Nobody's at the controls of the NRL

[Raidersrawesome]

Nobody's at the controls of the NRL

THE place is NRL headquarters, where the Position Vacant sign went down some time ago - in theory if not in practice.

Nobody is running the game right now. Rugby league has never had so much overseen by so little.

There is a void at the top.

Oh, the smartypants types will tell us Dave Smith is running the game as the newly appointed CEO and the Independent Commission is doing a terrific job - "They got a billion-dollar television deal."

But anybody who knows anything will tell you that a 10th grade economics student could have negotiated that deal, with three networks competing, and that the true powerbrokers in the game are the coaches.

Coaches are too clever for the game's administrators. They con them, woo them, stroke them, berate them, blow in their ears ... whatever is necessary to get their way.

The weak-willed NRL administration then turns its efforts into explaining to them, apologising for them, accommodating them, you name it. For the first time this season the NRL declared a standalone representative weekend, in part to counter complaints that Test and City-Country players were being asked to back up days after playing.

Then comes Josh Reynolds.

The City-Country game is already in a struggle for legitimacy. Many believe it is redundant, rightly declaring it is no longer the trial for NSW jumpers it used to be.

And that's true - there's no way Curtis Sironen or James Tedesco, to name two, will catapult their performance into a NSW jersey this year - but it is exactly the right game for Reynolds.

NSW coach Laurie Daley wants to see how he goes away from the comfort zone of teammates. How will he handle the slight step up to City-Country before risking the dramatic step up to Origin? You think James Maloney won't be making his case for Country?

But after Reynolds got his gear, passed his medical and impressed those with his enthusiasm for the game, City officials received a call from Canterbury's medical staff to say they'd ruled him out.

The NRL will argue there are no processes in place to penalise Canterbury - but the great leaders find a way to make it right.

Now more than ever, Smith needs to be the boss.

As well as Reynolds, six other players declared themselves unavailable for City. It's an uncommonly high rate, given exactly nobody declared themselves unavailable for the Kangaroos.

It was supposed to be a showpiece round but the NRL coaches have reduced it to a rest weekend for all but those playing in the most important game. You can't blame the coaches for taking every advantage. Blame the NRL for weak standards.

And while it is not solely Smith's fault, he is the boss.

All last week media organisations were seeking interviews with George Burgess ahead of the top-of-the-table clash with Melbourne. Burgess has been the story at Souths this season.

But the Rabbitohs didn't want him distracted.

Finally, to meet their obligation, Souths sent text messages to some media saying Burgess was available. The text was sent at 11.27pm after the game and informed them the interview opportunity would be at 8.45am Sunday morning.

Just one thought: how many tickets did they hope to sell then?

The NRL did nothing, out-manoeuvred by the Rabbitohs cleverly exploiting a loophole and meeting their required responsibilities. If the NRL had a true leader he would have seen it for that, and taken appropriate steps.

Same with Sonny Bill Williams, who did one interview the same week he could have sold the game to thousands of real people who don't normally take an interest.

Whether they like it or not, sport is entertainment nowadays. That, or give back the $1 billion the media recently handed over.

All this could be avoided if the NRL introduced greater minimum standards (so all clubs are, in their opinion, equally inconvenienced), and if the NRL had the guts to carry it through.

But no.

The NRL claimed it is powerless to sanction Jamie Soward for allegedly sledging Robbie Farah about his recently deceased mother on Sunday because no on-field complaint was made. Yet it sanctioned Paul Gallen for racially vilifying Micky Paea some years back when no on-field complaint was made.

Double standards.

No leadership.

Millions of dollars are spent each year attracting women to the game, an entire round is dedicated to Women In League and players wear pink to honour it, and now they can all walk away because the NRL allows players to get away with the poorest insult of all.

Darius Boyd's appalling interview last week was dismissed in Newcastle as no fault of Boyd; he was just put in a position he was not comfortable in. Another cop-out the NRL has let pass.

When Boyd joined his first club, Brisbane, he didn't go straight into first grade. Why? Because he wasn't ready for it, and so had to be educated until he was ready. Then why couldn't they educate him on media responsibilities, too?

Has anybody in the NRL bothered to ask, or did they take the coach's word?

Again.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 6621958098