That’s true. Even back in the 80s my high school used to import Tongans on scholarships to play rugby. No birth certificates. Here they were in the fifth form, with full-on facial hair and a wife and kids back home. What happened to the Pakeha who’d otherwise be playing? I dunno. I guess they joined the school radio club instead.
While 50% ownership of the Gold Coast Titans will be Bought by the Jets Contsorium.
Underselling the rights seems to have been a rugby league tradition - Nine paying very little for what was considered the full gamut of rights was one of the factors that started the split.
I do wonder if this would have happened anyway (a bit like the change to professionalism) - all the split did was accelerate it.
Not just the money, but it forced the administration to treat it less like a weekend activity and more like a business
I thought the administration was starting to do that from the mid 1980s, with the Tina Turner ads changing the way sport was marketed in Australia.
The game was surging in popularity by the early 90s in newer markets like New Zealand where matches were shown on TV in prime time and even Adelaide hosting games with 30,000 plus crowds.
The TV $$$ couldn’t really be fully exploited as there was no pay TV until 1995, and Channel 10 was basically broke, it defaulted on the rights payments as holders in 1990 so that went back to Channel 9.
1 Like
Indeed it is.
Though I don’t see how 9 paying very little for the rights was a factor that started the split - 9 didn’t want to on sell the rights to News/Foxtel, as they were entitled to.
News/Foxtel decided to start the split by signing clubs and players for their own competition, as they were also entitled to.
1 Like
The NSWRL erred by selling pay tv rights to 9 in 1993 without understanding their value. This was the deal after 9 picked up the rights from 10 in 1990.
1 Like
I thought they were already?
1 Like
From the Federal Court case - 8 December 1995 Canberra Times report.
Earlier yesterday, Australian Rugby League general manager John Quayle told the court he had been in favour of accepting an offer in 1993 from US cable-TV giant ESPN for the pay-TV rights to rugby league in Australia.
But, he said, the ARL board had sold the rights to Kerry Packer’s Channel Nine when it matched the ESPN offer because the board believed it was under an obligation to do so under the terms of its free-to-air contract with Nine.
During cross-examination, Peter Hely, QC, for News Ltd, referred Quayle to a letter dated October 8, 1993 from the league’s solicitor, Colin Love, who raised some doubt about there being such an obligation.
“On the face of it, Nine would appear to have a binding agreement with the league because an offer has been made to Nine which Nine has purported to accept,” Love wrote.
“On the other hand, however, it may be argued that the acceptance by Nine does not amount to an acceptance on the ‘same terms and conditions’.”
Love said ESPN had agreed to exhibit the game on its various international services, whereas it was not known what Nine referred to in its offer to put rugby league on “a major US pay television service”.
He said the board would need to get more information about this.
Quayle agreed that ESPN had told the league it was prepared to negotiate “down to the wire”.
“You didn’t want to do so?” Hely asked.
“I was very keen to do a deal with ESPN,” Quayle said.
“I think I pursued every avenue. Members of the board had direct meetings with ESPN and Nine before the board finally made the decision.”
1 Like
Further reporting from the Canberra Times 6 December 1995
Questioned about the league’s pay TV arrangements with Kerry Packer’s Channel Nine, Arthurson said the contract with Nine provided for it to have “first and last refusal” if anyone else made an offer for rights.
He said the US cable network ESPN had made an offer and it had been referred under the terms of the agreement to Channel Nine, which was given the contract after matching the offer.
Arthurson agreed with Gyles that it would have been prudent in 1993 to sign a deal with Channel Nine for less than seven years so that an “auction” for the TV rights could take place earlier than 2000.
But, he said, Channel Nine had made the only acceptable offer in 1993, and the league had been unable to negotiate from a position of strength. He said the league had wanted the deal to run for five years, and Nine wanted 10, with the seven year term agreed on as a compromise.
1 Like
2 Likes
There’s a lot of negative comment surrounding Ezra Mam’s finish in QLD today. Comparisons made with his $850 fine for driving offences and other penalties like $1200 for driving without a seat belt.
4 Likes
And that Josh Addo-Carr from the Bulldogs got sacked for less
(also failed roadside drug test but was not involved in a crash).
No consistency from the NRL.
4 Likes
So much for adult crime, adult time…
1 Like
Or the court system… 
2 Likes
I like he’s lost a licence he doesn’t currently have too
1 Like
Watch the NRL slap him with a wet lettuce leaf.
5 Likes
It will probably be an expensive wet lettuce leaf, but I bet he won’t get sacked (like Addo-Carr did).
2 Likes
If Madge is reallt serious sbout changing the Broncos culture, he should give him the arse.
1 Like