Elstone’s exit is damning verdict on Super League’s failed attempts to run the sport...
RUGBY LEAGUE LIVE’S MATTY SHAW LOOKS AT THE IMPLICATIONS OF EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN’S RESIGNATION
Well, who would have thought it? Super League as a separate entity has failed catastrophically. Robert Elstone, the Super League supremo, has walked after two-anda-half-years of in-fighting, after huge sums of money have been wasted with no reward and after the competition descended into a rolling circus.
Who saw it coming? Everyone, actually. Everyone but the majority of Super League clubs who saw an opportunity to seize power and an opportunity to take control of their own destiny.
They were told, they were warned, they were urged not to believe the grass was greener on the other side.
With the exception of Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington, they would not listen.
Now, the message from the sceptics will be the most patronising of all: We told you so.
It’s not even three years since Super League looked to cut itself off from the RFL
Now the same clubs owned by the same people will consider realigning. What have they achieved? They successfully got rid of former RFL chief executive Nigel Wood and chair Brian Barwick, something the clubs were keen to force. They achieved that, but at one almighty cost.
An apology for wasting so much money in a sport strapped for cash, and an apology for wasting so much time, would not go amiss.
A few will hold their hands up and accept the error of their ways. Don’t hold your breath on the rest though.
Elstone’s departure became a case of when, rather than if.
His tenure has been a disaster, and a damn expensive one at that.
Part of his remit was to bring more commercial revenue into the sport.
In order to achieve that, he built a workforce that saw staff costs rise to £904,241 for the year ending 2019, up from £246,781 a year earlier.
In fairness, a big chunk of those costs were transferred from the RFL. But in the same period, sponsorship income decreased from £2.024m to £1.675m, a 17 per cent drop.
That was a damning indictment of Super League’s success, or lack of it, after going solo.
Let’s not forget the infamous free pizza deal, either.
Super League gave away substantial advertising to Papa John’s. In return, they got a whole load of free pizzas. Bravo.
That is the tip of the iceberg, though.
Elstone’s handling of Toronto Wolfpack was heavily scrutinised.
He made it abundantly clear that he saw no value in the Canadian club, despite their encouraging attendances and early success at cracking an untapped rugby league market.
An ‘independent’ report into their value came across as a hatchet job, rather than a genuine case study into what they could bring.
Sadly, the short-sightedness of many clubs, whose self-interest approach is just as big an issue, meant the Wolfpack were confined to history.
His big job was to secure a TV deal. The implications of Covid perhaps make it unfair to compare whatever deal is agreed to that of the existing £40 million per year deal.
But the fact that Elstone has spent huge sums in consultancy fees while trying to broker a deal is another cause for concern.
Eventually, some of his supporters become dissenting voices.
With TV money likely to be reduced, Elstone went in search of external income.
He had been a strong advocate of securing a private equity deal.
When he tabled it, five clubs rejected it. But they had to pay a
six-figure consultancy fee to the merchant banker. It was the final, decisive blow in a miserable, miserable tenure.
Elstone isn’t entirely to blame. He was dealt a lousy hand. The issue is, he played it terribly.
Ever since his arrival, he has had one hand behind his back.
He was never allowed to do the job he was brought in to do by the clubs who paid him an eye-watering six-figure salary for the privilege.
Elstone was officially the competition’s executive chairman. He was brought in to call the shots. By the end of it, he was being paid to play the scapegoat.
Clubs retained power but used Elstone as a smokescreen. There are many instances where clubs attempted to force issues riddled in self-interest.
The attempt to decrease the salary cap by some clubs was one, the decision to boot out Toronto was another, perhaps the worst example of all was the clubs being allowed to slash funding to the club ultimately selected to take Toronto’s place.
These were huge decisions the clubs, all with their own agendas and all with their own circumstances, should have never, ever had a say in.
Their position of power must be taken from them if the sport is to move forward in the future.
There will now be a push from some clubs to realign and concede a mistake was made.
Others, perhaps with egos to maintain, will insist they should continue to retain power. The circle of life continues. More in-fighting, more petty squabbles, same old rugby league.
Rugby league is a wonderful sport. To many it is the pinnacle of sporting theatre.
Unfortunately, it is all too often overshadowed by the men in suits rather than the superhuman athletes.
While eyes remain on the boardroom, the wonderful product on the pitch will be neglected.
Clubs have a huge decision to make now as they consider their next step. In doing so, they need to think about the whole game, rather than themselves.