NRL CEO Todd Greenberg opens up on the biggest issues faced by rugby league in 2017
NRL BOSS Todd Greenberg opens up on player behaviour, holding off the threat of AFL and possibly taking a premiership match overseas.
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TODD Greenberg has a firm message for misbehaving NRL stars who continue to bring the game into disrepute.
“It’s an absolute privilege, not a right, for players to pull on an NRL jersey in our competition,” the NRL chief executive said.
“Our players know, when they sign a contract, they have a duty to represent the game. We are going to go even harder to stamp it out.”
In his first interview of the year, the NRL chief executive addressed the biggest issues in the game with Sports Editor-at-Large Phil Rothfield before the 16 clubs head to New Zealand this weekend to launch the season at the Auckland Nines.
PLAYER MISBEHAVIOUR
It’s been another tumultuous off-season. Josh Papalii, James Roberts, Ben Barba, Semi Radradra, Peni Terepo, Willis Meehan and Kyle Lovett all stepping out of line.
Eels superstar Radradra is soon to face court on domestic violence charges.
Buzz: We need to respect the court system and presume Radradra is innocent until proven otherwise. But what if a player is found guilty of domestic violence, what are you going to do about it?
Todd: When players are convicted of criminal offences, particularly around domestic violence, they should expect very harsh action. Let’s just say they won’t be playing in our competition.
Buzz: Does that mean a one-year suspension? Life?
Todd: Sometimes we don’t even put a term or time frame on it. It can be indefinite. Again, it’s not my right to work in the game. It’s a privilege. We’re not going to put up with it. I know fans can find it frustrating while we hear both sides of the story through a court process. When it involves allegations of drink-driving or misbehaviour towards women, we have a low tolerance level. It’s an absolute privilege, not a right, for players to pull on an NRL jersey in our competition.”
INTEGRITY UNIT
Buzz: I agree we’ve got to kick players right out of the game for domestic violence. But in other areas of misbehaviour, does the integrity unit overstep its role?
For example, if you work for a bank and you go out for a drink on a Friday night and get into a blue, does the CBA do an investigation and possibly suspend or fine the employee? Same with any other employee in any other business.
Todd: OK, does the guy at the CBA bring the bank into disrepute?
Does anyone know who he is or where he works? Probably not because he doesn’t have a profile.
Our players know when they sign a contract they have a duty to represent the game. It comes with a huge responsibility.
Some people might think that’s too harsh, but that’s the way it is. You can expect the NRL to continue to make hard decisions on players who do the wrong thing.
That’s a statement to start the season.
BARBA & FORAN
Buzz: When are these guys going to be registered?
Todd: We are talking with the Sharks about a timetable for Ben to return to training. He has to serve a mandatory 12-match ban and we need to make it clear that we take drug breaches very seriously.
My immediate focus is on Ben as a father and a husband. I want to see him overcome his issues before we even start looking at football. The same applies to Kieran.
His rehabilitation as a person is much more important than whether he plays rugby league. So we are working with the clubs to ensure those players are in the right frame of mind physically and mentally before we consider clearances.
These are delicate issues that relate to people’s livelihoods and their families and I am genuinely focused on their long-term welfare as opposed to their immediate playing contracts.
TRAINING BAN
Buzz: Ben Barba got 12 weeks for cocaine use in his second offence. Why are you stopping him from training? That’s not part of the rules. It’s supposed to be a game suspension.
Todd: He’s not training because he doesn’t have a contract. The Sharks terminated him. If they had suspended him which they could have done, he could have stayed within the club. We have to assess it now they’ve lodged a new contract.
Buzz: I thought it would be part of his rehab to get back to work.
Todd: That’s one of the things we’ll assess when we talk to Cronulla in the next week or so.
You might be right. But I want to know what he’s been doing, I want to know the sort of commitment he’s making. I want to understand what work he has done.
There’s lots of things we need to check before his contract is registered.
Buzz: I agree. Some people at Cronulla are making him out as a victim. He’s done the wrong thing.
Todd: All players were warned in the lead-up to the finals about drug testing. Ben was also being target-tested because of a previous positive test.
There have to be consequences for their decisions. If there are no consequences, these things will keep happening.
Players will always be kept accountable for decisions they make.
BEN HUNT SIGNING
Buzz: What are you going to do about the player-loyalty situation? Ben Hunt has signed with the Dragons while he still has a year to go at the Broncos.
Kalyn Ponga, too. The hottest young player in the game. Signed by Newcastle more than a year in advance.
This sort of thing is happening all the time. It’s upsetting for fans.
Todd: Signings like Ben Hunt might frustrate and disappoint Broncos fans but imagine what it does for Dragons fans. They’d be loving it.
The principal of the salary cap is to spread talent across the game. Players are acutely aware they have a small time frame in which to earn good money. Players have the right to be able to make these decisions.
I’m sure this will be a topic of conversation in the collective bargaining agreement.
The players under the current model enjoy a free-trade movement. That is a great thing for modern-day footballers.
GOING GLOBAL
Buzz: Other sports are taking games into other countries. Are we ever going to take a proper NRL club game overseas?
Todd: We’re already talking to interested parties. That’s club and destinations. We had an approach from Singapore last year.
We’ve also had approaches from the United States and the UK. The two big issues are player turnaround times with all the travel and getting time zones right for the broadcasters.
We’re very open to it in 2018 when we will have full control of the draw. There’s eventually going to be a World Cup in North America.
Buzz: That would be fantastic on the west coast. You could kick-off on a Saturday night with the TV coverage coming into Australia on the Sunday afternoon.
Todd: It could happen next year.
FRIDAY 6PM
Buzz: My initial thoughts are that this timeslot is going to be a disaster for crowds and TV ratings. Who’s home from work by 6 on Friday night?
Todd: We are working with clubs now to really differentiate the experience. Clearly there are some challenges, especially with Friday night traffic around Sydney.
In the past we’ve been rightfully criticised for late Friday night kick-offs and games that finished too late for kids. Also late kick-offs for Origin. We’ve now got a new timeslot every week and let’s look at the positives.
We’ll work closely with clubs to engage their communities, families and kids, to get to the footy early.
Look at the Big Bash. I know it’s different in the summer school holidays, but their early starts are very popular with young families.
SAVING THE BUSH
Buzz: This is all fantastic Todd but what are you going to do about bush footy? Clubs are dying.
Todd: We have big plans. This is the last year of City-Country. From 2018, you can expect to see more Telstra premiership matches in country towns.
Young footballers in the bush have aspirations to make it to the NRL. This is the best way to promote those aspirations by seeing our heroes in the flesh.
We’re very conscious about it.
Buzz: How many games?
Todd: We’re talking to the clubs now. I’d like to play at least five in country areas. I think it will have a much bigger material impact in the bush than one City v Country game.
Under the recent funding agreement with the clubs, there will be more money applied to the bush than ever before.
REFEREES & BUNKER
Buzz: What are you going to do to fix it? There was so much controversy last year.
Todd: It wouldn’t be rugby league without issues around refereeing. It has been that way since 1908 and I am sure it will be that way in 2017.
The bunker will get better. You have to remember that last year was its first year of operation and it took a while to get the balance right.
I think towards the end of the year the bunker did a great job, particularly in the finals. So, for that matter, did the referees. They had a terrific finals series.
We have so many 50/50 calls in rugby league that fans are always going to have their say about referees.
It’s that passion that makes our game so exciting and so successful.
JOHN GRANT
Buzz: I keep hearing your relationship with the commission chairman is not good.
Todd: John and I continue to have a great working relationship. I talk to him regularly and, as the chairman of the game, he continues to commit significant time and energy that is often unseen and unrecognised.
Buzz: That’s all warm and fuzzy. Tell us what’s it’s really like.
Todd: I’m being genuine. John genuinely loves rugby league and has provided great support and counsel for me in my first year as CEO.
We both have one aim to put the interests of the game first … and we are working together to achieve that.
CLUB REVOLT
Buzz: Did all the recent combat and calls for Grant to resign surprise you?
Todd: There will always be disputes between clubs and governing bodies about funding. There is not a club in any sport in the world which doesn’t want more funds.
But I also said that the matter would be resolved eventually and the outcome will see our clubs better funded and more sustainable than ever before. So it is an exciting time for our clubs and our game as we ensure they are on a sound financial footing.
And that’s what the fans want … they want to know their clubs are viable and that they are going to be around for the long term.
PLAYER STRIKE
Buzz: I hear the players are talking about unprecedented action to get their fair share of the new television deal.
Todd: That is very premature.
Buzz: They are talking about it in the AFL, too.
Todd: We are in discussions with the RLPA on a new CBA and those talks have been very positive.
The RLPA has a very good CEO in Ian Prendergast and we will continue to work closely together.
No doubt we will have some robust discussions but we all agree on one thing — the players deserve their fair share of the game’s revenue.
Buzz: But they don’t even have a salary-cap figure beyond this year?
Todd: That will be determined once the CBA is completed. It simply does not make sense to set a salary cap for 2018 if we don’t know what the player salaries and conditions are going to be.
I should make the point that clubs are still signing the players they want — it is not stopping players from being signed.
THE MONEY
Buzz: Explain where all the TV money goes? Players? Clubs, junior development, promotion, digital, NRL administration?
Todd: That’s an important question and I should reiterate that the NRL is a not-for-profit business so we distribute all our funds to our key stakeholders. In a typical year we will have approximately $350 million in revenue from broadcast and non-broadcast.
We obviously have to account for fixed costs to run our football operations and competitions, team travel, servicing our sponsorship programs, marketing & promoting the game and establishing our new digital plan; say $90 million.
The majority of funds are distributed to the clubs and states through annual grants; $190 million.
A further $50 million goes to game development and grassroots as well as our community and welfare programs.
That leaves about $20 million on the league’s administration. And while I have substantially cut back my management team, we need to keep investing into areas like integrity which play such a crucial part in our game.
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MATCH FIXING
Buzz: Any updates on the allegations from last year?
Todd: Not that I am aware of. That is a police investigation and, while they keep us updated, I am not aware of any developments.
AFL THREAT
Buzz: GWS are on the rise in Sydney’s west. The Swans are strong. We’ve had a slide in junior participation numbers. What’s happening here?
Todd: Participation numbers are pretty stable Australia-wide but we want to do better. It will be a focus of work between the NRL and the states in 2017.
What I do know is that interest in rugby league has never been higher.
Our ratings, crowds and memberships all went up last year — and the product is better than ever.
So we have the opportunity to build participation and we are going to work hard to get more people playing the game and that includes the bush.
FAIRER DRAW
Buzz: Everyone knows it is too manufactured and not a level playing field.
Todd: We will certainly be doing our best in 2018 when we take back control of the draw.
I think our team did a great job on this year’s draw given the constraints they face across stadia availability, player workloads and turnaround times, individual club requests and broadcaster commitments.
But we will always look to do better and will continue to work closely with our clubs and listen to the feedback from the fans.
TITANS/KNIGHTS
Buzz: When are you going to sell these clubs?
Todd: That’s another target for 2017. The new funding deal for clubs will make them more viable than ever and I expect that to create more interest in buying the Knights and Titans.
But I stress we are not going to sell the clubs for the sake of it. If there is no strong offer on the table we simply won’t sell.
The fans of those clubs deserve strong management from people determined to make the Knights and Titans successful. And that is what we will be looking for in any sale process.
Originally published as NRL CEO Todd Greenberg opens up on the biggest issues faced by rugby league in 2017
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