Albert Rosenfeld
Bench
- Messages
- 3,884
Todd Greenberg is an insular Sydney boy. He can barely see beyond the road that leads from Belmore Oval to NRL headquarters at Moore Park.
If we don't get new teams in Wellington, Perth and Brisbane/Ipswich, the game will continue to lose attendances, and forfeit the chance to become a truly national and international game. Of course the Poms have to do their part as well, by encouraging the growth of the game in southern England, in Wales, and especially in France. The fact that the head of the RFL, Nigel Wood is doing SFA in his domain should not exonerate Todd Greenberg. The Poms have nothing like the funds that the NRL has. The NRL has enough money now to sustain the poorly run existing clubs, and to expand. If it expanded it could ask for and get more money from the TV networks.
If Todd Greenberg had vision, he would be developing a strategic plan for expansion. It would include Wellington, Perth and Brisbane/Ipswich within five years, followed by the existing PNG Hunters (funded by PNG based multinationals) within 7 years, followed by Adelaide and Fiji within 10 years. That would bring us to 22 clubs. The final pieces of the puzzle would be Christchurch, and one more Queensland club, to give the state the 5 NRL clubs which is the minimum it deserves, and create a 24 club competition with 23 rounds. Each of those expansion phases would require more games each week, which would mean more slots for the TV channels (which would enable either Nine network, or Fox or the Ten network to gain more programming), which would mean more TV money for the NRL. It makes financial sense and it would make rugby league the dominant game in the entire South Pacific region.
If Todd Greenberg cannot understand this then John Grant and the NRL board need to take the initiative. They have the power to push Greenberg forward with expansion.
If we don't get new teams in Wellington, Perth and Brisbane/Ipswich, the game will continue to lose attendances, and forfeit the chance to become a truly national and international game. Of course the Poms have to do their part as well, by encouraging the growth of the game in southern England, in Wales, and especially in France. The fact that the head of the RFL, Nigel Wood is doing SFA in his domain should not exonerate Todd Greenberg. The Poms have nothing like the funds that the NRL has. The NRL has enough money now to sustain the poorly run existing clubs, and to expand. If it expanded it could ask for and get more money from the TV networks.
If Todd Greenberg had vision, he would be developing a strategic plan for expansion. It would include Wellington, Perth and Brisbane/Ipswich within five years, followed by the existing PNG Hunters (funded by PNG based multinationals) within 7 years, followed by Adelaide and Fiji within 10 years. That would bring us to 22 clubs. The final pieces of the puzzle would be Christchurch, and one more Queensland club, to give the state the 5 NRL clubs which is the minimum it deserves, and create a 24 club competition with 23 rounds. Each of those expansion phases would require more games each week, which would mean more slots for the TV channels (which would enable either Nine network, or Fox or the Ten network to gain more programming), which would mean more TV money for the NRL. It makes financial sense and it would make rugby league the dominant game in the entire South Pacific region.
If Todd Greenberg cannot understand this then John Grant and the NRL board need to take the initiative. They have the power to push Greenberg forward with expansion.
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