Recently I've heard some fairly dispariging and negative comments aimed at National Rugby League (NRL) CEO David Gallop. Especially since an interview printed by the Daily Telegraph (Sydney) on 2/02/2011 and orchestrated by Paul Crawely. It's been pretty much standard fare. I kept my ear to radio, heard the pub talk, read the newsprint, trolled the forums and came to the conclusion, "an easy bash up".
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If the average punter bumped into tall Dave on the street, well he may indeed cop the likes of - The Independant Commission is taking too long! The AFL monster's expanding, where's our new clubs? The TV deal's too small! Bring back the Bears! Why did they close the squash courts at Baulko? The Brisbane Thoroughbreds escaped from the paddock! Karmichael's on ALPHA? Ryan Tandy's a guest of Her Majesty. There's a cyclone in Queensland... What's doing Dave, what's doing?
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I read earlier in the week a headline claiming Gallop was - "Stalling on the Commission". Read the article, load of crap. Made no specific mention of Gallop saying any such thing, but it made great ammunition for the beer swillers that don't bother reading text that's printed smaller than 14 font. Personally I don't have any control over the font here.
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Down to the nitty gritty. We have around four weeks til round one of the NRL season. Historically, this is the time when players need to hide their shoes while David Gallop prays he's picked the right face to promote the game. The stalling, or slow moving regarding the implementation of this code saving Independant Commission (IC) simply isn't part of Gallops bag. He isn't even one of the key players in the overhaul, instead he is the face of running the game under the current set up. Deciding who and what will be the make up of the IC lay between the partnership committee and the current national and state rugby league bodies, while being greased by the Michael Searle led working party. You gotta love the Gold Coast.
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If the average punter bumped into tall Dave on the street, well he may indeed cop the likes of - The Independant Commission is taking too long! The AFL monster's expanding, where's our new clubs? The TV deal's too small! Bring back the Bears! Why did they close the squash courts at Baulko? The Brisbane Thoroughbreds escaped from the paddock! Karmichael's on ALPHA? Ryan Tandy's a guest of Her Majesty. There's a cyclone in Queensland... What's doing Dave, what's doing?
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I read earlier in the week a headline claiming Gallop was - "Stalling on the Commission". Read the article, load of crap. Made no specific mention of Gallop saying any such thing, but it made great ammunition for the beer swillers that don't bother reading text that's printed smaller than 14 font. Personally I don't have any control over the font here.
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Down to the nitty gritty. We have around four weeks til round one of the NRL season. Historically, this is the time when players need to hide their shoes while David Gallop prays he's picked the right face to promote the game. The stalling, or slow moving regarding the implementation of this code saving Independant Commission (IC) simply isn't part of Gallops bag. He isn't even one of the key players in the overhaul, instead he is the face of running the game under the current set up. Deciding who and what will be the make up of the IC lay between the partnership committee and the current national and state rugby league bodies, while being greased by the Michael Searle led working party. You gotta love the Gold Coast.
On that note I'm sure any serious discussion regarding expansion at the moment is on hold until the IC is solid, sorted and swinging. You don't expand to new areas when management is in transition. For anyone to expect Gallop to make grandiose statements simply to satisfy the forum dwelling massess regarding a key and emotive issue such as expansion is seriously further out than past Mars. This kind of issue will not be his call alone to make in any event. Yes he'll eventually be asked for a degree of input, and from reading his stuff he has clearly outlined what he is personally looking for in expansion ie;
"I've said to the various bid teams, they need to have a sustainable model not just for their own district but they need to be bringing something to the table that everyone can benefit from. Be it increasing the game's national profile which will help with broadcasting and sponsorship, or it's shoring up a strategic area the game has to be conscious of, they are the types of things that need to be considered."Dave Gallop - Daily Telegraph (Sydney) Feb 2, 2011.
For some reason people still bag him out for apparently not saying anything, or not saying enough to their personal liking, these people are obviously just skimming the surface of articles or they have an agenda against David Gallop. Whether you like him or not, he has clearly stated what he is personally looking for regarding expansion clubs and the expansion issue in general. That comment is absolutely as clear as he can be at this stage considering the current status of the IC. It is obvious David Gallop is keen to grow the game, but like any responsible leader, he doesn't want to do it at the expense of current clubs or to the detriment of the code. No wacky outposts that need constant life support, no Building the Education Revolution and no nothing burger expansion clubs that offer little in the way of sponsorship and media rights.
Gallop is correct to be cautious about expansion just in case it turns out later to be "axpansion". Gallop is also correct to not throw effort after foolishness, he is correct in wanting to pick the most appropriate expansion clubs at the most appropriate time. The game can't afford stuff ups on an issue that is so spirited as club expansion.
I also read in the interview some target questions relating to the return of Chris Houston. In regards to the Danny Wicks issue, those questions were flat out loaded, no win, sign here questions. Gallop had really no way of answering then spraying the Glen 20 to avoid the "before flushing toilet smell". The court has made its decision on Chris Houston and the DPP have decided it is in the communities interests not to appeal.
Bottom line is, the Houston matter is well and truly dead in a criminal sense and that is the judge's decision. For anyone to suggest Gallop is weak for not commenting is an ignorant so and so. Commenting on such a thing on a public forum such as a newspaper interview throws up any number of issues that could sail uncomfortably close to defamation. Gallop is a lawyer, he knows what he can and can't say and he has or had little choice but to respect the judges decision. Paul Crawely as an interviewer is only doing his job but seriously, who ever sanctioned the interview should have set out parameters for a question of that nature.
Look I'm happy for people to smash Gallop when he knee jerks after a Jacky Magnay gang banger exposay, but attacking him for what he did or did not say in this interview, lacks perspective and balance.
Another good talk with Greg Camilleri.
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