‘I love it’: Todd Greenberg’s hypocrisy exposed in ad edit
A defiant Todd Greenberg reaffirmed the NRL’s position that it was never their intention to use the “greatest anthem of all time” as a political platform - but there’s one big problem with that statement.
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NRL boss Todd Greenberg has defended the code’s polarising advertising campaign, declaring: “I love it.”
A defiant Greenberg has also reaffirmed the NRL’s position that it was never its intention to use the “greatest anthem of all time” as a political platform.
The Simply The Best campaign — released 30 years after the original Tina Turner hit — has split the rugby league world and had the NRL scrambling to re-edit the original after its Monday launch.
In a Telegraph poll of more than 6184 readers, 62 per cent believe the NRL got the ad wrong.
But despite intense criticism of the final product and his glowing seal of approval within the code prior to its release, Greenberg said he was standing by it.
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“Like almost anything in rugby league there are lots of different opinions and everyone is prepared to share them and that’s a good thing, a good thing,’’ Greenberg said.
“My personal opinion is, I love it. I love the campaign, I love the imagery and I’m so pleased that what I think is the greatest sporting anthem that we’ve seen in rugby league has returned in 2020.
“I’m also conscious and cognisant of the fact that people will have different views and I’m really comfortable with that.
“I’m okay that some people don’t like it and some people do.’’
Greenberg maintained the objective of the ad was to highlight the game’s inclusiveness.
“It was never our intention to be political and it remains our intention not to be political,’’ Greenberg said.
“Our intention of the commercial is to be inclusive.
“It’s the intention to showcase the journey that rugby league has been on in the last 30 years and how inclusive the game has been, starting back in 1990 when an African-American grandmother sang the anthem of the game to right through to some of the more recent moments that we’ve demonstrated the game as being inclusive for everyone inside rugby league.
“Being inclusive is a big part of our sport and that was the intention of the campaign, not to be political.’’
Asked if he took criticism of the ad personally, Greenberg said: “I never take these sorts of things personally.
“I understand that people have strong views and what we’re trying to do is open the game up to more people.
“We want more people watching it, more men and women, more boys and girls and to do that, we’re trying to open up the rugby league fan base.
“I understand that sometimes you’ll get criticism, particularly from people who have been long-time rugby league fans.
“Sometimes change is hard for people, but we maintain that it’s a great campaign, it’s a campaign for everybody.’’
Asked then, why the NRL felt it necessary to re-edit the ad, Greenberg said: “There was one edit that we have made that references about Super League and based on that feedback, I agreed that there’s a different way to articulate what that moment in time looks like, so we’ve made a small edit to that.
“That shows that we’re being reasonable and we’re listening as well.’’
Greenberg has an ally in those who played a pivotal role in the original Simply the Best advertisement 30 years ago.
Retired Balmain player Steve Roach who starred in the 1990 version alongside Turner said the “original is always better” but enjoyed the remake.
“It covered the ground what it needed to be covered,” Roach said. “I would’ve liked to have seen a few more big hits.
“It looks like they’ve sat down and thought about it. If you have a look at it, it’s nothing like the ad we did originally. That was all about the players. It was a great campaign, they were 30 years ahead of their time. They were geniuses who put it together.
“Any rugby league supporter who hears Simply the Best immediately think it’s related to rugby league.”
Foxtel’s executive director of television Brian Walsh helped market the original advertisement. He played a part in the current advertisement too, helping Turner’s manager Roger Davies broker the deal with the NRL.
Walsh praised the NRL for bringing back “the greatest sport anthem of all time”.
“The fact the league considered to bring it back 30 years after it was first celebrated, speaks volumes how strong the track is,” Walsh said.
“People will see in the ad what they want to see. They have telegraphed the history really well.
“It celebrated diversity which the NRL is proud to do. Tina Turner is 80. There is no way she was physically able to travel down here. I don’t know what people were expecting.
“People should take the ad for how it is intended. An opportunity to celebrate 30 years in the game and see how far it has come in promoting women’s rugby league, promoting diversity and the support of same sex marriage.”
The reworked advertisement will be shown tonight at the NRL’s season launch in Alexandria. NSW lock Dale Finucane will perform while Ian Roberts and Mark Hughes will be among the guest speakers. There will also be a photo exhibit of the most iconic images from the past 30 years.