Dave Smith quits as NRL CEO

[I bleed Maroon]

DAVE Smith has quit after a tumultuous three years as the boss of the National Rugby League.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal he was scheduled to inform staff at League Central headquarters and the game’s key stake holders at 10am today that he would be stepping down from the chief executive officer’s role.
NRL chairman John Grant will take over Smith’s responsibilities as interim CEO.
The independent commission will under take a world wide recruitment search to identify a new leader before the start of next season.
The breakdown in broadcast rights negotiations and an unsettled relationship with NRL clubs was believed to be the pivotal reasons behind his decision to leave.
Smith only recently told the Daily Telegraph that he had no plans to quit but pressure over his failure to complete a $1.7 billion TV and digital broadcast rights deal forced him out.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/dave-smith-quits-as-nrl-ceo-after-three-years-in-charge-john-grant-named-interim-boss/story-fnp0lyn3-1227575173749?utm_content=SocialFlow&utm_campaign=EditorialSF&utm_source=TelegraphSport&utm_medium=Facebook

Welp.

 

[mitch222]

Re: Dave Smith quits

About time. Can they please replace him with a person who actually knows what Rugby League is and has an understanding of how it works. To lead the brand you have to know what it is you actually do and who your major players are. Could you imagine FIFA being run by a bloke who never watched soccer and didn't know who Ronaldo or Messi were? It was pathetic when Smith didn't even know who the Australian captain was.

 

[M.B.88]

About time. Can they please replace him with a person who actually knows what Rugby League is and has an understanding of how it works. To lead the brand you have to know what it is you actually do and who your major players are. Could you imagine FIFA being run by a bloke who never watched soccer and didn't know who Ronaldo or Messi were? It was pathetic when Smith didn't even know who the Australian captain was.

Yeah because FIFA bosses are the greats right :P

 

[Morkel]

Re: Dave Smith quits

About time. Can they please replace him with a person who actually knows what Rugby League is and has an understanding of how it works. To lead the brand you have to know what it is you actually do and who your major players are. Could you imagine FIFA being run by a bloke who never watched soccer and didn't know who Ronaldo or Messi were? It was pathetic when Smith didn't even know who the Australian captain was.

The danger is having it lead by someone too invested. That is why they went for someone neutral. Surely there is a middle ground. Maybe someone from another code.

 

[bb_gun]

Re: Dave Smith quits

The danger is having it lead by someone too invested. That is why they went for someone neutral. Surely there is a middle ground. Maybe someone from another code.

They should look at that David Gallop guy...

 

[mitch222]

Re: Dave Smith quits

The danger is having it lead by someone too invested. That is why they went for someone neutral. Surely there is a middle ground. Maybe someone from another code.

I don't want an ex league player running it but I would preferably like a person who has watched the game before, understands it and can relate to where the common fan wants it to go. Basic common knowledge of the product should be essential for the position. Not some posh English banker who has no fucking idea what we do.

 

[abashii]

This sucks if true. The NRL was becoming well positioned under a professional management team and I think with a few more years things would have really started to blossom. And the fact that News and Murdoch have had their knives out for Smity from day one shows that he was making positive changes, unafraid to step on bullies' toes. Now he may well be replaced with another Murdoch lackey who will sell the game out for a carton of hot chips while constantly grovelling before News and feeding Rothfield scoops every other day.

 

[mitch222]

This sucks if true. The NRL was becoming well positioned under a professional management team and I think with a few more years things would have really started to blossom. And the fact that News and Murdoch have had their knives out for Smity from day one shows that he was making positive changes, unafraid to step on bullies' toes. Now he may well be replaced with another Murdoch lackey who will sell the game out for a carton of hot chips while constantly grovelling before News and feeding Rothfield scoops every other day.

All Smith was doing was employing more lackeys than needed and trying to turn the NRL into a bank. He tripled the NRL payroll staff in 3 years.
He fucked up badly in the TV deal for not negotiating with fox and paid the price. He was literally reamed by Gyngell in the TV deal and AFL made him look stupid when they announced theirs. Hopefully the new guy will step in, cut the excess fat at management and start putting the money to good use.

 

[Nashy]

Thank **** for that.

 

[broncos4life]

This sucks if true. The NRL was becoming well positioned under a professional management team and I think with a few more years things would have really started to blossom. And the fact that News and Murdoch have had their knives out for Smity from day one shows that he was making positive changes, unafraid to step on bullies' toes. Now he may well be replaced with another Murdoch lackey who will sell the game out for a carton of hot chips while constantly grovelling before News and feeding Rothfield scoops every other day.

I'm sorry mate but I can't agree with this at all. Smith has made this game a laughing stock. The game has been succeeding because of the quality of the product and in spite of him. He has been shown to be completely out of his depth in nearly every facet.

The fact that he has cost the game untold amounts by negotiatiating with only one party for the broadcast rights. That is the most ridiculous business decision ever, it is business 101 not to do that. These kind of situations were meant to be the one thing he was good at and he couldn't have stuffed it up more if he wanted to.

 

[Broncoman]

I know I'm in for a good day when this is the first thing I see. Good riddance he had no understanding of the game

 

[broncos4life]

The only negative about this is that it should have happened 3 years ago.

 

[Sproj]

Cannot like all the negative posts enough. This guy somehow put the NRL even further behind in a landscape they should be number 1 in.

 

[tommy]

Can we have the punching rule back to the way it was now ?

 

[Sproj]

Starting with punching Dave Smith?

 

[Foordy]

Bloody Greenturd will become the new CEO

 

[Morkel]

Bloody Greenturd will become the new CEO

Fucking not thanks.

 

[jarro65]

Please not Gus !!