NRL shutdown: Time to put self-interests, rivalries aside says Mal Meninga
With the NRL shutdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, we must all work together to save rugby league says the Kangaroos coach and Immortal Mal Meninga.
Opinion
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The rugby league community has banded together to fight its way out of the world’s biggest crisis in modern history and that’s the only way the NRL will emerge victorious.
The coronavirus pandemic has delivered a defining moment in our game with the indefinite suspension of the NRL premiership this week.
The NRL faces a catastrophic financial blow if the entire season is abandoned, and with that comes the possibility that clubs may not survive.
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The time has come for every stakeholder in rugby league to put self-interests and rivalries aside and do what’s needed to keep the NRL afloat.
That is our leaders, clubs, players, unions, broadcasters, media, sponsors and corporate partners.
We all have a critical role to play in helping the NRL and rugby league survive. Those who have made their fame or fortune from the game need to help lift it from its knees.
The reasons for the NRL facing this test have been well documented and it’s natural that blame and anger surface during these unprecedented, stressful times of uncertainty.
The game is a microcosm of society and we are all suffering from an invisible enemy, together, but the blame game isn’t going to help.
We cannot carry on about why we are in this fight. We must focus on how to come out the other side with as few scars as possible.
Stop the posturing for personal reasons and think about the game and how lucky we are to be involved.
The stakeholders must rally collectively and produce well-intentioned and judicious strategies for NRL prosperity and for the game of rugby league’s sake.
Morally, I desperately want to see the clubs, players and partners being realistic in their demands for that to happen.
Our 16 clubs are fierce rivals always searching for an advantage, always looking at ways to usurp their opponents.
It’ll be a proud time when that competitive spirit is working together for the betterment of our game – the real hero of all of us.
If one club needs more support than another, then that is what must occur.
Our leadership group is saying we’ve got to look at our cost structure, salary cap and the way we operate to protect ourselves from this happening again. They are right.
If we’ve got the spirit of teamwork, then that’s not an issue.
It’s about protecting our future.
If we have the greater good as our first priority, and that mindset goes into negotiations, we will reap mindful solutions.
The players are the heroes of our game, that’s why fan support, corporate sponsor, broadcasters telecast and media comment. Without them the game doesn’t survive, so it’s been great to see them openly say they will have to make sacrifices.
My greatest fears are for the less visible people in our game and how they’re going after losing their livelihoods overnight.
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Every decision our leaders make has an impact on them. They are our soldiers, you can throw them into battle because you trust them.
Please don’t forget them.
It is so easy to feel alone and helpless during these isolating times. They are just as important as anyone in our game.
Some will say more so because they give unconditionally, without recognition only because they love what they do. Isn’t that a reminder for all of us?
It will be weeks, possibly months, before the NRL negotiates its way through the many barriers and finds clearer waters.
We know we will one day get back and play some footy. This won’t be long-term.
Ironically, for the future of the game to bounce back in its best possible shape, it ultimately hinges on the characteristics of loyalty, thoughtfulness, caring and perseverance.
The way society should be.
In our leadership, I trust.
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