Dave Smith - NRL CEO

[Nashy]

So, what's everyone's opinion on Dave Smith?

I personally think he's a fucking shitcunt that needs to get the **** out of this game. He's been successful in allowing drug cheats to continue in our game. He's been successful in making sure that a drug cheat can be an origin captain next year.

He fined that Origin captain $50,000, reduced it when he whinged, and paid his legal fees of $80,000.

He allowed someone who pleaded guilt to domestic violence to play a grand final, and win. He fined that person $2000 compared to Pea Brain Paul's $35,000 fine for a twitter blow up.

Seriously. He's a piece of shit.

 

[gordjw]

All fair points. But honestly, how is any of that significantly different to say the NFL, or any other top line sporting body and their leaders? Also, there will never be any consistency in dealing with all of these crises, because they're all different.

That seems to be the done thing, which is obviously morally wrong, but his job is to make money.

So I guess you gotta ask yourself, do I feel like I want a CEO to make the game successful, or to do the morally right thing?
Well, do ya... punk?


Personally I'm disappointed in how he's gone, and I'd like someone to do the right thing ahead of pure profits.

 

[Porthoz]

I can understand letting Auva play in the GF, as I think the NRL should always wait for the judicial outcomes in such cases, but the ASADA affair was beyond a joke, and here David Smith should've put the foot down, and made sure drug cheats are not welcome in any way, shape or form in our game.

I doubt any other code would've accepted that sentence (not) served outcome, and allow the POS to continue as captain of a rep team!

 

[Broncoman]

He is weak as piss, out of touch with the fans and has no idea or understanding about Rugby League. The only good thing he has done is making 9 play the Sunday game live.

 

[Nashy]

[MENTION=8328]gordjw[/MENTION] to be completely honest, I couldn't give a shit what other sports do.

With the woman basher, he had pleaded guilty. He admitted it, so he should have been stood down.

 

[Mr Fourex]

So, what's everyone's opinion on Dave Smith?

I personally think he's a fucking shitcunt that needs to get the **** out of this game. He's been successful in allowing drug cheats to continue in our game. He's been successful in making sure that a drug cheat can be an origin captain next year.

He fined that Origin captain $50,000, reduced it when he whinged, and paid his legal fees of $80,000.

He allowed someone who pleaded guilt to domestic violence to play a grand final, and win. He fined that person $2000 compared to Pea Brain Paul's $35,000 fine for a twitter blow up.

Seriously. He's a piece of shit.

You neglected to mention his biggest failure to date.

He's ruined State of Origin.

 

[Cult]

You neglected to mention his biggest failure to date.

He's ruined State of Origin.

There's no going back from that one punch rule anymore. They will look ridiculous saying yeah it's ok to punch now if you want to. Also shoulder charges. Makes no sense for attacking players to be able to run 10 metres forward and hit the defense with their shoulder when the defense can't just wait there and turn in to brace themselves. They just needed to say no contact to the head.

 

[Morkel]

@gordjw to be completely honest, I couldn't give a shit what other sports do.

With the woman basher, he had pleaded guilty. He admitted it, so he should have been stood down.

In theory I agree, but what it will mean is that players in this sort of trouble will automatically plead Not Guilty to try to extend their time on the field.

There's no going back from that one punch rule anymore. They will look ridiculous saying yeah it's ok to punch now if you want to. Also shoulder charges. Makes no sense for attacking players to be able to run 10 metres forward and hit the defense with their shoulder when the defense can't just wait there and turn in to brace themselves. They just needed to say no contact to the head.

Both are stupid rules. But looking at them together, you can't say "you can shoulder charge but just not hit the head", and then say "yeah you can punch someone in the head if the niggle justifies it". A possible median could be to just make any punch a Reportable offence, but not an automatic send-off.

 

[Bull Shark]

I think if Dave Smith grew a beard he'd have a little Zach Galifianakis thing going on ...

 

[subsbligh]

There's some pretty unique challenges for a professional sporting organisation vis-a-vis those faced by a CEO of any other corporation, let alone in the finance industry.

Directors have a duty to make decisions based on what is best for shareholder wealth.

Bankers especially are further towards the bad end of the spectrum of being disinterested in social responsibilty, answering the media and the quasi "community service" or nationalistic role of Rugby League.

Their business is about money.

Dave Smith - great business man, seems like an alright bloke; can make a balance sheet sing - but little experience with the soft stuff that is basically 90% of the role of NRL boss. Also, I can't possibly imagine his experience facing the media in his previous life is beyond zero.

You basically need to be a great politician in the very public role of NRL boss.

Facing the media, cap in hand every Monday morning and explaining why a small percentage of a sample of young men no different to the general public in that demograhpic, got drunk and did stupid shit (often completely harmless, like tweeting an opinion of something).

I've got more hope for Suzanne Young, given her apparent experience with Surf Life Saving Australia - another grassroots uniquely Australian sporting organsation.

 

[Bull Shark]

^ I think you've got your wires crossed vis a vis the meaning of 'vis a vis' ....

 

[subsbligh]

You neglected to mention his biggest failure to date.

He's ruined State of Origin.

True. There were laws in place already that were adequate to deal with the fighting issues.

The referees were just piss weak or dumb.

Now the game is ruled by niggle for 80 minutes and scum dogs like Reynolds prosper, which is I think a worse look than a "blow of steam" punch up in the first 10 minutes and then courageous, tough, entertaining footy for the rest.

They need to meet half way. The rule is grossly unfair now and actually encourages a behaviour to more hideous incidents (like Steve Price knockout) where players don't defend themselves for fear of being sent off.

Something like a 5 minute (or until other team scores a try) sin bin for punches thrown or 10 minutes for first punch, 5 minutes for retaliation.

And players put on report should be a compulsory interchange.

The rule makers need to give the refs the proper tools to adjudicate player behaviour on the field.

 

[nopatience101]

You can't appreciate the job Smith is doing without understanding how poorly the game has been previously governed, the whole organisation has been restructured to modern best practice. He has done a pretty good job imo and unfortunately those indiscriminately reading certain News Corp publications will likely have a very warped view on his performance.

His job is to grow the game, to do that it needs to be more inclusive and broader in its appeal, enforcing a ten minute sin bin for punching is hardly radical thinking and any time spent punching is time wasted not playing footy, players have discovered remarkable self-restraint since its introduction.

ASADA recommend sanctions for players, the NRL agreed to enforce their recommendation. I think ASADA are the ones to blame for what was perceived as a weak penalty for players guilty of using a prohibited substance and the WADA statement was certainly very damning of them and the government. Smith, unlike the AFL, was at least respectful of the process and ASADA's role as the independent statutory body and handled the saga rather well considering he was confronted with it before his first day in the job and it was only resolved a couple of months ago.

If you meet the guy you can't help but be impressed, he is incredibly intelligent, personable and is very certain of the direction he is taking the game. He has no vested interests except the good of the game, and imo it is in good hands for the first time in a long while, provided some promises are kept.

 

[Mr Fourex]

The good of the game? ......pfftt. Why then is he out pricing the average man and his family from attending games?

His only interest is self interest and he wants his performance measured only on how well the NRL does financially. He will sell us all out to the highest bidder.

Before 2020, the deciding match in a SOO series will be played in Japan ....Dubei....or anywhere else where cash is king

His job is to grow the game, to do that it needs to be more inclusive and broader in its appeal, enforcing a ten minute sin bin for punching is hardly radical thinking and any time spent punching is time wasted not playing footy, players have discovered remarkable self-restraint since its introduction.

If you can't see how this is ruining SOO ...you're blind.

Smith's decision to changes the rules was knee jerk reaction to the wowsers in the media and to the gasp from a handful of vocal Mums's on the sideline.

 

[1910]

The good of the game? ......pfftt. Why then is he out pricing the average man and his family from attending games?

His only interest is self interest and he wants his performance measured only on how well the NRL does financially. He will sell us all out to the highest bidder.

Before 2020, the deciding match in a SOO series will be played in Japan ....Dubei....or anywhere else where cash is king



If you can't see how this is ruining SOO ...you're blind.

Smith's decision to changes the rules was knee jerk reaction to the wowsers in the media and to the gasp from a handful of vocal Mums's on the sideline.

You can get a Broncos season pass for $195 that's $16.25 a game- that's cheaper than a movie. Origin was moved in 1990 well before Smith and the QRL and NSWRL have the major say in Origin.

 

[Super Freak]

Care to explain how it's ruining Origin?

 

[Broncoman]

The good of the game? ......pfftt. Why then is he out pricing the average man and his family from attending games?

His only interest is self interest and he wants his performance measured only on how well the NRL does financially. He will sell us all out to the highest bidder.

Before 2020, the deciding match in a SOO series will be played in Japan ....Dubei....or anywhere else where cash is king



If you can't see how this is ruining SOO ...you're blind.

Smith's decision to changes the rules was knee jerk reaction to the wowsers in the media and to the gasp from a handful of vocal Mums's on the sideline.

Well said Fourex about the prices. The prices to the games in Brisbane were disgraceful and you know it's bad when Wally and Mal come out and bag the QRL publically about it. Rugby League is traditionally a battlers game and pricing around $250 for a ticket is just ripping of the loyal league loving fans that would give anything to attend.

Disagree a little about the punching thing and I think you will get up me for this. The Gallen V Myles thing got coverage in both states but it got a lot more here simply because the Maroons lost the game and the courier mail etc just spoke about it non stop simply to take the focus of the Maroons average showing as they never looked like winning that game from memory and that the better team won on the day. Banning the biff has taken some of the intensity out of Origin considering how piss poor game 2 was (despite the victory) and the players weren't allowed to let of steam.

 

[nopatience101]

The good of the game? ......pfftt. Why then is he out pricing the average man and his family from attending games?

His only interest is self interest and he wants his performance measured only on how well the NRL does financially. He will sell us all out to the highest bidder.

Before 2020, the deciding match in a SOO series will be played in Japan ....Dubei....or anywhere else where cash is king



If you can't see how this is ruining SOO ...you're blind.

Smith's decision to changes the rules was knee jerk reaction to the wowsers in the media and to the gasp from a handful of vocal Mums's on the sideline.

Origin, along with the grand final, are the games marquee events and some of Australia's marquee events, and it should be priced accordingly, the QRL and NSWRL consult with the NRL/ARLC on pricing so they are just as responsible for pricing as Smith is, if not more so.

The revenue that the NRL generates goes back into the game, so if as you suggest making money is Smith's priority, it is one and the same with the games.

As 1910 says, origin has been moved from NSW/QLD decades before Smith got there and the policy to move one game every three years was introduced before he got there.

Origin has only gotten bigger since the rule was introduced, it's only been missed by those more interested in the biff than the footy, it's still as tough and brutal as ever. The games support is broader than the narrow attitudes you represent and Smith is appealing to that broader base in order to grow the game.