Frenzy.
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In parts but the part from Dino Mezz I have bolded is worth highlighting.
Locker Room: Sharks CEO Dino Mezzatesta reveals how NRL clubs handle a crisis in wake of Braydon Trindall charges
This is the behind the curtains look of how NRL clubs handle crises, where with one phone call brands are tarnished and careers shattered, writes DAVID RICCIO.
David Riccio, @DaveRic1, 7 min readWhen Sharks CEO Dino Mezzatesta’s phone rang just after 10.30am last Monday, he took a deep breath before immediately drawing on his experience in a crisis.
Before leading the Cronulla football club, Mezzatesta spent 16-years with Qantas as a high-ranking manager of Australasia, 10-years as a senior executive of Accor Hotels and two years as the Chief Operating Officer of Sydney’s The Star casino.
In each of those high-pressure positions, he dealt with the most extreme scenarios and deepest level of crisis.
From plane hijack and bomb threats to organising the mass evacuation of an entire airport to dealing with the 24-hour demands of one of Australia’s biggest casinos.
So when Mezzatesta was informed that Cronulla player Braydon Trindall had been charged with drink-driving, tested positive to an illicit substance, with a suspended licence last Monday, the Sharks CEO went into the mode that every NRL club CEO dreads, but must be prepared for.
Sharks CEO Dino Mezzatesta. Picture: Richard Dobson
“I have always said that you don’t want to be good at managing crises because if that’s what you’re doing all the time you’re in the wrong business, but my word you have to have experience to handle it,” Mezzatesta said.
“Straight away we (Sharks management) went into process and crisis management immediately. I immediately informed our chairman Steve Mace of the matter and our process, which included ensuring the best welfare of our player.
“If you’re inexperienced, that’s when you lose control of the situation.
“It’s all about the facts, the details and then the actions thereafter.
“You need the facts. Not throwaway lines, here say or rumour.
“The worst thing you can do is make decisions based on innuendo or falsities. You’ll never get through it. You will fumble your way through it, and then make the wrong decision.
“The ones that are better organised and have a plan will get to the recovery phase very quickly.”
This is the behind the scenes impact on every NRL club when a footballer has gone rogue, that either the player doesn’t care to consider, or have the level of understanding to comprehend the damage their actions cause.
It is the anatomy of a crisis, where with one phone call, days and weeks are consumed by cleaning-up the mess, where millions of dollars in sponsorship can be lost, where brands are tarnished and careers shattered.
Canberra Raiders CEO Don Furner pictured with coach Ricky Stuart. Picture: Nikki Short
THE PHONE CALL
Raiders chief Don Furner is the longest-serving club CEO in the NRL with over 20-years in charge.
“I’ve had my family holiday ruined by a phone call. I remember telling our coach (Ricky Stuart) of a major issue with a player when he was in Hamilton Island trying to spend time with his family,” Furner explains.
“When the call comes, you know that the rest of your week is ruined.
“It’s time consuming, it’s draining and you find yourself balancing up the fact that yes, they are young men who make mistakes, but they are also young men, who can’t afford to make mistakes, which is made even more frustrating by how much they’ve been counselled against it.
“My first call is tell the board and the head coach.
“From there, it’s about keeping your phone charged because you’re never off your phone talking to your stakeholders and organising every next step.
“Particularly if you have to go to court, you have to get a solicitor, then there’s reports you have to write to the NRL.”
THE NRL
Alongside his crisis team, Mezzatesta spent the majority of Monday working with the NRL’s Head of Integrity Unit Jason King, making sure that the governing body were across the details of Trindall’s incident and crucially the club’s next steps.
Furner shed light on how he has interacted with the NRL in the past.
“Very rarely, if ever, have I needed to go straight to Andrew (Abdo),” Furner said.
“Its normally the integrity unit head, previously Nick Weekes or Karen Murphy and now Jason King.
“They ask a for a full report and if it’s a police matter, they get all the information from the police.”
