The administration in Rugby League on both sides of the world right now is a complete and utter shambles.
Stupidity, self interest and ignorance are all getting a work out and the lack of a real leader, someone that can push things forward and make decisions, is there for all to see.
Anything thats good that happens in the game these days happens because of blind luck. It has nothing to so with good planning or good timing.
Thank goodness that the players keep turning up and putting in every week. If Rugby League was a terrible game it would have shut up shop a very long time ago.
Just a few things that jump out at you right now would have to be….
Willie Manu Is A Pom Now?
Hull FC forward Willie Manu was invited by the RFL to take part in a 37 man England training squad last week with an eye on having him be part of Englands Four Nations campaign at seasons end.
Now, lets put aside the many reasons why this is a disgrace….I have a different way to look at all of this.
Willie Manu took part in the 2009 Pacific Cup with Tonga. Under international rules, Manu is not allowed to play for another country unless he sits out all international competition for two years.
I’m just a punter, and I know this, so surely the RFL know this as well. Right?
What Will We Do With The New South Wales State Of Origin Team?
Five straight series losses. No matter what sport you are talking about, five straight series losses is a disaster that should see a complete overhaul. Yet a few weeks after New South Wales were clean swept by the Maroons, there has been no news at all about possible changes.
Ricky Stuart has put his hand up to coach the team full time, Phil Gould has put his hand up to be a performance director, and yet we have heard nothing at all from the NSWRL!
Shouldnt they have been waiting outside Ricky Stuarts office at Cronulla so that, as soon as he walked out of the Sharks job they would be there, on their hands and knees, begging Stuart to coach the side?
Considering you could count the number of possible New South Wales coaches on one finger, I would have thought so.
A review is being done by the NSWRL right now, and they have said they expect to name a new coach in….wait for it….DECEMBER!
Now About That Salary Cap
Well the dust has settled on the Melbourne Storm salary cap saga and if we have found out one thing about the NRL salary cap its that its a mess, easy to get around and well out of date as far as sponsorship goes for players.
So we’re going to have a review in time for….when?
Consider that this is when teams are supposed to be signing players for the 2011 season, surely the NRL realizes that teams want to know what the salary cap will be and what it will allow them to do for next season?
Considering the NRL does nothing but run the NRL competition, what the hell are they doing that is taking up all their time that they cant find a fast, reasonable solution to have an updated salary cap?
Independence
Remember last year when all the talk was we’d have the Independent Commission in place for the start of the 2010 season? When I now hear talk it will be in place before 2011, I just laugh.
Every single party involved in the process has self interests its wants to protect. Some of them are noble causes, most of them are rubbish, people just wanting to protect their own jobs.
When you consider that News Limited wants it to happen as soon as possible, and that the ARL, QRL, NSWRL and NRL all are supposed to have one job, and that is to administer the game, what the bloody hell are we waiting for?
The Super League Salary Cap
Its pretty obvious that the elastic Super League salary cap this year has been completely killed off by a few of the top teams.
Wigan, Warrington, St Helens and Leeds have all at some point this year worked supposed miracles to stay under a very low Super League salary cap.
On top of that we now have Warrington, who has now filled their 2011 overseas quota, telling the media not to worry because everything will work out.
These teams have been thumbing their nose at the rules, and everyone knows it. Maybe the cap is way too low, and I can understand these teams thinking “We can spend so much more money, lets just do it” because the RFL isn’t going to do anything about policing the salary cap.
Leaders?
Try and name one administrator in the game that you would call a true leader. I honestly can’t. Not a single one.
Until we get people running this game who can put the good of the game first, make tough decisions and sort out the many problems we have, Rugby League will just keep treading water.
