‘No interest’ in NRL CEO job from Peter V’landys

ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys is adamant he does not want Todd Greenberg’s job.

ARLC chair Peter V'landys, left, with NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg last year. Picture: AAP

ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys is adamant he does not want Todd Greenberg’s job, however the NRL chief executive should not breathe easily.

Greenberg is under pressure on several fronts, including the clubs’ discontent about their cut of the revenue, which has declined as the game’s turnover has soared above $500m, as well as the backlash over the new TV campaign.

In an exclusive interview with The Australian, V’landys said he had no interest in becoming the game’s executive chairman or the NRL’s next chief executive.

“Not one iota,” V’landys said. “With all due respect to Todd, when you are chairman of the board, taking that job that would be a demotion for me. I have no ambition to be the CEO. I have no ambition to be an executive chairman. I am in this position repaying a debt, that is to the opportunities that rugby league gave me as a kid. I want the ARL and the NRL to be known as a can-do organisation.”

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Greenberg has publicly stated he expected to have his contract resolved before the opening game of the season.

V’landys commented for the first time on Greenberg’s protracted contract negotiations, confirming the board was still considering his future.

“As Todd has said publicly, he has a contract until the end of the year,” V’landys said.

“People are jumping to conclusions left, right and centre. That’s probably a good thing, it keeps Todd motivated and on his toes. Naturally, what we discuss with Todd is commercial in confidence and it is not purely my decision. It’s the commission’s decision and those things will happen in the next short period.”

V’landys also said he couldn’t discuss Greenberg’s two-year contract extension option.

“I can’t discuss that, as I said I would require Todd’s permission, I can’t discuss contract conditions.”

V’landys also gave a glimpse into his positive meeting with News Corp co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch last month but maintained “what happens in LA, stays in LA”.

V’landys and NRL commercial manager Andrew Abdo travelled to the US to do their “due diligence”, visiting San Francisco, where they met executives from tech giants Amazon Prime, Facebook and Google as well as the News Corp chief in Los Angeles.

V’landys has a vision for the next broadcast deal, but won’t disclose the details, but said the meeting with Murdoch confirmed his strategy.

“I do have a plan and I have to say Lachlan was fantastic, not only did he look at it as a business proposition but also looked at it for the love of the game as I do,” V’landys said.

“He spoke like a fan. Naturally, what he said was invaluable to us. It confirmed my thought patterns, it confirmed what I was thinking, it consolidated my strategy and the work that has already been done. I think we are in a really good position to move it forward.”

He added: “I won’t pat myself on the back until it is done.”

V’landys also confirmed the commission had a question mark over the national anthem being played at State of Origin, while it will be played at Anzac and international matches.

“That’s not my decision, that’s the decision of the commission and we are reviewing it all,” he said. “However, for international games and the grand final, I think everyone respects it will be played — even the players respect it. The All-Star decision was a no-brainer; it’s their game, we are not going to push something into their game. They feel passionately and we have to take their feelings into account.

“Origin is one we really have to discuss with our partners, the NSWRL and the QRL. The decision has to be made by all parties, not just the commission.”

Three months into the job V’landys said his priorities were to increase the game’s vibrancy and financial health. He wants to increase the $1.8bn windfall of the last TV rights deal.

“There’s nothing more important for the commission than making sure that we have maximum revenue from our broadcast — because it is 60-70 per cent of revenue,” he said. “Without it the game could contract and would have dire consequences.”

V’landys said the financial committee consisting of the game’s rich powerbrokers — including Roosters billionaire supremo Nick Politis — had been tasked with acquiring assets for the NRL and was doing a good job.

The NRL are using the expertise of businessmen such as Nick Politis to grow the assets of the game Picture: Brett Costello

The NRL is without a single asset, a fact which leaves the football code vulnerable, especially in the face of a global health crisis like coronavirus, V’Landys said.

V’Landys said the committee, which includes commissioner and corporate raider Dr Gary Weiss, who has also worked tirelessly acquiring assets for charities, financial leader and Broncos chairman Karl Morris, Storm part-owner and accomplished businessman Bart Campbell and Politis, had the men to help lift the game up another financial level.

“The biggest problem we have is that we don’t have any assets, we now have this coronavirus, and we don’t have a future fund,” he said. “What happens if everything shuts down and fans can’t go to the ground? How are we going to pay for all these things?

“We need a solid broadcast deal as well as revenue-producing assets. The game always tries to tear down the tall poppy. Why wouldn’t you use a person like Nick Politis, one of the most successful businessmen in Australia? Why wouldn’t you use Bart Campbell, who has one of the best commercial brains? Why wouldn’t you use a financial leader like Broncos chair Karl Morris? Why wouldn’t you use Dr Gary Weiss, who has a brilliant business mind and acquired assets for charities? Why wouldn’t we use them?

“They are there to find these assets and find the future of the game.”

One area V’landys has quickly addressed in his time as chairman is ensuring that indigenous players, like star Souths signing Latrell Mitchell, are feeling heard within the game. Commissioner Megan Davis, who he describes as “an intellectual and great asset to the commission”, had been crucial to the handling of issues facing indigenous players and helped engineer a key meeting with V’landys.

“Megan asked if I could go and meet with the indigenous players and I saw them a day after they requested,” he said. “I was very impressed with these players, they spoke from the heart, they were genuine, if you listen to their stories, they are inspirational.”

Latrell Mitchell with the indigenous flag in the NRL advertisement for season 2020

While the latest NRL advertisement has been criticised, V’Landys said the advertisement needed to be “free of all the political stuff” but also needed to be inclusive.

“When I first saw it, it gave me goosebumps, however, when it came out, I could understand other people’s views as well,” he said. “I didn’t go into the political part of it — but in saying that I understand the reaction to it.

“Our game is inclusive, it should be free of all the political stuff. One thing that someone said to me, you watch rugby league as entertainment. You watch it to tune out and relax — the last thing you want is political statements. You have to be able accept everyone’s views but for us, we just have to balance correctly.”