Who's afraid of the AFL, asks Titans boss Michael Searle
* Brent Read
* From: The Australian
* June 05, 2010 12:00AM
GOLD COAST chief executive Michael Searle yesterday declared the NRL had nothing to fear from the AFL as the nation's dominant football codes readied themselves for a bitter fight over broadcasting rights - and a potential billion-dollar pay day.
Reacting to NRL chief executive David Gallop's plan to begin broadcast negotiations almost a year ahead of schedule, Searle was one of several club bosses to admit they relished the thought of locking horns with the AFL.
Although the NRL's existing contract runs until the end of 2012, Gallop told The Weekend Australian yesterday he was ready to commence talks with the television networks as soon as the federal government updated its anti-siphoning list, which could be within weeks.
"The AFL has the AFL grand final," Searle said.
"We have three State of Origin games and a grand final - we have four times the marquee products the AFL has.
"Throw in Test matches, it is clear rugby league has far more product of an elite nature than AFL has.
"David clearly feels very comfortable going head to head with them and I agree. I don't see any reason why we should fear the AFL."
Asked about going head-to-head with the AFL, which has raised the prospect of securing a five-year deal worth $1 billion by September, South Sydney chief executive Shane Richardson said: "I don't think that makes it difficult. I have no problem with testing the water to see where we are. If it's not good enough we can back off."
The bullish approach of club chief executives was given credence yesterday by television figures obtained by The Weekend Australian.
This year alone:
► Rugby league has 44 of the top 94 shows on subscription television - the AFL has only 20;
► Rugby league has six of the top 10 shows on subscription television - the AFL has none;
► The round 11 NRL clash between Parramatta and Cronulla, which attracted more than 300,000 viewers, remains the biggest event on subscription television NRL this year.
The game has also enjoyed healthy ratings on free-to-air television despite a 9 per cent drop across that market in the wake of the introduction of new multi-channels.
After 10 rounds, average ratings on free-to-air television in Sydney - the nation's biggest market - were up two per cent. Although they were slightly down in Brisbane, State of Origin has broken records.
The only stumbling block to securing a deal before the end of this year is the formation of the independent commission, although officials remain hopeful that can be up and running by November 1.
"The facts don't lie," Searle said. "You compare the two products as a TV product and you compare the results, rugby league wins hands down."
Canberra chief executive Don Furner added: "We probably didn't get what we deserved the last time. Anything that could be passed down to the clubs, which would ultimately be passed to the players, would be great.
"You just look at the television ratings - our results are outstanding. As most people acknowledge, AFL is very good live . . . but our game is perfect for television. The ratings show that."
The NRL's desire to advance television talks has only been enhanced by the ongoing complaints of players and clubs, who are crying out for more funds to remain viable and ward off the threat of rugby union, and more recently, the AFL.
"If it has the potential to bring more money into the game sooner rather than later and in a way that benefits the players, I am obviously supportive of that," RLPA chief executive David Garnsey said.
"The imperative, however, should not just be to do the deal, it must be to do the best deal possible."
On going head to head with AFL, Garnsey said: "If the AFL is already, or is shortly to be, in the market, it would make more sense to be going head to head with the AFL rather than waiting, so we are talking to the full range of potential bidders instead of a possibly reduced field later on."
