Todd Greenberg understands need to give stakeholders a voice, writes Paul Kent

WHEN it was announced to workers at League Central Todd Greenberg would be CEO, there was even more applause than when Dave Smith cleared his office.

Todd Greenberg on right, new NRL CEO, pictured at Moore Park to announce his promotion.

SHORTLY before Todd Greenberg’s formal announcement in the Births & Marriages column on Friday, the Commissioner, John Grant, called together the workers on the floor to tell them Greenberg got the job.

There was even more applause than when Dave Smith cleared his office.

Greenberg is the second-most popular employee at NRL headquarters, a distant runner-up to the NRL’s longest serving employee, Jimmy Stavrianos, which shouldn’t be viewed as any shortcoming on Greenberg’s part.

Nobody can match it with Jimmy when it comes to popularity. He began work at the NRL in 1992 when John Quayle gave him the job and nobody has put in more hours at the joint since and nobody has been more liked.

Jimmy sees life how we all should but often fail, simply and without agenda. It makes his opinion more valid than most.

Somebody asked what he thought of Greenberg’s appointment.

“It’s a great decision having Todd,” Jimmy said. “I do like him. He’s very, very good. Very good.”

What made him so good, Jimmy? “He’s a good operator,” Jimmy said, and it was hard to argue with that.

And that is the hope.

John Grant with new NRL CEO Todd Greenberg.

There was a great feeling of reconciliation inside League Central on Friday.

A feeling the game might start taking back much of the ground surrendered to rival sports and much of the faith we have lost on the way through.

All we ever want is to feel good about loving rugby league. Being proud of it.

It hasn’t been entirely possible in recent years.

Greenberg understands all the different interests and the need to give each a voice and have them pulling together.

It sounds so easy.

He called former league bosses Quayle, David Gallop, Neil Whittaker and Smith to tell them he had the job and to pick up whatever advice he could.

As usual, Quayle delivered the perfect advice.

“Most of your challenges have been seen before so don’t be afraid to reach out,” he said.

Essentially, it was the core failure of the previous administration.

It was the mistake Smith made when he took office and it was what eventually cost him the faith of those around him. He didn’t know what he did not know.

So, dumb decisions were made and everyone watched on disappointed and confused and nobody could be told and so the administration became even more isolated from their game and their core fans.

Former NRL CEO Dave Smith, with Todd Greenberg and John Grant. pic Mark Evans

It was a cycle that snowballed. Grant has seen it, even felt it.

He has sat in the big office since Smith resigned in November as the unofficial interim chief executive and suffered the occasional flesh wound as the game struggled through big decisions off the field but continued making small mistakes in day-to-day running of the game.

More than one wound has come from this direction.

Grant’s first-hand experience gave him the authority to call the NRL boss’s job the “toughest corporate job in Australia” and reveal why.

“The Sydney media,” he said. He managed to be truthful and still complimentary. Such is the interest in the game, reflected through the fans, every action is held up for inspection and rarely is there universal agreement.

An ignorance of this played a huge part in Smith’s downfall and Greenberg’s appointment.

“The ability to remain calm under pressure in this position has got to be fundamental,” Grant said.

“Todd is one of the best in this game, if not the best in Australia.”

The previous administration was far too reactionary to all the different noises in the game, which could never agree, and in the end Smith and his overpaid execs became too gun-shy to ever make a decision without first undergoing three reviews and speaking to four consultants so they could make their decision.

Greenberg will bring clearer football knowledge.

From Jimmy in the office, the voice of everyman, to Quayle on the farm.

NIKKI KNOWS SUPERSTITIONS CAN BE HABIT FORMING

SUPERSTITIONS have got a little airplay this week but Nikki Laird might have everyone covered.

Laird is an Australian beach volleyballer heading to Manly next weekend as part of the 10-day Volleyfest.

Wherever she travels she likes to have at least eight wristwatches.

If she chips a fingernail she has to re-do all her nails completely or else she feels “unbalanced”.

And if she sees somebody in a mask, well, when she was competing in The Netherlands last year a tournament mascot would come on the sand and high-five everyone during breaks and Laird got so freaked she had to sneak down to the dressing room to get a look at the face underneath the mask just so she could feel comfortable next time he emerged.

For that she blames her brothers, James and Scott.

“They used to chase me around the house in a Scream mask,” she says.

Even though elite athletes often have extreme mental toughness, bowing to superstition is not as crazy as it sounds.

Nikki Laird travels with at least eight watches.

“Elite athletes talk a lot about routine and consistency off the court leading to consistency on the court,” Laird says.

“Most elite athletes will have some form of superstition. It probably boils down to consistency.

“I have a lot of routines, almost habits, that centre me.”

One of those is her fingernails.

“I’m not sure if it’s the chicken or the egg, if my nails start to chip when everything in my life goes off track or if it’s the other way around,” she says.

“I’m always a lot more settled if I make sure my nails are done right.”

For the same reason she always likes an emergency watch just in case she can’t find the one she is wearing. And an emergency for that ... and for that.

“If it’s not there it distracts me, I can feel it,” she says

The Volleyfest began on Friday at Manly beach and culminates next weekend with the Asian Championships, when Laird and her partner begin their campaign for Olympic selection.

JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION —Alan Jones, Formula One legend, Hall of Famer

You’re an inaugural inductee into the Australian Motor Racing Hall of Fame. It must be nice.

I’m excited and honoured. Whenever you’re voted in by your peers it always seems to make a bit more of a difference and I consider it to be a great honour.

You basically began the Williams era, that’s something to be proud of.

When you go over there and you go to the museum and you see all the range of cars that they have built over the years and your car is there, it makes you feel pretty good.

When was the last time you were in a Formula One car?

It was the Goodwood Festival of Speed a few years ago. It was frightening because I don’t remember them being that quick to drive.

Former F1 world champion Alan Jones.

Are they easy to drive or are you wrestling them the whole time?

It’s the same old story. When they’re doing what they’re supposed to do they’re lovely. When they’re pigs they’re frightening animals to drive.

Would you like to drive one of these cars?

I wouldn’t fit in one these days, there’s no doubt about that. In this day and age you have got to be a jockey to get in one which I think is just ridiculous. There’s no reason the cockpit couldn’t be made wider and longer.

A GOOD WEEK FOR

IT was Albury Gold Cup day on Friday and before the big race they ran the Adrian Ledger Memorial, a stayers race over 2400m. Ledger was a jockey killed in a race fall in 2005. Three years ago Justiceforall ran third in the race so his trainers set him again for last year’s race. Last year he ran second. Yesterday Justiceforall went around again and when he hit the line the judges called for a photo. After a brief wait Justiceforall did one better.

A ROUGH WEEK FOR

THE Parramatta board promised last weekend a thorough investigation into damaging allegations of salary-cap rorting — only to have more damaging revelations come out. An NRL official said all the Eels had to do was go back over their own boardroom minutes to see what was done. The Eels sound a little like the building jumper as he passes by the 12th storey window on the way down. “How’s it going?” he is asked by a man in the window. “All good so far,” says the jumper.

DON’T MISS THIS

WHEN only roses (and perhaps a few six-figure horses) will do, say it with roses (and horses) ... John Singleton repaired his relationship with Gai Waterhouse in the second-best way this week when he sent the trainer 480 red roses — 12 for every year of their friendship — ahead of Saturday’s Golden Slipper (Channel 7, 4.30pm). Singo had apologised the best way when he bought Gai Kiss And Make Up, who carries his colours at Rosehill.

CHILL PILLS

MICHAEL Cheika’s observation England has their “swagger” back is much needed for Australian rugby. Particularly with the tour just around the corner.

ANGRY PILLS

I am still mystified by the lack of voice from NRL players, their union and even the NRL over the court findings against drug supplier Stephen Dank this week.

Originally published as Todd Greenberg understands need to give stakeholders a voice, writes Paul Kent