Smith jumps off the sinking ship!

[leagueiscrap]

DAVE Smith has quit after a tumultuous three years as the boss of the National Rugby League.

The search for Smith’s successor is underway but at a media conference Australian Rugby League Chairman John Grant could not guarantee a successor would be in place at the start of the 2016 season.

Grant will step into Smith’s shoes on an interim basis and take control of the turbulent television broadcasting rights negotiations until a new CEO is appointed.

The Daily Telegraph broke the news on Tuesday morning that Smith would be quitting the role that he has held for the past three years.

The breakdown in the 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 was one of the reasons for his decision to walk away

Key broadcast executives were not prepared to negotiate with him after his decision to sign a five-year free-to-air television deal with Nine while snubbing Fox Sports.

In a media conference Smith said he was proud of his legacy and the direction that the game was heading in but it was time to “hand the baton over”.

“I have said to many of you in the last few weeks that I would know when the time was right for leadership renewal. After three big years, three successful years, that time has come,” Smith said.

Smith said the NRL achievements over the past three years included the free to air broadcast deal, $1.6 billion for investment in rugby league stadiums, the sustainability fund of $50m, a surplus of $100m and a 48% increase in non-broadcast revenue.

“I think hopefully a part of my legacy with the great team we have here at Rugby League Central is we have created momentum, change and we have started to realise the opportunity that is rugby league, is the NRL and the NRL product, the content that is the NRL, I think it is amazing,” Smith said.

“John (Grant) mentioned the international rights and a number of the other growth areas that we are thinking about. This game is really well placed to take advantage of that opportunity. What I hope I have played a very small part and had the privilege to play a small part in is setting that momentum.”

TIMELINE: A tumultuous three years

TIME TO GO: Smith explains his decision to quit

REACTION: What the rugby league world is saying

When pressed on the broadcast rights deal with only the $925 million free-to-air side of the deal completed, Smith said he would “not be going anywhere” if he didn’t think the game would be getting a good outcome.

“I think our broadcast rights are in really, really good shape. What we did was a landmark free-to-air deal because the free-to-air market of all of the markets is the most uncertain.

“We are proud of that deal. We are entirely comfortable that over the time period that we deliberately set ourselves, 2.5 years, that we are in great shape and we continue with commercially confident discussions but they are very productive and constructive discussions.”

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... b13d18f474


good luck to Smith in his post NRLOL life! ready for another numpty chest beater to come in to have an attempt to arrange the deck chairs!

[AFLcrap1]

Daily terra graph .
Lol

[leagueiscrap]

Daily terra graph .
Lol

Lol
Bad news story about nrlol
Lies lies lies!
Idiot spazza
Smith, jack up the prices, sell some SOO games, fudge a few figures & it will only get you so far, jump off the ship, take the pay out while you can & run!

[AFLcrap1]

Lol .
You are seriously fucked in the head .

News ltd have an agenda .

Everyone with an IQ above 2 knows it .

Except you .
Says it all really .

[leagueiscrap]

Lol .
You are seriously fucked in the head .

News ltd have an agenda .

Everyone with an IQ above 2 knows it .

Except you .
Says it all really .

Yeah when it suits you its lies lies and a negative story on the AFL it's all true!

The Fairfax papers pretty much say the same thing! So sick shit spazza
Smith jumped off at the right time! Jack up prices and fudge figures to make things look good! What's the next CEO going to do to boost figures

[AFLcrap1]

Lol .

[leagueiscrap]

Lol .

Exactly spazza

[AFLcrap1]

Lol @ you

[leagueiscrap]

Lol @ you

Lol
Bad nrlol news story it's all lies lies lies!
Bad AFL news story it's all true!
What ever suits your argument ******!

[AFLcrap1]

You are just too stupid to argue with .

[leagueiscrap]

You are just too stupid to argue with .

Lol flog!
Yeah because every news publication and reporter that says something negative about the nrlol has an agenda to destroy it

But any negative story about the AFL is true regardless on the news publication

Yep your a special one spazza

[AFLcrap1]

Derrrrp

[ParraEelsNRL]

Smith done a good job while he was here, pity he didn't hang around longer though. Let's hope the commission doesn't go backwards when they get their new boss say like an old ex footballer who thinks chook raffles on the hill at the SCG sounds good.

News and their scum reporters are just that, I hope the next person be it man or woman has balls of steel in regards to handling Murdoch, stuff him and his evil organisation.

[ParraEelsNRL]

Very highly actually, a real RL lady that has clawed her way to the top through Netball in NZ. Yeah she goes alright in sports admin, not sure though if she would be ready yet to run the whole NRL, might in the future. I think her dad played for the Kiwis when she was a young girl so the sport is def in her blood.

[pussycat]

how do you rate Raelene Castle (Bulldogs CEO) as opposed to say. Todd Greenburg?

Anything that News Ltd were pushing for Id have grave doubts about. They would only want someone they could control.