BY CURTIS WOODWARD

@woodward_curtis

Todd Greenberg has been smoked out of rugby league – no longer the CEO of the NRL. You could say he fell on his sword or more to the point, he was shanked with a well-used shiv.

For Greenberg and his administration’s faults, there was plenty to like about what they had done. They advanced the game. Moved the NRL forward.

But vendettas and personal agendas reign supreme in rugby league circles.

Greenberg had to be eliminated.

The smear campaign went into overdrive.

And so, another NRL CEO has been vanquished.

Rugby league’s dark overlords win again.

ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys has been praised for his work since entering the game but some wonder what side he’s on.

Just days after Greenberg stepped aside, it has been revealed that the NRL and the current broadcasters are close to signing off on a new deal which will run through until 2025.

It flies in the face of what the fans want.

How could such a deal go ahead without further investigation from V’landys?

The Sydney Morning Herald, owned by Channel 9, reported on Wednesday that a three-year extension was close to being signed off – over $300 million less than the current agreement.

Just the other day Nine gloated that it was their reporting into Greenberg’s spending that saw him expelled. Nine, with the finesse of an axe to the head, questioned the game’s spending and a lack of confidence in Greenberg.

The frenzy began and the sharks circled.

Former @NRL chief executive @Todd_Greenberg has broken his silence after resigning from the top job. He's told 7NEWS that he feels a great sense of relief and is looking forward to some time with his family. https://t.co/OF81oZFF1j #NRL #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/MPQ4wSPLCC

— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) April 21, 2020

Greenberg is gone and now all of a sudden the NRL are ready to sell the game back to the people that have been bashing it over and over and over and over and over again.

Now we’re back to the start – rugby league relying on TV revenue and less of it.

Funnily enough, it was Greenberg who grew non-broadcast revenue.

Now it appears, if you believe every article written in a day’s news cycle, current NRL Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Abdo is a leading candidate to fill Greenberg’s position.

One story painted Abdo as some kind of genius saviour and ”widely credited” for the $500 million revenue the game brings in.

Not Greenberg… just Abdo.

In one breath we’re hammering Greenberg for the game bleeding money and in another we’re praising the guy beneath him for making $500 million a year?

Sure… that all makes sense.

The game has been criticised in the past for a lack of creativity.

Peter Beattie had creativity.

Greenberg had it too.

#NRL Bosses are refusing to say who will replace Todd Greenberg as CEO after he stood aside yesterday. @emmalawrence90 pic.twitter.com/aqi4abAXAn

— 10 News First (@10NewsFirst) April 21, 2020

Both gone.

Now we’re stuck with V’landys who is on record saying he wants more teams in Queensland and doesn’t think there’s a future for the game in Western Australia.

And the NRL is about to sign off on a broadcast extension for $320 million less than the current deal.

You’re only succesful at the NRL if you go along with the status quo.

Same-same for that TV dollar.

The next NRL CEO will probably be Abdo.

He should know the rules by now.

You’ll be NRL CEO for as long as the broadcasters want you to be.

Stay in your lane Mr. Abdo.

If you know what’s good for you.

@woodward_curtis