Conversely, the ARLC's decision to appoint Dave Smith as Chief Executive, without a background in Australia or League, could give an indication where the game is heading in terms of its structure and administration.
I get a feeling that the age of Footy-head administrators are numbered.
I have a theory about Clubs (like ours) that perennially struggle with their administrations. I think it tends to coincide with a political dynamic that appears in the junior league competition. Sutherland Shire junior rugby league has for a long time reminded me of Italian politics... such a hot-bed of single interest agendas, faction fighting, bullying, intrigues and back-stabbing.
When that culture then gets transposed into the boardroom of a NRL Club, things tend to come unstuck. The amount of public and media attention and scrutiny often sees administrations left wanting and out of their depth.
I've often wondered about why Clubs like ours and Parramatta are the only ones you hear anything about their Boards and Directors. Could it be that having a strong junior league exerting a lot of pressure and power over the NRL team be a dysfunctional thing?
I suppose the parallel in Australian politics is when you look at instability and poor performance at the top level and then look at the grass-roots local branch environment where the pollies learned their trade. Having a volatile foundation leads to a shaky top deck.
