In the spectrum of power games currently being played in rugby league, Peter V’landys and the NRL appear to now have the upper hand following a reported injection of $250m, secured through a loan from a consortium of British banks. The threats from broadcasters, who seemingly had the game over a barrel last week, now square off with an aggressive NRL who are holding the aces.
Nine can no longer threaten the viability of the league. Participants will be brought into the tent through the ability to offer financial security. The tables have turned and they have turned in favour of the NRL.
V’landys has been bullish about a 28 May return in spite of significant broadcaster backlash, government trepidation and internal disagreement about how the competition would be structured. He now looks like that confidence was well placed.
Nine looked to have scuppered the hopes of an early NRL return last week when they launched a scathing attack on the league in a thinly-veiled attempt to exit the current broadcasting arrangement that current management appear unhappy with. The broadcaster blamed the NRL for “mismanagement of the code over many years” and claimed the league “wasted those funds” brought in from broadcasting arrangements, “squandered by a bloated head office”.
Nine CEO Hugh Marks met with V’landys at Racing NSW offices on Tuesday, a meeting described by a buoyant V’landys as “constructive”. News Limited publications on Wednesday reported, however, that Nine want the 2020 season scrapped and a new two-year reworked deal signed. Nine newspapers meanwhile reported this would mean dropping Thursday Night Football coverage, forcing Fox Sports to drop the Friday 6pm game and removing simulcasting, with Nine’s outlay to be significantly less than what it currently pays the game.
While Fox Sports have been far less vocal about their views on what the game needs to look like in 2020 despite missing their 1 April payment to the NRL, their subscription-driven model means they would likely welcome a return as soon as possible.
With the cash injection from British banks brokered by Oakwell Sports Advisory, V’landys will now be increasingly unlikely to rework any deal with Nine, meaning the broadcaster will be expected to broadcast any games played and pay for the same. There is only an infinitesimal chance that the season will be scrapped – something that would result in a $130m saving to Nine that was part of a $266m cost-saving plan presented at the JP Morgan virtual conference – and the NRL are unlikely to leave any money on the table that they don’t have.
More pressing for V’landys and the NRL will be working with governments to get the competition stood back up. While the NRL has received the support of the NSW government, led by deputy premier John Barilaro who has volunteered to help the game at an all-of-government level, there has been resistance from both the Queensland government and the federal bureaucracy while the prime minister remains cautious.
While Scott Morrison called the proposed 28 May return date “ambitious”, the league fan did say: “I like they’ve got an ambitious date.” Queensland premier Anastasia Palaszczuk was far more sceptical and said there would be no travel exemptions for rugby league and that State of Origin was unlikely to be held in Queensland in 2020, also scuppering any plans for an “NRL Island” or a bubble near the central Queensland city of Gladstone.
The most pressing government-facing issue for the NRL outside of adhering to health guidelines is working to get exemptions for travel. New Zealand Warriors CEO Cameron George said his club had received no detail around travel plans for his team while there has been no official stance taken by any state government to go with no firm plan by the NRL.
If the NRL is to be played exclusively in Sydney – the most likely scenario – the Warriors, the three Queensland clubs and Melbourne Storm would all likely need to go into quarantine by this weekend. It appears almost certain the competition will most likely be played in bubbles at ANZ Stadium and Penrith Stadium. There will likely be no crowds for the remainder of the season.
There has been no decision made on the structure with options ranging from a 15-round season concluding at the regular time and a full season wrapping up in December, but one high-ranking club official estimates a 20-round season is the most likely outcome. Points accrued across the first two rounds will remain despite noise being made about all teams starting from zero. State Of Origin is a very real chance of opening the season as it will be significantly easier to manage fewer numbers of players.
The NRL still has plenty of work to do to colour in the outline of their plan. They need to gain majority approval from stakeholders on the structure. They need to properly incentivise participants to leave their families and enter a bubble. They need to work their way through government bureaucracy. But while V’landys can drive a train through the eye of a needle, even he understands that the game cannot resume without at least the tacit approval of health officials.
