New strip … Todd Carney, rear, at pre-season training. Photo: Brendan Esposito
It is a decade since David Gallop became CEO of the NRL. He speaks to Josh Rakic about issues in the game on the eve of the new season.
After 10 years, what’s the most exciting thing about this year’s competition?
The closeness of the competition is the cornerstone of the game’s spectacular growth over the last few years and 2012 shapes as perhaps the closest comp ever with the new coaches coming in and some older coaches who have changed clubs.
That’s a fascinating aspect to what fans are going to enjoy, all starting with Newcastle on Thursday, March 1, with Wayne Bennett and the Knights for the first time against his old club the Dragons.
David Gallop … optimistic about new season, new commission, new headquarters. Photo: Charles Knight
I expect AusGrid Stadium to be packed to the rafters that night.
The Thursday night match is a one-off given the commitment that Nine had to cricket but we think it will work well for us.”
His position on Todd Carney
The NRL never insisted that Todd go on an alcohol ban. The silly thing he did was announce to the world that he would go on an alcohol ban and clearly he didn’t keep that promise.
That put him under an intense spotlight.
Todd has been drinking when he’s promised various groups, from his playing peers to the court
system, that he wasn’t going to drink. He needs to be realistic about how he is going to handle alcohol.
When I last met with Todd I spoke to him about the perils of putting himself in the position where he can’t keep the promises that he’s making. And that in a community like Cronulla, he will be easily noticed if he makes a big mistake.
Hopefully he appreciates that and knuckles down and does what we all know he is capable of doing on the footy field. And doesn’t bring himself under focus for what he does off the field.
Given none of those promises were enforced by the NRL but his former club the Roosters, does that give Carney a little leeway with the NRL?
After the year out of the spotlight in
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