NRL CEO David Smith unveils his new vision for the game

[DIEHARD]

NRL CEO David Smith unveils his new vision for the game

http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2013/04/20/1226625/109661-nrl-ceo-david-smith.jpg
NRL CEO David Smith at ANZ Stadium in Homebush. Picture: Sam Ruttyn Source: The Sunday Telegraph

RUGBY league of the future will be like going to a grand final every round, in the vision of new NRL CEO David Smith.

A $1 million kick competition for fans at every game, children's jumping castles and bands on centre stage at half-time are some of Mr Smith's ideas to transform the sport.

Instead of the present atmosphere of empty seats, cheerleaders and lacklustre ground entertainment, Mr Smith wants to deliver the levels of excitement whipped up each weekend by the US National Basketball Association."Every time someone watched a game on television we want them to be wishing they could actually be at the ground," Mr Smith said, outlining for the first time his vision for the sport that began as a working man's game.

Giant stadium screens would give fans a better view and explain referees' calls, while in-stadium mobile phone apps would let fans change camera angles to analyse replays.

"When you take your family to a game the excitement should be building from the moment you walk in the door," Mr Smith said.

"Rides, jumping castles, bands, video packages, great moments of the past echoing through the stadium - there should be something to engage everyone from start to finish, so you leave talking about your plans for the next game.

"In the NBA the whole crowd is part of a slam-dunk competition. We could work our way to create a $1 million dollar kick. There are lots of ways we could develop to give fans the chance to feel a part of what happens."

Mr Smith, who walked into the job 10 weeks ago, when the Australian Crime Commission revealed it was investigating drugs and organised crime in sport, said the game was nevertheless poised to take off.

"If you look at the way sport is evolving, it is about the entertainment, it's not just the sport," he said. "It is much more fun if you have a beginning, middle and end."

He calls it E-squared.

"It's all about entertainment and engagement," he said.

The 48-year-old former banker and soldier, who never played league, says his roots in Wales and his love of sport make him well-qualified for the role. His experience in business, including building a $60 billion wholesale bank from nothing in two years, will be more important because the $1.025 billion broadcast rights deal with Channel 9 will not last forever and new revenues must be developed to secure the game's future.

"This year is the year of getting smart for us," he said. "There is obviously immense professionalism in our players and, really, there's an expectation from me that I want to be first-grade in the way we administer the game."
Mr Smith will build a leadership team that will forge closer relationships with government and corporate sponsors.

"The dynamics are very different and the set-up is very different and we need to respond to that," he said.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/nrl-ceo-david-smith-unveils-his-new-vision-for-the-game/story-fncyva0b-1226625109828

[DIEHARD]

Smakked inspired me to post this. :P

[DIEHARD]

As for ideas for the NRL. Give each and every NRL club a "supporters" grant of $50,000 per club per annum. This to be used how the clubs see fit to engage their fanbase and produce atmosphere.

Flags. Banners. Comps. Away travel. Buses.

[Smakked]

Good ideas but they have to be implemented properly and done well. I don't like him, i just don't understand why they didn't get someone who knows the game this guy has no clue and i just have a bad feeling about him, he has done nothing since he has been in charge, show some balls.

[DIEHARD]

Well his first week on the job was that ASADA ****. So we might have to wait until after Origin to really get an idea as to how he is going.

[Steve]

It's all well and good talking about wanting people watching to wish they were at the game.

Most people probably do. The reason they aren't there is scheduling based on best time to watch on TV rather than best time to go to a game and the cost of actually going to a game.

[Chaos]

Good ideas but they have to be implemented properly and done well. I don't like him, i just don't understand why they didn't get someone who knows the game this guy has no clue and i just have a bad feeling about him, he has done nothing since he has been in charge, show some balls.

I think it's a positive article...sounds like David has been busy behind the scenes.

[Titanic]

He's a sight better than Gallop.

[DIEHARD]

At least he hasn't called Storm fans terrorists yet. Haha.

[DIEHARD]

Former rugby league administrator Ken Arthurson tells NRL boss Dave Smith he must not lose commo
n touch

LEGENDARY administrator Ken Arthurson yesterday offered some simple advice to NRL boss Dave Smith.

"You must never lose the common touch," Arthurson said. "I spoke to prime ministers no better than I spoke to garbos, especially if they were both fans of the game."

And right now, Arko can't quite understand why the former banker has closed his doors to the public by not making himself available to the media.

"I have never met Dave Smith and from what I hear he is supposed to have plenty of business acumen," Arthurson said. "But there is a bit more to running the game than just having business acumen.

"I know it is business, I understand that. But it is a peculiar type of business in that you are dealing with personalities.

"You don't run it as you would run a normal business.
"The media is the way you get through to the fans and let them know what you are doing and why you are doing it."

Arthurson also said he found it hard to argue with anything Ray Hadley has said in the wake of Sunday's City-Country crowd fiasco - where bush battlers were asked to fork out up to $50 for an open stand seat.

"When I was told the price of admission I bloody near fainted," Arthurson said. "Those prices are absolutely ridiculous. At the end of the day rugby league has always been recognised as the working man's game."

And Arthurson said he couldn't understand why the game has allowed itself to be held to ransom by the ASADA drugs investigation.

"It is absolutely disgraceful in my view the way the whole thing has been handled," he said.

"It has cast a shadow not only over all the footballers but all the sports people generally. I think it has been very, very badly handled, I honestly do."

Asked what he would have done if he was in charge today, he said: "I think we should have got on the front-foot more than we have.

"I really am in the dark like everyone else. I don't know what agreements the league may have made with ASADA and if they have I am reluctant to cut across anything they may have done. But as a person looking on, and at the risk of sounding corny, I do care about the game and I think they should be jumping in."

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl

[Toads]

Love or Hate him, Arthurson is correct in what he's saying in that article.

[DIEHARD]

Tell you what. There is a coordinated gang bash on David Smith over the last few days.

I'm skeptical because it's come from journalists who I don't rate and who I believe are upset they aren't being leaked information from the NRL any longer.

Let's see what happens with Todd at 1pm.

[Toads]

That's a fair call, Diehard. Always give someone the opportunity to prove themselves..

But to a lot of us, the name Dave Smith is better known for his Daughter's Abduction, than what he's done for the NRL. The guy has got to at least take a page out of David May's Book 'n engage with the fans, and let them know that he shows a keen interest in them and their concerns.. :)

[DIEHARD]

Sssshhhhh or the NRL will steal David May!

[Chaos]

Former rugby league administrator Ken Arthurson tells NRL boss Dave Smith he must not lose commo
n touch
Asked what he would have done if he was in charge today, he said: "I think we should have got on the front-foot more than we have.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl

In other words artherton doesn't have a solution...just wants a shot at Smith.

Makes me now think Hadley has run off Atherton's opinon of Smith.

[DIEHARD]

ARLC eyes $40m surplus to invest in game?s future

John Stensholt

The Australian Rugby League Commission is set to record a financial surplus of up to $40 million this year, much of which will be diverted into the sport?s investment or future fund.

ARLC chief executive Dave Smith told The Australian Financial Review the forecast result would be in sharp contrast to 2012 when the organisation recorded a $3.5 million loss after impairments and other adjustments.

?The sport will finally have money in the bank,? Smith says. ?Last year we made a loss and basically the business had no assets. So it is a big change.?

It has been a baptism of fire of sorts for the former Lloyds International CEO since he started at the ARLC on February 1.

He has faced criticism from radio host Ray Hadley and Sydney newspapers, as well as having had to deal with an investigation into rugby league, which focused on National Rugby League club Cronulla, by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority literally from his first day on the job.

Yet Smith is enjoying his role though he is reluctant to give credence to some of the criticism he has faced, including being inaccessible to the media.

?I?ll accept the feedback and move on,? he says. However, Smith points out that crowds are up 6.5 per cent in 2013 compared to last year and that ratings on Nine Network have improved by seven per cent. There was also impressive growth in visitors to NRL.com and viewers of NRL matches on digital platforms.

To top it off, the NRL is in the first year of a five-year broadcast deal with Nine, Fox Sports and Telstra worth a combined $1.2 billion.

Smith moved last week to restructure his executive team, including appointing highly regarded Canterbury chief executive Todd Greenberg as his head of football and creating seven divisions that will report to him.

Strategic goals

Although he is reluctant to say the organisation was lacking a proper structure when he arrived in February, Smith does say his revamp is necessary for the ARLC to fulfil its strategic plan aims, including having $225 million in its investment fund by 2017, doubling non-broadcast revenue and achieving increases in crowd, TV ratings, membership and participation numbers.

?There?s no doubt with the structure in place when I got here, we would not be able to reach the goals in our strategic plan.

?The restructure is about giving people responsibility and decision-making powers that will enable the organisation to grow. Make no mistake, there is plenty of growth to come for rugby league.?

Many of the strategies that he will be applying, including the new organisational structure, have been gleaned from what he learnt at his previous role at Lloyds.

?There is a lot of similarities between running a large and complex company to a federated sport such as rugby league, which is also complex but is more publicly facing?.

At Lloyds he had to cut the company?s exposure to risk commercial real estate to focus on its core businesses of asset finance and commercial banking.

?One of the reasons I got the (ARLC) job is my organisational capabilities. In my previous job I took over a distressed business, had to restructure the balance sheet, cut costs, de-risk the business and improve the governance.

?But at the same time there was a lot of dealing with small businesses and consumers, and that sort of customer experience is something that can be applied to rugby league.?

Smith insists rugby league?s future is bright, and says the investment fund will be a big part of ensuring the sport?s financial viability. He says the fund will be used prudently and seek to make decent returns on its investments.

Boost clubs? financial health

Possible targets include stadium joint ventures, ticketing assets, new technology ventures and the possibility of a dedicated NRL television channel.

?I think, in particular, the digital area offers a lot of potential for us,? he says.

?We already have a lot of assets in that area, we have a films business for example, and it is a growing area that offers a lot of potential for us.?

Smith says another key component of the strategic plan is ensuring the financial health of the 16 NRL clubs. The Brisbane Broncos and South Sydney are the only clubs that make profits, a situation Smith wants to change.

He says the ARLC will make available more funding to clubs, including upgrading facilities or membership services, albeit with strict conditions.

?We want to help the clubs on the business side. The annual grant has increased (to $7 million) but if clubs have revenue-generating plans then we would be quite willing to help with that.?

Smith is also investigating greater shared services arrangements across the clubs, including in membership and finance and other back-office operations.

[DIEHARD]

ARLC eyes $40m surplus to invest in game?s future

John Stensholt

The Australian Rugby League Commission is set to record a financial surplus of up to $40 million this year, much of which will be diverted into the sport?s investment or future fund.

ARLC chief executive Dave Smith told The Australian Financial Review the forecast result would be in sharp contrast to 2012 when the organisation recorded a $3.5 million loss after impairments and other adjustments.

?The sport will finally have money in the bank,? Smith says. ?Last year we made a loss and basically the business had no assets. So it is a big change.?

It has been a baptism of fire of sorts for the former Lloyds International CEO since he started at the ARLC on February 1.

He has faced criticism from radio host Ray Hadley and Sydney newspapers, as well as having had to deal with an investigation into rugby league, which focused on National Rugby League club Cronulla, by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority literally from his first day on the job.

Yet Smith is enjoying his role though he is reluctant to give credence to some of the criticism he has faced, including being inaccessible to the media.

?I?ll accept the feedback and move on,? he says. However, Smith points out that crowds are up 6.5 per cent in 2013 compared to last year and that ratings on Nine Network have improved by seven per cent. There was also impressive growth in visitors to NRL.com and viewers of NRL matches on digital platforms.

To top it off, the NRL is in the first year of a five-year broadcast deal with Nine, Fox Sports and Telstra worth a combined $1.2 billion.

Smith moved last week to restructure his executive team, including appointing highly regarded Canterbury chief executive Todd Greenberg as his head of football and creating seven divisions that will report to him.

Strategic goals

Although he is reluctant to say the organisation was lacking a proper structure when he arrived in February, Smith does say his revamp is necessary for the ARLC to fulfil its strategic plan aims, including having $225 million in its investment fund by 2017, doubling non-broadcast revenue and achieving increases in crowd, TV ratings, membership and participation numbers.

?There?s no doubt with the structure in place when I got here, we would not be able to reach the goals in our strategic plan.

?The restructure is about giving people responsibility and decision-making powers that will enable the organisation to grow. Make no mistake, there is plenty of growth to come for rugby league.?

Many of the strategies that he will be applying, including the new organisational structure, have been gleaned from what he learnt at his previous role at Lloyds.

?There is a lot of similarities between running a large and complex company to a federated sport such as rugby league, which is also complex but is more publicly facing?.

At Lloyds he had to cut the company?s exposure to risk commercial real estate to focus on its core businesses of asset finance and commercial banking.

?One of the reasons I got the (ARLC) job is my organisational capabilities. In my previous job I took over a distressed business, had to restructure the balance sheet, cut costs, de-risk the business and improve the governance.

?But at the same time there was a lot of dealing with small businesses and consumers, and that sort of customer experience is something that can be applied to rugby league.?

Smith insists rugby league?s future is bright, and says the investment fund will be a big part of ensuring the sport?s financial viability. He says the fund will be used prudently and seek to make decent returns on its investments.

Boost clubs? financial health

Possible targets include stadium joint ventures, ticketing assets, new technology ventures and the possibility of a dedicated NRL television channel.

?I think, in particular, the digital area offers a lot of potential for us,? he says.

?We already have a lot of assets in that area, we have a films business for example, and it is a growing area that offers a lot of potential for us.?

Smith says another key component of the strategic plan is ensuring the financial health of the 16 NRL clubs. The Brisbane Broncos and South Sydney are the only clubs that make profits, a situation Smith wants to change.

He says the ARLC will make available more funding to clubs, including upgrading facilities or membership services, albeit with strict conditions.

?We want to help the clubs on the business side. The annual grant has increased (to $7 million) but if clubs have revenue-generating plans then we would be quite willing to help with that.?

Smith is also investigating greater shared services arrangements across the clubs, including in membership and finance and other back-office operations.