Paul Kent: CBA stoush shows rugby league’s ability to self-harm is second to none

South Sydney are flexing their financial muscle and forgetting everything that endeared them around the league, writes PAUL KENT.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 11: Rabbitohs fans celebrate victory after the NRL Elimination Final match between the Sydney Roosters and the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Allianz Stadium on September 11, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Sometime after the first Super League War ended Dawn Fraser, our greatest living Australian, nodded towards George Piggins, who might just be the second, and declared that if Piggins led Balmain instead of the Rabbitohs then Balmain would still be alive in the NRL.

As it turned out it was Souths that survived, and somewhat longer than Piggins after Souths fans turned on him less than three years later.

But such is the game it is hard to offer much more than a gentle rolling of the eyes after it emerged this past week that, of all NRL clubs, one of the teams privately aligning themselves alongside those threatening to leave and form a different league, which they would have run by different administrators, is South Sydney.

The Rabbitohs were the emotional losers from the Super League War although ultimately they weren’t the biggest losers.

North Sydney, Balmain, Western Suburbs, St George and Illawarra all sit above them on that list.

Souths are one of the teams privately aligning themselves alongside those threatening to leave and form a different league. Picture: Getty Images

The Rabbitohs got kicked out for two seasons but the Bears are gone and the Magpie lives on the shoulder of the bastardised Balmain colours, and that’s about it for each.

The Dragons now share their rich history with a team that runs the board, and so the club, but still manages not much more than the Steelers socks when they run out each weekend.

And now it emerged the Rabbitohs, along with Penrith and several other clubs keeping in the shadows, are throwing up talk of driving a rival league against the NRL.

The ability of the game to self-harm is second to none.

Talk of a new Super League is little more than an ambit threat but, for anybody that lived through the first war, one that remains so sensitive many are wondering why they needed to go there in the first place.

Especially as it has remained most sensitive to South Sydney fans, something their club has shown little respect for in this latest episode.

For years Souths benefited from the goodwill of rival fans, respectful of the dogged fight Piggins led.

Even now, with the War leading indirectly to their current status as one of the game’s richest clubs, owned by two billionaires, who even occasionally get along to games, Souths have always carried a healthy respect from rival fans.

Under this new ownership the Rabbitohs are flexing their financial muscle and forgetting everything that endeared them around the league.

Souths boss Blake Solly insists most NRL clubs are behind them.

As for a rival Super League actually happening, all it does is reveal the naivety of those suggesting it. It appears inflammatory for the sake of being inflammatory, as it certainly won’t happen.

About 80 per cent of NRL revenue is taken from the broadcast deal.

The NRL is currently in partnership with the country’s two biggest media companies, News Corp and Channel 9, who would have little appetite to support a breakaway competition.

Not just that, though, while rival television networks like Channel 10 would certainly listen to the idea of having rugby league on its network there would be little appetite to take on News and Nine and the millions it would cost in legal fees.

It also raises the question, though, that if the same people suggesting they could make a go of a rival Super League are the same ones asking for more money from the NRL then the NRL should double down their efforts to deny them.

It shows little thought and makes little financial sense.

Clubs are notorious for wasting money.

The Rabbitohs and Panthers are among clubs throwing up talk of driving a rival league against the NRL. Picture: Getty Images.

They are engaged in their own arms race, one of the reasons a salary cap was necessary in the first place.

Give a club an extra million dollars and it won’t be spent on the resources to turn $1 million into $2 million.

It will be spent on extra physios and more coaches and other short term efforts to win a premiership.

The problem occurs when more than one club has the same idea.

This short-term mentality of clubs was never better revealed than the recent Covid crisis when most of the clubs were months away from becoming insolvent.

At the time, the NRL was passing on most of its profits, giving clubs the money they wanted, much of which was passed on to the players.

Not a cent was saved for a rainy day. They acted like they believed the NRL would be their parachute if the time ever came.

And when the time came they proved as much, unable to survive themselves.

And now they threaten to run off and find a new competition to be run by people they appoint, with who knows how much money coming from where?

You couldn’t make it up.

Originally published as Paul Kent: CBA stoush shows rugby league’s ability to self-harm is second to none