NRL 2022: ARLC chairman Peter V’landys says he won’t quit, reveals big NRL rule change
Rugby league has changed drastically in recent years, and there will be another major rule change in 2022. PLUS Peter V’landys denies the NRL has a drugs problem and opens up on NRL’s controversial crackdown.
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Peter V’landys has no plans to quit as ARLC chairman as the NRL prepares to cash in on the richest era in rugby league’s 114-year history.
V’landys has hit the ground running in 2022, returning from the Christmas break with renewed energy following two of the toughest years of his glittering sports administration career.
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In a wide-ranging interview with News Corp, V’landys:
- declared he had no intentions to step down as the game’s chief ahead of another rollercoaster season.
- hit back at claims the NRL has an illicit drugs problem following a spate of off-season scandals.
- revealed the NRL will introduce a new interpretation to stop coaches exploiting the six-again rule.
- stood by the controversial high-contact crackdown which saw him come under stinging criticism.
- defended players as they face another year of living under Covid protocols and vowed the NRL will not be stopped.
RIVERS OF RICHES
The NRL will next year cash in on lucrative new broadcast deals with Foxtel and Channel 9 which will help the code record its largest ever revenue return - potentially more than $600 million.
The huge increase in revenue for 2023 will boost rugby league after V’landys, NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo and their team helped keep the game alive throughout the severely disrupted 2020-21 seasons.
The NRL’s survival and future growth has inspired V’landys to continue forging ahead despite, at times, savage criticism of his leadership and personal attacks over the past two years.
“I’ve had a break so it’s probably the wrong time to ask me if I’ve had enough,” V’landys said.
“I feel refreshed. Ask me again in six months.
“I’m feeling good and I like the challenges. Covid has been a challenge.
“When you contribute to the game succeeding it gives you satisfaction.”
The NRL registered record revenue of $552 million in 2019 before Covid brought it crashing back to $417 million in 2020.
The game managed to post a $50 million profit last year (circa $500 million revenue) and sealed a $575 million broadcast deal with Channel 9 and extension of its Foxtel contract until 2027.
That will propel the NRL to its highest ever revenue return in 2023, paving the way for the game to grow following two years of cost-cutting.
“The game is in the best spot it’s ever been financially, depending on what happens this year,” V’landys said.
“From next year we will have the most revenue we’ve ever had in the NRL’s history.
“Everything is in the right place. We’ve got another team (the Dolphins) coming in from 2023.
“We are in a good spot. We’ve got more broadcast revenue and other revenue streams than we’ve ever had.”
WHITE LINE FEVER
The NRL has been forced to pivot on a near daily basis over the past two years to ensure the premiership could be played among the many hurdles created by Covid.
It cost the code $30 million to relocate the entire competition to Queensland late last season and State of Origin games in Sydney and Melbourne had to be shifted with little notice.
So it was tough to stomach for many at NRL headquarters when the Dally M Awards and lead-up to the historic first Queensland grand final was hijacked by multiple drugs and behavioural scandals involving players.
V’landys said the code would continue to work hard on player behaviour but hit back at claims the game had a drug problem.
“We’ve always got a focus on player welfare and the image of the sport, but you have to understand we’re part of society, the only difference is we’re high profile,” he said.
“Overall we have a pretty successful situation if you consider how rampant drugs are in the community.
“We are part of the community and have the same problem, but I don’t think our problem is as bad as it is in the community. Because we’re high profile it’s brought to everyone’s attention more than it is in the community.
“We are going to really focus on player welfare and training in regards to community issues, respecting women, not taking drugs and those sorts of things.”
BIG RULE CHANGE
Rugby league has undergone a dramatic on-field transformation in recent years.
V’landys’ administration has implemented a number of rule changes designed to improve player safety and speed up the game.
“We want to consolidate the rules now – they now need bedding down,” V’landys said.
“It’s certainly opened the game up to be more entertaining and brought the brilliant players back into vogue.
“Without the rule changes, I don’t think players like Sam Walker and Reece Walsh would have been as dominant as they were.
“In saying that, that’s enough for the time being.”
The implementation of the “six-again” rule for infringements coincided with scoreline blowouts last year and coaches exploiting loopholes.
V’landys said the NRL was set for a major change in 2022 to combat gamesmanship where defenders intentionally gave away six-again restarts early in sets.
“The only rule change we’re going to make is that when you’re inside your own 40m line and a defensive team is offside, it won’t be six-again, it will be a penalty,” he said.
“Teams were giving away six-agains to keep the pressure on the other team. We want to eradicate that.
“If you give away a penalty and they get themselves out of their own territory, it takes away from that. That’s the only thing we’re looking at.
“In any sport or industry you’ve got to look at ways of improving. You can’t sit still. But we’ve done enough for the time being.”
CRACKDOWN CONTROVERSY
One of the biggest on-field controversies of 2021 was the Magic Round high-contact crackdown - and V’landys said it is here to stay.
A spate of sin-binnings, send-offs and suspensions followed the NRL’s decision to crack down on high tackles with little notice to players.
V’landys and his fellow commissioners were slammed for the mid-season change, but he stands by the decision.
“It worked in the sense that by the end of the season people got the message. The players that were hitting high changed their style and started hitting a bit lower,” V’landys said.
“You learn from these things but we had to do it at some point in time. We had to make the game safe. Some of these things take courage.
“That all had to do with player welfare. We want players to live long lives.
“The amount of players that contacted me to thank me was what kept me going. I had many players tell me to tough it out so I did.
“My life would be a lot easier not doing those sorts of things. Why do I need the stress? But if you’re in my position and you don’t do those things, then you shouldn’t be there. You’ve got to do what’s right.
“If you want to sit in a VIP room and drink wine then you’re there for the wrong reason. I’m not there for that. I’m there to make a difference. Otherwise I should pack my bags and go.
“I knew the head high crackdown would be hard but someone had to do it.
“In years to come we will look back at this period and say ‘that’s when they got rid of the head high tackle’.”
KEEPING THE GAME ALIVE
The NRL is facing another potentially turbulent season as Covid continues to change the way we live.
Players that test positive will be banned from training and playing, potentially within hours of a game, and there are plenty of unknowns about what 2022 holds.
But V’landys is confident the NRL will continue to forge on and avoid being forced to abandon games.
“Covid has always been a challenge and will continue to be, but our rapid antigen test regime will work,” he said.
“I’m very confident in our systems as long as the players do the tests properly.”
After spending the best part of two years in a “bubble”, the NRL’s decision to impose minor restrictions on players again in 2022 was met with resistance by some.
But V’landys refused to be critical of them, insisting the players had done a remarkable job to keep the game alive.
“The players have been fantastic,” he said.
“There have been a couple saying they don’t want to be in bubbles, but they’re not in a bubble like it was last time.
“It’s just about using common sense that you don’t go to places where catching Covid is a high risk, like a nightclub. You’re letting your team down if you catch it because you’ll be out.
“I’ve inherited Covid from day one, but the NRL has been in front of it. We try to stay ahead of everything.
“I am feeling positive about this year.”
Originally published as NRL 2022: ARLC chairman Peter V’landys says he won’t quit, reveals big NRL rule change
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