Todd Greenberg warns NRL employees to prepare for leaner future

The cost-restructuring at NRL headquarters has begun in earnest, with staff warned of the need to ‘reshape the business’.

CEO Todd Greenberg has warned of job losses at Rugby League Central.

The cost-restructuring at NRL headquarters has begun, with chief executive Todd Greenberg warning employees of the need to “reshape the business”.

It’s been almost a month since Rugby League Central sent home 95 per cent of its staff following the suspension of the NRL season due to the coronavirus pandemic. But as the league forges ahead with its intention to resume the competition on May 28, staff were told that the NRL’s operations team would remain scaled back.

In an email sent to staff late last week, Greenberg moved to address internal plans in the short and long-term future. “As an update, I can confirm that the commission last week endorsed May 28 as a target date for the restart of the competition,” the email read. “That means a lot of preparatory work is being done now by a small team at RLC in terms of logistics, club and player health protocols, competition structure and broadcast arrangements.”

The development comes after heavy criticism of the NRL financial management. The Nine Network has been particularly vocal in its criticism of what they described as a “bloated head office” for “squandering” its lucrative broadcast deal.

Nine and Fox Sports are currently in delicate negotiations with the league over the restructure of this year’s competition and resulting broadcast revenue.

Players last month agreed to a 72 per cent pay cut and clubs were guaranteed just $2.5m each should the rest of the season be wiped out. The league has also reportedly been forced to apply for a $250m loan from overseas financial institutions because of COVID-19.

Both ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys and Greenberg have already conceded that the league will need a long-term cost restructure.

And it appears it has already started at Moore Park, with Greenberg admitting its competition restart is almost certain to be done behind closed doors. “What this means is that our operations will remain leaner and as I have said previously, we’ll need to reshape the business for both the short and long-term future,” the email continued.

“The reality is that it won’t be business as usual on May 1, and we will need to implement the government’s JobKeeper subsidy program across multiple departments.”

The NRL will look to finalise discussions with broadcasters early this week before the commission meeting on Tuesday.

The innovations committee is also believed to be scheduled for Wednesday, the same day the state government is expecting to hear the NRL pitch to resume.

Meanwhile, all 16 NRL coaches have agreed to resume the 2020 season where it stopped, with even those still winless voting to have any competition points earned already this year remain in place.

In a strong show of unity from the newly formed Rugby League Coaches Association, there was unanimous support for resuming the NRL competition with nobody stripped of points.

The move follows weeks of debate that was revived again on Sunday, with Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga suggesting that when the game eventually restarts he would be in favour of everyone returning with a clean slate.

While V’landys has already insisted the points will stand, debates have continued across clubland about stripping points, stripping points differentials, or even having those points already earned being given less value if the season is shortened.

One example involves halving points compiled over the first two weeks, so that teams on four points would have two, and those on two points would go to one.

Teams on zero would obviously not change, thus reducing the impact of points earned before the COVID-19 pandemic forced a shutdown.

However RLCA boss Kelly Egan said that during a recent video hook-up between his members, there was “universal” agreement to resume the season with the competition points already earned staying. This included those who have yet to win a game, including Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson, St George Illawarra’s Paul McGregor and Stephen Kearney of the Warriors.

“We had a good conversation about points, for and against, everything,” Egan said.

“And it was agreed that whatever points you’ve got, that’s it. Just restart from there because that’s the fairest way. As a group, our biggest consideration was that the Warriors were going to be part of the competition and needed to be managed in that respect.

“But as for the competition table, it was agreed the simpler things are kept the better.’’

Despite having been in operation since only February, the RLCA shapes as a valuable resource for the Project Apollo committee given the vast rugby league knowledge and experience among members such as Wayne Bennett, Craig Bellamy, Trent Robinson, Ricky Stuart and Des Hasler.

Asked if the coaches had a preferred model for how the 2020 season was shaped, Egan continued: “We want to be respectful of the broadcasters given they are the people paying for the product.

“So we’re considerate of what they might want to do, and how the season might look.’’

NICK WALSHAW, AAP