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Crossroads: Rugby League's Greatest Battle
Crossroads - Rugby League's Greatest Battle is a contrarian and controversial look at rugby league in Australia and the great challenges and threats the code faces into the future.
After the bitter civil war of Super League in the mid 1990s that ripped the heart out of the game, the code was supposed to have a happy ending with the newly merged NRL in 1998 and the creation of the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) in 2012 to govern the code independently, which would enable the code to fight fire with other sports in Australia and allow the sport to finally reach its potential. But that happy ending has eluded the sport and seems further away than ever before, despite the media's lavish praise for current Chairman Peter V'landys.
Despite rugby league dominating and being the number one sport in both New South Wales and Queensland, with record television ratings, large media deals, solid crowds and extensive media coverage, the game faces great risks to its long-term success, both from within and externally, with threats from the nation's strongest sport, the AFL.
The outside looks great to most fans, but as Covid exposed the fragilities of the code after years of fiscal mismanagement, only by going deeper do you see the real health of the patient.
Crossroads examines key matters which are not often discussed in today's agenda-driven and non-independent corporate media, such as leadership, governance, the role of Peter V'landys, country rugby league, financial mismanagement, integrity and ethics, the dangers of today's media, politics, grassroots, NRL product, expansion, the World Club Challenge and the international game.
Written from the perspective of a long-time fan who is completely independent, it's a no-nonsense look at the sport and a must read for all who love rugby league.
After the bitter civil war of Super League in the mid 1990s that ripped the heart out of the game, the code was supposed to have a happy ending with the newly merged NRL in 1998 and the creation of the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) in 2012 to govern the code independently, which would enable the code to fight fire with other sports in Australia and allow the sport to finally reach its potential. But that happy ending has eluded the sport and seems further away than ever before, despite the media's lavish praise for current Chairman Peter V'landys.
Despite rugby league dominating and being the number one sport in both New South Wales and Queensland, with record television ratings, large media deals, solid crowds and extensive media coverage, the game faces great risks to its long-term success, both from within and externally, with threats from the nation's strongest sport, the AFL.
The outside looks great to most fans, but as Covid exposed the fragilities of the code after years of fiscal mismanagement, only by going deeper do you see the real health of the patient.
Crossroads examines key matters which are not often discussed in today's agenda-driven and non-independent corporate media, such as leadership, governance, the role of Peter V'landys, country rugby league, financial mismanagement, integrity and ethics, the dangers of today's media, politics, grassroots, NRL product, expansion, the World Club Challenge and the international game.
Written from the perspective of a long-time fan who is completely independent, it's a no-nonsense look at the sport and a must read for all who love rugby league.
330 pages, Hardcover
Published August 21, 2023
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 31, 2024
Crossroads is a must read for all Rugby League Fans!!
The format is a little different to most sporting books as it mixes Rugby League and Business which makes it a very interesting read.
The author makes some great points about how Rugby Union, A League and the NBL have all struggled over the last twenty years in Australia and how the NRL could soon face similar problems in the future despite the sport dominating NSW and QLD.
The book examines Peter V'landys poor performance as the games leader despite the media turning a blind eye to his many errors over the last few seasons and how aristocrats have now taken control of the commission and true lovers of the sport are now outsiders with no voice.
If you're concerned about Country Rugby League, Grassroots, the International game or the code in general this is a must read. A book that is brutally honest and needed now more than ever to warn about the risks the code faces in the years ahead.
The format is a little different to most sporting books as it mixes Rugby League and Business which makes it a very interesting read.
The author makes some great points about how Rugby Union, A League and the NBL have all struggled over the last twenty years in Australia and how the NRL could soon face similar problems in the future despite the sport dominating NSW and QLD.
The book examines Peter V'landys poor performance as the games leader despite the media turning a blind eye to his many errors over the last few seasons and how aristocrats have now taken control of the commission and true lovers of the sport are now outsiders with no voice.
If you're concerned about Country Rugby League, Grassroots, the International game or the code in general this is a must read. A book that is brutally honest and needed now more than ever to warn about the risks the code faces in the years ahead.
Displaying 1 of 1 review