Todd Greenberg Appointed NRL CEO

[MarkC]

I don't understand why people suddenly expect News Corp to have any influence on who the ARLC appoint as CEO.

Agreed.

There is zero actual evidence News had anything to do with Smith going.

We can expect some bleating and lobbying from News, but I don't know if they will have any success.

They are going through a headhunting firm and probably have set criteria and performance targets.

Being Rupert's pet is probably not one of the criteria.

 

[Last Week]

Annoying that this has happened in the middle of TV rights negotiations.

We're not going to know the real reason(s) for why he's gone now. Things will come out and be reported, but none of it will be reliable as it will likely come from News Corp.

The only thing that matters is who is going to replace him, which I don't think will happen until next year. In the mean time, Grant and the commission will take over running the game and negotiating the TV rights.

Did Smith stuff up the negotiations with Fox? Perhaps. We don't fully know the situation or where we're at with the negotiations (but they were continuing, despite what News try and tell us). He did get us a better FTA deal than the AFL got, aswell as another game on FTA which is significant.

Something people need to remember is Smith and the NRL are using a consultancy firm to negotiate the TV rights deal with them. These people aren't dummies and know what they're doing.

I have faith that we will get as good a deal as our product will let us.

And, News don't own half the game any more. Haven't for quite a while. I don't know why people seem to think they will get who they want to replace Smith or get a cheap deal with Fox now for some reason. Remember before Smith when Grant was running things? News were smashing him in the papers aswell. Nothing has changed here.

 

[betcats]

My God I hope they've got something rolling in terms of a TV deal. The NEWS mob will be unbearable now.
I agree with those that have already said that this is a victory for redneck, insular telegraph reading mongs who seem to refuse to listen to anything reasonable and ask only 'what's in it for me/my team?'
This applies to their politics, sport, everything. Hopefully Smith's greatest legacy is showing future leaders that they don't have to dance with the devil (NEWS) all the time. To those saying it's good he has gone, have you realised that he obtained $925 million for HALF of the games (which is almost as much as the entire last deal) for the free to air component only? He had also left simulcast rights open which could have led to something like a dedicated channel with every NRL game plus games from Superleage and Premier telelcasts (lower league British games) even French games and lower level internationals. If you genuinely love the game and not just chest beating imagine how good this would be.
But that's OK. People would prefer to read talent-less hacks talk about 'the good old days' when attendances and revenue were lower (80s and 90s) and people had bigger balls.

Murdochs response to the channel 9 deal was to go and give AFL and extra 300m and publicly shit all over Rugby League and you think it might of led to FOX giving the NRL their own channel etc? Unless News(or Netflix lol) pays over a billion for the remaining rights then the gap in value between the afl deal and the nrl deal per game is getting bigger. Now Murdch is a f**kwit and paytv is dieing a slow death but pissing off Murdoch/News(one of our biggest current stakeholders) does not benefit the game in any way and more than likely has hurt it.

Barring something in his personal life or some scandal I don't believe Smith wouldn't of quit or been pushed out if the negotiations were going well.

 

[magpie4ever]

Could this off season get any stranger?

Numerous domestic voilence episodes, immortal - pissed as dry humping a 40plus year old mom, than the biggest sloppy turd, from a great height of all, - Hoppa appointed Manly's SG Ball coach.

No wonder Smitty quit.

Question is, will there actually be a new season if this crap keeps going?

Forgot - Guzzy flicking Cleary

 

[Perth Red]

Perthred did you fix up your resume, since you know so much about how to grow the NRL maybe you should apply!
Shoe in!

Tempting but the pay is putting me off!

oh and I'd have to move to Sydney

 

[Usain Bolt]

Dave Smiths number 1 cheerleader Brad Walter must be in tears :lol:

 

[RL The greatest game]

Be prepared boys and girls for a watered offer from News now that Dave Smith has quit. He had News by the balls but the powers that be at the commision lost their nerve.
News Ltd lackey to be made CEO of the NRL.

 

[magpie4ever]

Tempting but the pay is putting me off!

oh and I'd have to move to Sydney

Who says - Modern technology, you pommy blow-in.

 

[BlueandGold]

Annoying that this has happened in the middle of TV rights negotiations.

We're not going to know the real reason(s) for why he's gone now. Things will come out and be reported, but none of it will be reliable as it will likely come from News Corp.

The only thing that matters is who is going to replace him, which I don't think will happen until next year. In the mean time, Grant and the commission will take over running the game and negotiating the TV rights.

Did Smith stuff up the negotiations with Fox? Perhaps. We don't fully know the situation or where we're at with the negotiations (but they were continuing, despite what News try and tell us). He did get us a better FTA deal than the AFL got, aswell as another game on FTA which is significant.

Something people need to remember is Smith and the NRL are using a consultancy firm to negotiate the TV rights deal with them. These people aren't dummies and know what they're doing.

I have faith that we will get as good a deal as our product will let us.

And, News don't own half the game any more. Haven't for quite a while. I don't know why people seem to think they will get who they want to replace Smith or get a cheap deal with Fox now for some reason. Remember before Smith when Grant was running things? News were smashing him in the papers aswell. Nothing has changed here.

So far the most balanced response.

Here is my Tin foil hat moment......David Smith was removed as a last condition for Fox signing a huge TV deal with the NRL..:?:

 

[CowboyFuriousFury]

No other code had to deal with the media sabotage and obvious agendas the rugby league has to deal with and to think Smith was hounded from day one by the media who set the agenda of getting him out. Now that got there wish and the NRL will be worst off for it. Insularity and self-interest wins out over progress and change in the NRL once more.

 

[betcats]

I don't understand why people suddenly expect News Corp to have any influence on who the ARLC appoint as CEO.

I agree. Smith wasn't anyones lackey and I doubt the next CEO will be either. Smiths problem was how reactive he was to the media, it was obvious he cared way to much what the papers were saying about him and the game.

 

[El Diablo]

Correct , We will now settle for what ever uncle Rupert and his merkins want to offer us.
Trust me we will be sold short again and won't get within light years of the aFL deal.
This will be noted in Rugby League history as the day Australian Rugby League rolled on its back and let News tickle its belly.

Gallop was a News Ltd lackey. Dave Smiths had the balls to stand up to them and because of the that Grant ticker went.
The next CEO of the NRL will be a a news Ltd lackeys which in overall terms means less and more debt for the clubs.

Don't hold your breath. Rupert won't offer us what we are worth.
Its going to be back to the Gallop days and be short changed.

My moneys on a News Ltd lackey.
Grant lost his bottle and its going to cost the NRL millions and the debt at clubs will only increase.

Yea he wont know how to make the clubs debt free and when News says to him jump he will say how high, but that's alright.
But he will know who Cam Smith is and how much will that help the clubs who have money problems :crazy:, and have no proper Business plans?
Knowing Cam Smith is not going to help us get a better TV deal.

Now Dave Smith has gone News will get the lackey they want.

unfortunately your right, and he will be News Ltd friendly and sell the game short

As we would agree he wasn't there to know Rugby League history he was there to get the best deal for the NRL and make the clubs debt free.
That's not going to happen now.
Was the point of appointing a Rugby League geek to the the job if he has no business acumen.
News Ltd have won the day and will short change us on A TV deal and have a News Ltd lackey as CEO

Who ever the next CEO is we know he dance to Rupert's tune.
Be prepared to be short changed on any deals involving The Dirty Digger

so you're telling us that you think the new CEO will be a News Ltd stooge?

 

[RL The greatest game]

so you're telling us that you think the new CEO will be a News Ltd stooge?

Yes i think so
I won't mention anymore now until the stooge is appointed ;-)

 

[mikeob]

I don't think Grant and the board will allow a 'lackey' to replace Smith.
Smith's stance against News has paved the way for his successor.

There will be no 'lackey'. Have a look at the people on the ARLC
and their many years of experience. Lots of people in this thread blaming Dave Smith. Everything that has been done since he started as CEO has been approved by this impressive lineup.

 

[wests1]

Murdochs response to the channel 9 deal was to go and give AFL and extra 300m and publicly shit all over Rugby League and you think it might of led to FOX giving the NRL their own channel etc? Unless News(or Netflix lol) pays over a billion for the remaining rights then the gap in value between the afl deal and the nrl deal per game is getting bigger. Now Murdch is a f**kwit and paytv is dieing a slow death but pissing off Murdoch/News(one of our biggest current stakeholders) does not benefit the game in any way and more than likely has hurt it.

Barring something in his personal life or some scandal I don't believe Smith wouldn't of quit or been pushed out if the negotiations were going well.

I don't really care about the AFL deal. All I care about is our game getting enough money to implement policies that allow it to grow. I'll leave the pissing contest to those who support AFL. Let them have their victories.
On the Murdoch front, I'm not advocating being confrontational with the most powerful media organisation in Oz, but we need a leader is willing to dismiss them when they need to be dismissed. And of course Rupert bagged off RL, he didn't get exactly what he wanted. LONG TERM weening off the NEWS tit is best for our game, especially considering the compromised history they have within what had always been a code very much in tune with it's fan base.

 

[wests1]

And yes I do believe that they would be interested in RL content because it rates its arse off for them.

 

[johnny plath]

Just sat through fox sports news, how f**king painful. Jimmy Smith and Peter Badel running out the party line, and suggesting Mark Coyne and Brian Johnstone as CEO candidates because they have RL background. FFS this is going to be painful until someone is appointed, and the tv deal is finalised

 

[betcats]

I don't really care about the AFL deal. All I care about is our game getting enough money to implement policies that allow it to grow. I'll leave the pissing contest to those who support AFL. Let them have their victories.
On the Murdoch front, I'm not advocating being confrontational with the most powerful media organisation in Oz, but we need a leader is willing to dismiss them when they need to be dismissed. And of course Rupert bagged off RL, he didn't get exactly what he wanted. LONG TERM weening off the NEWS tit is best for our game, especially considering the compromised history they have within what had always been a code very much in tune with it's fan base.

If the bold is true you should care about the AFL deal. The AFL want every kid playing RL to play their sport and the more money they get the more money they are able to devote to achieving that goal, especially if the financial gap between the two sports keeps increasing. Do you get that? AFL dominates a lot of the country, the more money they get the harder it will be for the NRL to grow.

 

[insert.pause]

The TV deal will be finished before anyone is appointed imo, Samuel will just take over negotiations.

It's pretty funny, News Corp is back on the Greenberg for CEO bandwagon, just as they were when Gallop was sacked, yet in the years between he was bagged and called on to resign. They obviously believe he will make their jobs easier...

 

[RL The greatest game]

If the bold is true you should care about the AFL deal. The AFL want every kid playing RL to play their sport and the more money they get the more money they are able to devote to achieving that goal, especially if the financial gap between the two sports keeps increasing. Do you get that? AFL dominates a lot of the country, the more money they get the harder it will be for the NRL to grow.

100% spot on.