New NRL boss Andrew Abdo tackles restart and broadcasters as priorities
Andrew Abdo has outlined his immediate priorities in an email to club chiefs.
Acting NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo has written to clubs bosses to inform them that his immediate focus is on restarting the premiership and future-proofing the game by resolving talks with the broadcasters.
In his first act as NRL boss since the resignation of Todd Greenberg on Monday, Abdo sent an email titled “short-term priorities” to club chief executives. Abdo said he and ARL Commission Peter V’landys were in talks with the Nine Network and Foxtel aimed at finalising the season structure and future-proofing the game.
“A critical path requires the season structure and revenues to be agreed with our media partners,” Abdo wrote on Wednesday morning.
“Peter and I are locked into this and will be able to update you once we have reached some resolution with Nine and Fox.”
Abdo has postponed discussions around the salary cap, football cap and club grant until talks with the broadcasters are resolved. All three are a priority for the clubs and the players.
It is understood that, as part of the talks with the broadcasters, discussions have been held over a two or three-year extension to the existing broadcasting deal.
The game is locked into its current deal until the end of the 2022 season. However, the immediate concern is over broadcasting revenue for the remainder of this season given the impact of COVID-19 on the suspended competition.
Clubs bosses will hold talks with the NRL on Wednesday afternoon and are hopeful they will get some clarity around the season schedule and financing.
Abdo’s email suggests they may be forced to wait. However, he has reiterated that the NRL and clubs are in the battle together.
“There are opportunities for us to come out of this leaner and fitter, but we have a long road to travel together,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, the NSW Rugby League board announced plans to restart grassroots rugby league from July to coincide with a common return date for some other winter sports across the state and the start of term three in the school year.
NSWRL chief executive David Trodden said the decision to work towards a shortened community season and a restart of other shortened senior competitions from July 18 would be further reviewed and confirmed on June 1 subject to the government advice.
“Accordingly, the earliest possible return date is 30 June 2020, unless the NSW government decides to lift the public health order earlier,” Trodden said.
“Most winter sports favour working towards a return date of 18 July 2020, at the end of the next school holiday period, with a return to training on 1 July 2020, subject to the status of the public health in the interim.
“The board and management of NSWRL have been continuing to closely monitor developments with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to strictly follow the government advice so that we will only return to playing footy when it is deemed safe to do so.
“The NSWRL and everyone in our rugby league community need to be responsive to the continual changes to the government advice around risks to public health for the broader community, and if it becomes apparent that a July start date is not feasible, we will adjust and reassess.”
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