team? If some of the NSW teams don't align themselves with Queensland junior regions, you're going to get four superteams coming out of Queensland, and the NSW/ACT teams will get to fight over half the talent pool that their Queensland counterparts enjoy.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

How bout the NSW clubs make an effort to help areas of country NSW where there are no NRL clubs? There's a novel idea. I'm sure any CRL Group would be more than happy to take cash handouts from Sydney clubs and host a trial game every year. At present they generally get neither. Although they still lose their young players to the NRL clubs, often without compensation which is supposed to be mandatory.

 

[Parra]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the NSWRL only gets as much money as the ARL board allocates, so that it's effectively the ARL allocating this money to Queensland. Sounds to me like it's part of the grubby deal that the NSWRL made to get majority 6-4 votes on the ARL board. Also, if all of the NSW Cup clubs are aligned to NRL clubs, why would they fund them?

This issue is caused - and I'm not making a party-political point here about ARL vs the clubs - by the lack a draft system in the NRL to even out the talent across all clubs. There are too many Sydney NRL clubs and too many Queensland juniors for something like this not to happen, given that the pathway to the NRL is directly through junior development, rather than a draft which removes zonal recruiting. Would you Sydney fans want the Broncos, for instance, to take over the Logan region and suck all the prospects out of it to strengthen the Bronco firsts team? If some of the NSW teams don't align themselves with Queensland junior regions, you're going to get four superteams coming out of Queensland, and the NSW/ACT teams will get to fight over half the talent pool that their Queensland counterparts enjoy.

A draft has always been a good idea. Last time this was tested it was deemed illegal.

Under our new era of bowing down to corporations, who knows? Probably wouldn't even be tested if the logo was nice enough, or some chick in a bikini made coffee for the players while they lined up to get identical tattoos.

 

[m0nty]

How bout the NSW clubs make an effort to help areas of country NSW where there are no NRL clubs? There's a novel idea. I'm sure any CRL Group would be more than happy to take cash handouts from Sydney clubs and host a trial game every year. At present they generally get neither. Although they still lose their young players to the NRL clubs, often without compensation which is supposed to be mandatory.

I'm sure if there was more money in the game, that would happen. There's just not enough funds flowing through rugby league at the moment, as I'm sure you don't need to be told.

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...ow-but-clubs-will-fight-on-20100217-odyl.html

Independence push faces round one body blow but clubs will fight on
GLENN JACKSON AND CHRIS BARRETT
February 18, 2010

POWERBROKERS behind the NRL's independent commission refuse to be derailed by the prospect of the changeover failing to take place by the start of the season, as they believe having the new model established by March 12 is of symbolic value only.

While all 16 clubs voted to encourage the commission to be approved by round one, Gold Coast chief executive Michael Searle, the chief architect of the restructure, remains stoic in his belief that it hardly matters when it ultimately begins.

''If there's genuine intent, it doesn't matter whether it's March 12, March 15 or some time in April,'' Searle said. ''We just don't want to be sitting back and waiting for it to happen and it not happen. Now, there appears to be genuine intent … it would have been a great opportunity for the game to start off with this change. But that's not the end of it.''

Brisbane's chief executive Bruno Cullen, who like Searle is part of a restructure subcommittee that has been the driving force behind independence, admitted yesterday that the likelihood of the commission being established by round one was slim.

It followed remarks from Ross Livermore, head of the QRL, which is seen as the major stumbling block to the commission, described as a ''joke'' the prospect of the new model being in place by March 12.

''It probably won't happen by the start of the season, and it's come about because of a lack of urgency and a lack of application in that regard,'' Cullen conceded.

It is understood the commission in no way hinges on any deadline, and that the most powerful men behind the push remain convinced it will happen. Executives from News Limited are believed to be meeting commission heavyweights on a weekly basis.

''Yes, time has moved on,'' Cullen said. ''When we [the clubs] met on that, it was the 18th of January. That's a full month ago. I think now, it's [round one] looking like it's impossible.

''That's not a problem. We've just got to work through these things.

''It wasn't a deadline, it wasn't a demand. This just means it's being dragged out a little longer.

''We've done what we can do - the clubs have got no power at all in this. We've just got to sit and wait for it to play out. There's some hurdles there. We've just got to keep plugging away.''

Ironically, the QRL have called in a public relations firm in an effort to manage its message after becoming frustrated with being cast as the unreasonable stumbling block on the road to a commission.

Brisbane company Rowland, which specialises in ''corporate reputation management'', was hired this month to advise the QRL on how it could better gain a direct line to its constituents. The result is an open letter and fact sheet sent to parents, players and administrators in Queensland.

''We've been getting bagged as being the 'head in the sand' blokes,'' Livermore said. ''We were getting sick of that happening and not getting our story across.

''We've often used a company here and there. We just seek advice from them sometimes - they say, 'Well, this is the way we think you should handle it.' And that's what we did.''

On the establishment of an independent commission, Livermore maintained: ''I couldn't put a timeline on it but we're hopeful it will be sooner than later.''

Meanwhile, the injury fallout from the All Stars clash could worsen, with young Brisbane winger Jharal Yow Yeh a chance of being out for the first two months of the season with a knee injury.

The Broncos' medical staff face three options for the 20-year-old: leave the injury - a tear in his cartilage - to repair itself; have an arthroscopy, or; surgically stitch the damage. The final option, the most likely due to his age, would rule him out for 12 weeks.

Club officials are likely to make a decision today.

 

[bartman]

It is understood the commission in no way hinges on any deadline, and that the most powerful men behind the push remain convinced it will happen. Executives from News Limited are believed to be meeting commission heavyweights on a weekly basis.

Hmmm...

So this "independent" commission is not at all a ploy by News Ltd to wipe out the ARL (and the conditions of their exit as outlined in the peace deal) and install club-chosen puppets to control the game into the future... :sarcasm:.

The current model is definitely not "independent" from News Ltd, that's for sure...

 

[bartman]

And in case anyone doubted it, here's a snippet from a Daily Tele article today...

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/hayne-has-the-power-of-one/story-e6frexni-1225831568925

3 Peter Macourt
MACOURT is News Limited's chief operating officer and minister for rugby league. Chief executive and chairman John Hartigan last year gave him the role of devising the company's exit strategy from the game. He currently sits on the NRL's most powerful board and is renowned for his tough but fair negotiating skills. Alongside lawyer Ian Phillip, Macourt came up with the blueprint for the proposed independent commission in consultation with Michael Searle and Nick Politis.
NRL boss David Gallop rarely makes an important decision without bouncing it off Macourt. He fields phone calls every day from senior club officials and has a tremendously powerful contact base through his roles on the board of Foxtel and as chairman of Sky Television in New Zealand.

This "independent" commission push has grubby News Ltd hands all over it... . No way this fan is going to be suckered in by all their corporate-funded spin.