Well another week in the NRL and more negative headlines. Unfortunately the euphoria (at least where I live) of last weeks’ Origin victory is long gone and been replaced by more off-field, alcohol related incidents. This is not going to be a game-bashing column, but I’m rather going to look at the club culture throughout the game and why it plays such a big role in preventing these incidents.
Every single rugby league club, at any level, has some sort of culture that filters to all aspects of the organisation from the CEO to the folks cheering on the sideline. In the NRL, the clubs with the best culture tend to be the clubs we don’t see any negative headlines about. Purely as a fan looking in, I think the clubs with the best culture at the moment are the Bulldogs way out in front, followed by the Gold Coast Titans and Newcastle. Two of those clubs have had to completely re-build their culture in the last few years while the Titans have set about a foundation in which to build their organisation.
Phil Gould often says it takes two years to build a culture but just 12 months to destroy it.
As a Brisbane Broncos fan, I’m alert but not alarmed about where the club is heading. Over the past twelve months there has been an increase in incidents not normally associated with the club. We all know about that September night last year where the 2008 Premiership virtually was lost in the toilet of a Brisbane nightclub. In 2009 there have been a few Broncos involved in some relatively minor off-field incidents...but incidents nonetheless not normally associated with the club. The Broncos are working hard to ensure the culture established over 20 years isn’t nose-diving (don’t believe me, ask Joel Clinton).
The alarming thing is that most of the off-field indiscretions at the Broncos over the past few years have occurred in the time since Wayne Bennett announced he was leaving the club. Would they have happened under his leadership? Hard to say, but we do know off-field problems were rare or very swiftly and dealt with harshly (see: Seymour, B. and Costigan, N.). We also know that there hasn’t been a negative off-field peep out of the Dragons this season.
The other thing I, and other Broncos fans, have noticed this season is a different attitude on the field. It’s obvious the players are trying very hard and they’ve had a reasonable season, but there seems to be a touch of laziness creeping in. The three 40-point hidings dished out last month have over-shadowed the start of the year where the Broncos were winning, but not after most teams were able to run over them during the second half.
What happens on the field is a reflection of what happens off the field and more specifically, the culture at a rugby league club.
You just have to take a look at the Roosters this season. On the field they’ve been ordinary, even accused of not trying hard enough at certain times. They have had at least four well publicised off-field incidents including two in the past three weeks. As a rugby league fan looking in, it’s not hard to think there are major problems within that club.
As I mentioned before, it is possible to turn a team around in a relatively quick period of time. I couldn’t be happier for the Bulldogs, a rabble last year but now they are the best rugby league club in the competition. They have all bases covered and have become a credit to themselves again.
It wasn’t easy; they had to sweep through the place. The Bulldogs had to lose a long serving, long suffering yet successful coach. They got rid of certain types of individuals and have had to start from scratch to win back sponsors and stakeholders. But the Bulldogs had some great individuals playing football for them still: Andrew Ryan, Luke Patten and Hazem El Masri.
These three guys are ten-plus year veterans all with unblemished off-field records. They are the sort of player you could build a club around; and the Bulldogs have. Bring in guys like Brett Kimmorley and Michael Ennis plus upstanding young gentlemen in Josh Morris and Ben Hannant...you have a nucleus to build your club around.
Newcastle are much the same. Brian Smith copped a lot of flack when he tore through the club and got rid of just about everyone. Like the Bulldogs, he kept guys you could build a club around: Kurt Gidley and Steve Simpson. He also brought in guys who were solid on the field and clean off the field. It’s taken longer than the Bulldogs, they’re a younger side and the club was really shaken up by the change, but the Knights are on the verge of major success.
And now we have stories like this: a great piece on Junior Sau from the Newcastle club. Hopefully you have heard about it already; if not go have a read. These are the sort of good things 95% of NRL players will do.
A strong culture is very important to a rugby league club. You will not win a Premiership if your club is a mess off the field. Everyone needs to be working to that one goal, and that goal can only be achieved by a strong club culture. And this comes from the CEO down to those cheering on the sidelines.
Most NRL clubs are going ok I think, or at least looking to head in a better direction. No doubt some need to look where they are and perhaps make some changes. But that can be difficult with so many personalities involved. However as a fan, I prefer to cheer on the good guys then read about the guys in trouble off the field.
Tips this week: Brisbane, Dragons, Tigers, Storm, Cowboys, Titans, Panthers, Manly
Last week: 5/7 (Total: 67/112)
Winning percentage: 60%
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Enjoy the footy,
Keyto
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