Lowe hits out at NRL ‘greed’
Rugby league great Graham Lowe says the coronavirus pandemic has unmasked a greed that has infiltrated the NRL and believes a fundamental re-set should take place.
While adamant that sport ‘‘is insignificant behind humanity’’ in the problems caused by Covid19, Lowe didn’t hold back when asked to assess if a reincarnated NRL could be better structured.
The successful former Manly, Queensland and Kiwis coach said too many stakeholders had clawed themselves an influential voice in the running of the game.
Clubs and the NRL itself were now top-heavy with staff, Lowe said, and the imbalance was exposed by the pandemic, which has halted the competition and left it teetering financially.
‘‘We can all see it now – there’s been a greed that’s infected the game, a greed from players, from coaches, from player agents and clubs,’’ Lowe said.
‘‘I think it’s been disgusting and whatever happens in the future, someone’s got to be strong enough to make sure that greed never infects the game again.
‘‘For example, coaches have got to be totally de-powered. They’re not the oracles they think they are on the game.’’
Lowe, who was chief executive at Manly a decade ago, said he had to go back to more than 20 years ago when Ken Arthurson ran a tight rugby league ship in Australia for the ideal setup.
Arthurson’s hard-nosed attitude wouldn’t have let struggling clubs be continually bailed out by grants and other support mechanisms, Lowe added, and that a central cash reserve would probably have been established.
Lowe said the salary cap should be dispensed with and an English Premier League-style structure introduced, even if that results in a smaller number of teams.