Brutus
Referee
- Messages
- 26,276
And who is the leader of our game; the man in charge of overseeing all of this?
Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
f**ken Gallop. The thing is we didn't get enough dollars AND we dodn't get enough exposure. The AFL got both the extra cash AND the networks showing games in NSW and QLD no matter how poorly they rate. We must get both in this next deal or it should be considered a failure.
Talk of delayed commission worries clubs
Chris Barrett
January 31, 2011
"The commission will start in the next few months" ... David Gallop. Photo: Ben Rushton
NRL club chairmen plan to convene as soon as possible after being surprised by David Gallop's suggestion that the transition to an independent commission may not be complete for another 12 months.
They were also disappointed by the NRL chief executive's comments, in The Sun-Herald yesterday, on the subject of television rights negotiations, believing they were contrary to the chairmen's resolution last year that no talks begin until the independent commission takes effect.
The chairmen hit the phones yesterday after Gallop's remarks were published. They were upset that the time frame for a commission had apparently been adjusted without their knowledge. They were under the impression that the eight-member body would be in place when the new NRL season began in March.
Advertisement: Story continues below
''The chairmen are talking about convening as soon as possible,'' said South Sydney's Nicholas Pappas, who is the chairmen's representative on the three-party committee, alongside News Ltd and the ARL, to appoint the commissioners. ''Frankly, it's news to me that there is any sort of timeline of 12 months on the implementation of the commission. There are things that need to be done, things that need to be put in place, but suggesting it's 12 months …''
Gallop clarified his position yesterday. ''Firstly, the commission will start in the next few months. The TV deal won't be done until the commission is in place.
''The effect of the commission won't be instantaneous and my simple point was when we move into the new building [Rugby League Central at Moore Park], the full transition should have taken place and that doesn't mean there is any suggestion of a delay, simply it's the start of a process, not the end.''
Gallop insisted formal talks about TV rights deals had not begun. ''No negotiations have commenced and they won't commence until the commission is in place but naturally we've been keeping the networks up to date with where things are at.''
Pappas was surprised by Gallop's original statements. ''I'm sure a lot of people are on the phone right now trying to find out why these comments have been made,'' he said. ''And why comments about media rights have been made at this delicate time.
''The chairmen resolved some time ago that there would be no negotiations and no conclusion for the media rights until the commission was in place, and we understood that was agreed upon. It is not only in the interests of rugby league but in the interests of the ARL and News that [negotiations] be conducted with utter transparency and the highest level of probity.''
Other chairmen contacted by the Herald were also surprised.
However, Wests Tigers chairman, David Trodden, defended Gallop last night. ''His position has always been that the commission should be in place sooner rather than later,'' Trodden said. ''I spoke to him today and that hasn't changed.''
ARL chief executive Geoff Carr called for calm, saying he expected commissioners to be appointed and working much sooner than next year. He said the installation of the commission would be formalised by the opening of the Rugby League Central building at Moore Park, when construction concludes early next year.
''I would be confident it's going to happen sooner rather than later,'' Carr said. ''I've got no doubt the commission will be in place well before that [12 months]. It's progressing as quickly as possible.
''There are lawyers working on the fine detail and they have done that over the break. The hold-up we've had in the short term was that the QRL was flooded and their lawyers' offices were flooded but, nonetheless, we have been working away on the detail.''
The QRL, usually based at Suncorp Stadium, has temporarily relocated to Crushers Leagues Club in Brisbane's inner north. Carr insisted a commission could be operational by March.
Talk of delayed commission worries clubs
Chris Barrett
January 31, 2011
"The commission will start in the next few months" ... David Gallop. Photo: Ben Rushton
NRL club chairmen plan to convene as soon as possible after being surprised by David Gallop's suggestion that the transition to an independent commission may not be complete for another 12 months.
They were also disappointed by the NRL chief executive's comments, in The Sun-Herald yesterday, on the subject of television rights negotiations, believing they were contrary to the chairmen's resolution last year that no talks begin until the independent commission takes effect.
The chairmen hit the phones yesterday after Gallop's remarks were published. They were upset that the time frame for a commission had apparently been adjusted without their knowledge. They were under the impression that the eight-member body would be in place when the new NRL season began in March.
''The chairmen are talking about convening as soon as possible,'' said South Sydney's Nicholas Pappas, who is the chairmen's representative on the three-party committee, alongside News Ltd and the ARL, to appoint the commissioners. ''Frankly, it's news to me that there is any sort of timeline of 12 months on the implementation of the commission. There are things that need to be done, things that need to be put in place, but suggesting it's 12 months ''
Gallop clarified his position yesterday. ''Firstly, the commission will start in the next few months. The TV deal won't be done until the commission is in place.
''The effect of the commission won't be instantaneous and my simple point was when we move into the new building [Rugby League Central at Moore Park], the full transition should have taken place and that doesn't mean there is any suggestion of a delay, simply it's the start of a process, not the end.''
Gallop insisted formal talks about TV rights deals had not begun. ''No negotiations have commenced and they won't commence until the commission is in place but naturally we've been keeping the networks up to date with where things are at.''
Pappas was surprised by Gallop's original statements. ''I'm sure a lot of people are on the phone right now trying to find out why these comments have been made,'' he said. ''And why comments about media rights have been made at this delicate time.
''The chairmen resolved some time ago that there would be no negotiations and no conclusion for the media rights until the commission was in place, and we understood that was agreed upon. It is not only in the interests of rugby league but in the interests of the ARL and News that [negotiations] be conducted with utter transparency and the highest level of probity.''
Other chairmen contacted by the Herald were also surprised.
However, Wests Tigers chairman, David Trodden, defended Gallop last night. ''His position has always been that the commission should be in place sooner rather than later,'' Trodden said. ''I spoke to him today and that hasn't changed.''
ARL chief executive Geoff Carr called for calm, saying he expected commissioners to be appointed and working much sooner than next year. He said the installation of the commission would be formalised by the opening of the Rugby League Central building at Moore Park, when construction concludes early next year.
''I would be confident it's going to happen sooner rather than later,'' Carr said. ''I've got no doubt the commission will be in place well before that [12 months]. It's progressing as quickly as possible.
''There are lawyers working on the fine detail and they have done that over the break. The hold-up we've had in the short term was that the QRL was flooded and their lawyers' offices were flooded but, nonetheless, we have been working away on the detail.''
The QRL, usually based at Suncorp Stadium, has temporarily relocated to Crushers Leagues Club in Brisbane's inner north. Carr insisted a commission could be operational by March.
