Abdo Quits, The Next NRL CEO & Players Revolt | Kenty Blitz EP162

G'day, welcome to Kenny Blitz, your daily hit of NRL news and Kenty, massive news today with the CEO of the NRL resigning.

Yeah, big news wasn't it?It took everyone by surprise.Look, I think the timing of it has really stumped everybody.We did know last year, let's remember, that he was looking around.If you remember, news broke last August, I think it was, that he had gone and interviewed for a job at TEG, which is a Worldwide Sports Promotion Company.He didn't tell Poutovliany's that, which I found fascinating.

And then obviously the news broke today, which I don't think it's been overly well -received in our headquarters, but he'll be smiling faces as we record this.We know there's a press conference on this afternoon, and they'll be Yeah, smiling faces and slaps on the back and everyone congratulating each other.

Kenny, we normally record this later on in the afternoon, but we've got a bit of big mail that we want to drop a little bit later.So stay watching the show, but we're going to talk about Abdo at the start because he started his tenure 2020.2020, yeah.As CEO.

Yeah, he did.Yeah, he was Chief Commercial Officer at the NRL before that.I didn't have a lot to do with him at that point.I had a little bit to do with him.But when he took over from Greenberg in 2020, when you look back on what he has done in the game and you look at his resume now, it's going to look pretty impressive.Under his leadership, Vegas started.

If you remember, 2020 was the COVID years, and the NRL was in a very vulnerable position financially.They don't tell anybody this, but there's $120 million sitting in the bank now, which was not there.I think they had about $40 million back then, which was not going to be enough to get them through the NRL season at the time.But they've also got assets.They've bought the Caxton Hotel.They've bought hotels around the place.

lot of bricks and mortar to basically shore up the game's financial position.Now a lot of people will credit that to Peter Volandes.They've very much gone through this the whole way though as a partnership of Volandes and Abdo.I call him Volandes' secretary.quite a bit because he is, Peter as we all know, he's very hands -on, very heavy on his own governance of how it all gets done.And Abdo has basically been the guy that basically goes out and does all the donkey work.

We'll get to PVL in a minute.If you look at his CV, and it's an impressive CV in terms of what he's done for the game recently, coming out of COVID, the game survived and has flourished.It's expanded.

Yeah.

Big broadcast deal came out of it.Big broadcast deal, another big broadcast deal coming, Vegas, obviously a lot of expansion.

Looking to buy the English Super League.

But you have never really been a big fan.Why is that?

I don't think the partnership between him and Volantis is a 50 -50 partnership, to be honest.For example, I've known Peter quite a long time.You went to his wedding.Yes, I did, in the 90s.So I've known Peter quite well since then.And look, there's a lot of sympathy around the NRL clubs for Abdo because they sit in chief executive meetings and see how Peter treats him.

basically.And that's why, Andrew, why haven't we done that?We might get onto it.You know what I mean?That sort of stuff.So how much...

Look, I don't really want to come and shit pot the job he's done.Look, you guys are my best wishes, okay?But I think Vegas is Peter's idea.And then Abdo goes and does all the hard work, gets all the groundwork done, and Peter has to come in and finish it.We know when the broadcast deals were being negotiated, that basically they'd reached a bit of a stalemate, Abdo and the broadcasters.It took the Lannies to come in then and get the deal done.

When the CBA with the players, the collective bargaining agreement, was being done with the players, once again, they reached a stalemate.Clinton Newton and Abdo could not go any further.It was all about to blow up, then Valantes came in and got it done.So I think he's very good at the numbers game.He's very good at that commercial side of it.Whether he's a true CEO, I kind of doubt, because Valantes has always been the leader since he's been there.

He now, we believe, we're led to believe he's going to Tennis Australia.Be interesting to see how entrepreneurial they get.Because that's been a hallmark of this NRL era.It has been that.One, the strong financial position, but two, how they're just looking to expand the game.Now, Abdo, I think he's a great lieutenant.

I think he's a great 2IC.I just don't quite know if he's the CEO that we're led to believe.

It's got to be difficult if you're Abdo.and you're faced with such a hard or such a strong chairman, right, who has all the ideas.Yeah, it is hard.Yeah, it must be difficult for him, right?

It is hard.And look, the other thing that doesn't get spoken about a lot, Warren, and doesn't really get known outside of those who care, but there's a high turnover of executives in at the NRL.And I've spoken to people around the game who constantly wonder to me, why don't people talk about this?Now, to be fair, most fans don't care that the chief commercial officer's left or the head of marketing's left and those sorts of things.But internally, it sounds like a very difficult place to work.And that's why there's such a high turnover of people who are appointed a head of their department, but get micromanaging from up above to the point where they just can no longer find it workable and end up leaving.

And I think that includes Abdo, to be fair.I think, as I said, he interviewed for a job last year on The Quiet and got leaked out.So we knew he could do it.Things haven't been peachy the whole way through.And I think in this Tennis Australia, that said, though, if he's going as the CEO of Tennis Australia, as we're led to believe, he will probably double his pay packet and have a sport that really is a truly international sport.And he'll be ahead of that, run the Australian app, run the full Grand Slams.

So it is a very big job.So well done for him for essentially capitalizing on the good work that's been done at the NRL.And they have shown tremendous growth and entrepreneurial spirit in the six years that he's been there.And he's capitalized on that in a job now that's going to be a very big job.Me?I like something a little hot.

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Let's talk about his likely replacement, Kenty, because PVL will step into the role, which indicates that they didn't see it coming.

Well, he's going to step in short term, which is what happened when John Grant, it's happened before.John Grant as chairman took on the executive chairman role when Dave Smith left the job.That was a disaster.I don't think John was a CEO type material.Yes, he had success in private business, but I think that set in place a whole range of problems for the game as far as...I didn't like the way the Independent Commission back then, which he was the head of, was running the game.

Just things like, if you remember, West Tigers were in financial trouble at the time.They put Marina Go in there, who had no clue about rugby league.Any criticism of that was an attack on women.Any criticism of the game was, oh, you just don't like it, we're taking it.I'll give you a good example.When they first sat down, the commission took charge.

What year is this?This was, I think, 2014, I think, when the commission began.Roughly around then.Anyway, it might have been 12.Anyway, John Grant got all the club bosses in, CEOs and chairmen, and basically told them, there's a new boss in town.Rugby league's never been able to make money, and we're going to show you how to make money.

And at the back of the room, with his arms crossed like this, was a fella called Nick Paulitis.who took a car yard in Bondi and conquered the world is now worth$4 billion or something like that, and who'd been involved with the Roosters for the best part of 30 years at that stage, and knew how difficult it was to turn a profit in rugby league.And when he said that, Nick turned to a couple of other CEOs around him and said, this will be interesting.And they wasted extraordinary amounts of money.Limousines wherever they went, up the front of the plane wherever they went, first class hotels wherever they went, and didn't really do a good job of negotiating the broadcast deal.

Whereas this current model with Valantis and Abdo, they've done a very good job of milking every dollar they can out of the broadcasters and also just booming sponsorship deals.So they've done a very good job.They actually had an understanding, I think, of what the game was worth, much more than the previous board, even though some still exist from the previous board, and certainly the previous leadership of the board.And they've turned the game into a financial powerhouse, which it is now.And he's responsible for a good part of that, too, because he's done a lot of work in that area.He just needed to come in and basically seal the deal.

But he'd done a lot of the groundwork and drove a lot of, as I said before, the donkey work to get it done.

So PVL will step into that chair short -term.Do you think there's any chance he'll step in long -term?

Yes.Okay.

Is that a money thing for him?No, it's not a money thing.

It's an interesting one, that one.Look, PVL's had his problems in the racing industry.He's the chief executive, as we know, of Racing NSW.He's suffered a lot of damage as athe chief executive of Racing NSW when he tried to sell Rosehill Racecourse and the trainers and owners rallied against him and he lost their support and there's a real open wound there at the moment between Racing NSW and the trainers and owners and some real heavyweights, Gay Wardhouse for example, Masara the trainer, they have actively lobbied against him.

So they're off him?

Yeah.And so, look, if I'm looking into McChrystal Ball, I'm seeing, even though there's a few candidates around town for at those jobs, I think Valenis will step into that executive chairman role.fairly soon, which has already been mooted, that he's going to do that.But it's been said temporarily.I think what will happen then is over time we'll get used to the idea.I think it has to change the constitution to have a full -time executive chairman.

I think something has to change in that regard.But I think that will change.And I think at some point a contract will be negotiated or sorted out or agreed upon.And he'll get offered a basically a salary that will replace his Racing New South Wales salary, which will make it easy for him to just basically leave that job, come into rugby league where he's still celebrated by and large by the wider audience, as opposed to Racing New South Wales, where there are campaigns to get rid of him.How successful they might be, I don't know.But when you've got a couple of heavyweights like Massara and Waterhouse and whatnot who are openly against you, It makes for a tough work environment.

We believe you'll bring over Graeme Hinton, who's the CEO at Racing NSW.as part of his new look rugby league HQ.What do you know about Graeme?

Graeme's a hard worker.He's been very close to Peter for a long, long time.Often you ring Peter and you need something, and you're looking for something, or asking for something, he'll put you straight on to Graeme, and Graeme can find it for you, he'll give you the answers.So, very much, it would be, I imagine if he came over, he would repeat the role, not necessarily the title, but repeat the role that Addo is doing at the moment, where basically, he'd be doing all that donkey work, which he already does for Peter at Racing NSW.He'll come over and do that.Now, look, this could be months away, if not longer.

I don't think it'd be, a year or two away.

You mean Hinton coming across?

No, I mean Valente's taking that role as the executive chairman role.Because Blake Sully's the one that's going to throw up straight away.Everyone's already thrown his name up.Blake has got ambition to do the job, but I don't know.

That's what he did in Super League, didn't he, Blake Sully?

I thought he was head of Super League.No, he wasn't head of Super League.Look, he might have been.I can't know.But Blake's a proven operator and he has got experience around the world.

And ambition.

And ambition.But I just don't know exactly where that's going to you know, how that will play out.I tend to think that the first decision will be made is whether there's a possibility that Valenis can take the executive chairman role and how that's the first thing I think will be explored.Israel, and they'll say today at the press conference, we're going to go looking for a new CEO.We've got plenty of people around the game who qualify.

We're going to go global.

Yeah.Last time, you know, John Grant came out, we're going to go global and we're going to go all around the world.We're going to find the right guy and let us know.we don't care where he is, we'll go around the world, and we'll get the right guy.Lo and behold, he was three doors up.He was down the road.

In the hallway, he was in the same hallway, John Greenberg was there.Yeah, so he had a football at the time.So who were the other people?Dave Donaghy?

Dave Donaghy, he's at the Broncos, CEO at the moment, he's got ambition, I think he'll I think he fits the mold a little bit, but I don't think, I don't, I just, I don't think anyone, he'll throw up.I think there's a couple of... club chief executives who will take the job.There's a couple who definitely won't and won't even be interested in the job.Tristan Hay maybe?Tristan Hay.Tristan Hay.

Well, Tristan Hay, he's an interesting one.He's been in and around the NRL for some time.He's been basically in an advisory role, does a very, very good job at that.He's been very close to Mal Meninga over the years.He's gone away as part of the team, Mal's team that he takes away with him on kangaroo tours and whatnot.I think he was a big part of helping in the early stages of getting the bears going.

But I think he's not so much with the bears now and he's still very close to Volantis.He's a left field choice that could be worth considering.I think of all the people outside Volantis, he is the best choice to be fair.But I do think that the first thing that will be explored, Volantis will go into this temporary role as executive chairman, and then it will be explored whether it can be made permanent.

I know quite a bit about the whole Tennis Australia structure, Kenty, from over the years, and I can tell you one thing.Craig Tiley has been at Tennis Australia for 20 years.He is the tournament director and the CEO.The tournament generates about 700 million Aussie a year.Huge shoes to fill forgoing into that Craig Tiley role.

I think the interesting thing down there is, I don't know this, but I would suspect they will split the CEO role and the tournament director role and the tournament director role will go to Todd Woodbridge or somebody like that and he'll concentrate as the CEO.

I'll say this too though, he'll go into that job battle -hardened.There'll be nothing there too tough for him after what he's dealt with in Rugby League.Rugby League can be a feral playground.He'll go into that battle -hardened and he'll go into it with his eyes open as far as possibilities, given what he's witnessed the last six years in Rugby League.Six years ago, we've got this opening weekend in Vegas now, which again, While we're playing it now, it's different from why we originally went over there.But it is, as a season launch, it's unprecedented.

And it's just got every football code, every sporting code, wishing they had something similar.The AFL would kill for something like that.And I don't think he's a naturally extravagant guy, but he's seen the possibilities of saying, you know what?What the hell?And the one thing the NRL has done is because they've really maximized the broadcast deal, is they've got the money to make mistakes.As I said, they still don't tell anyone how much Vegas costs.

We'd probably be mortified if we found out.But they just keep showing us what a success it is, talking about what a success it is.Forget how much it costs.It's just a great way to start the season.So let's go ahead with it and do it again next year.And everyone just gets on board.

And they've got four planes already booked next year for direct flight straight to Vegas.So Abdo will see the upside in being able to say, you know what?if he's earning $700 million a year at Tennis Australia, we can spend a bit and do something a bit different.It's going to be interesting to see how that can play out.bend the rules within that format because they do have the, as I said, they've got the international body.

Yeah, the ITF.Well, the interesting thing is, Kenty, I reached out to a few of my mates at TA and I said, what's the biggest thing that Abdel will have to do?And they said Craig Tiley was the master manipulator and the maverick.He could do whatever.He just got shit done, right?And the question is, is Abdo up to that?

That's a TA question.

Well, I think Abdo goes into that certainly properly schooled in that area.Now, whether he continues in that vein, we wait and see.But certainly what he has been part of the past six years with the NRL, that's in the blood now because he's just...When COVID came and the game was on its knees, and a lot of people don't know this too.See, If you remember, they came out and they suspended the competition.I think they had two NRL rounds or whatever.

And the AFL suspended the competition and got in contact with the NRL, which was being run by Todd at the time.And they came to an agreement that they would suspend the competition and they would come back maybe in September, October, and then try and play up to Christmas and have some sort of season to sort of rescue the year.and everyone, you know, benefits of COVID, the greater population, all this sort of bullshit that everyone was carrying on with.The NRL agreed, and Vellini sat down, and because he's just a whiz with numbers, he sat down, he worked it out, and he said, hang on a second, we don't have the money to survive until September.Our clubs will be broke.The staff will be gone because they won't have jobs anymore.

The clubs will basically bebroken and cease to exist because they'll run out of money.The NRL didn't have the money to support that.And if you remember, the AFL had their own Marvel Stadium, which they put up as collateral for a loan from the banks if they needed it.So the AFL had the money.So the NRL got well and truly outplayed and outsmarted by the AFL.

And quite possibly, without the landies sitting there and noticing this, Rugby league, we walked along bumping their heads on, you know, wooden planks, and got there and said, shit, we've run out of money.Oh, hang on, AFL's still going.Oh, we're stuffed here.And the banks were in no mood to lend money at the time, if you remember.That was the other thing.So that's when Valeni's went away and put Project Apollo together and said, you guys are going to come up with a plan with COVID protocols, and we're going to start playing May 28.

And they all went, oh, I can't do that.Anyway, He said no, because he worked out financially.That's when they had to get back to start playing.And then what he also did, see, Wayne Pearce went away and headed up Project Apollo, spoke to the clubs.Clubs being clubs, we're going to need another mini pre -season.Typical, so rugby league.

We're going to need another mini pre -season here.So we can't come back May 28, possibly, maybe the first week in July.So Pearce brings up I've spoken to the clubs, we've got it all going, it's going ahead, but we're not coming back May 28.We're coming back July 3 or whatever the date was.Then he said, listen Wayne, I'm telling you, the one non -negotiable in all this is we're coming back May 28."That is the one non -negotiable.

He said, I don't care what you've got to do, but you are coming back May 28.And he said, tell the clubs, under no circumstances is it any later.And that's what happened.And so that's the bold leadership that the governmentwas operating under at the time and what Abdo's been a witness to the whole way through and he'll take that into Tennis Australia, hopefully becomes the most dominant grand slam in world tennis.Origin is back, Blues vs the Maroons and Pointspet is turning up the heat.

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Okay, Kendy, let's talk about some other news that we're going to break.We have been able to get our hands on the player poll, which talks quite a lot about a few issues, but some we want to highlight today because a lot within the game have been talking about how the game has changed and what impact that has on fans.We've got some stats which will be released, we believe, tomorrow or the day after, which talk about what impact it's had on the players.

Yeah, look, it ended up in my letterbox this morning.was this is the Players Association.They've gone out and polled, I think it's 57 of their senior players around the game.

Over 50 % of those players polled have played for eight or more seasons.

Yes.So they've gone to their leadership groups within all the clubs and they've polled the players.And the two things that have really stuck out to me in this poll, one, more than half the players don't enjoy the game as much as they used to because of the new rules.And two is over 80 % of playersbelieve that referees are dictating results, which are two massive concerns for the game.The players who are playing the game don't enjoy it as much as they used to, don't enjoy watching it like they used to, don't enjoy playing it like they used to, and that referees are dictating results in too many games because of the the Six Again rules and the way they're being interpreted.

It's highlighted that it's just not...And look, I'm on the fans' side here.I'm whinging like everybody else is about this.There's been some great things about this Six Again.It's got rid of the wrestle.It's really got it out of the game.

But the referees are still trying to figure it out.The game doesn't quite know how to handle it in headquarters and how to smooth all that out.And we are just seeing games where they're just getting hijacked by mountains of possession.We've seen games this year, multiple games this year, that have started, and the one team's had the ball for the first eight minutes of the game.I think there was one Manly game this year, the Manly -Canberra game.the first 11 minutes of the game, there's one set to the other side.

So there's just this influence on the game that is really affecting the result, and it's affecting fans' affection for the result.Now the NRL are going to come out and they're going to respond to this about how the game's got record numbers, great viewing, great crowds, all that bullshit that they carry on with.What we are not hearing from the NRL, and I don't know if the figure is this, but what we're not hearing is the amount of people who are sitting there watching the game and are, mate, this is last chance.Or the amount of people who are saying, OK, I've seen enough, I'm turning it over now.Those figures have not been released.I doubt that they've even been collated.

But the NRL is sitting there and they're pointing tothe upside of it all, and they're not addressing the downside of it all.And it's a real issue for the game that really needs to be resolved.And I think that when this poll is officially released by the Rugby League Players Association within the next few days, it's really going to make the game have to answer those questions.And I'm interested to see how they do that.Kenny, let's go through a couple of things because...

I'll just get the numbers out.

You got the numbers there?So just read the numbers out.Let's just identify a few things and then you can comment on this.So they were asked for overall physical match intensity.74 % of those who responded said the game has intensity has increased or significantly increased.Yeah.

Now, look, I don't have a problem with that so much, okay?

And that's because the game is about fatigue.I think fatigue is a good thing for the game.The one thing coaches don't want is fatigue, because tired players make mistakes.The one thing you can't coach against is tired players, and they're the ones who make mistakes.They're the ones who miss tackles.So going up, I think that's a good thing.

Even though they say it's more intense, I actually like that part of it.I think that brings positives to the game because it makes the game less predictable and less formulaic.There's a real formula for how to win games and we're seeing this year that formula is not as successful as it has been in past seasons.

Well, it's interesting because this is the second point.play.

And that's good.

That's good.Gone are the days where you used to kick for the corners, try and find touch, slow the game down, take a breather.

If you've got the ball, you just want to keep hold of the ball, you want to keep that momentum going, you've got to score while you've got the momentum.going your way.I don't think that's a bad thing.My one concern in that area that I have in the game is if you've got that momentum coming against you and you're realizing that, there's not a lot of opportunities to change that by getting the ball.We need more contested possessions.We used to have scrums where you contest the ball.

You can't.You used to be able to rake in the play of the ball.to try and get the ball back, you can't do that anymore.Stripping the ball, well, you've got to be a...

One -on -one.

Well, you've got to be a thief these days to get away with it, don't you?You've got to be a pickpocket.And again, not like the old days.Now, I understand why they got rid of that, because players were getting two or three tackles and they were just working over the ball to get the ball out.So I can understand the one -on -one strip, why that's being brought in.But it makes it difficult when there's very few... contested possessions in the game.

And that makes this dominance, this momentum where you're getting consecutive set after set after set, and suddenly at tackle three, you're going from a six -set tackle to a nine -set tackle because the referee's just waved six again.And then two tackles later, he's waving another six again, so it's going to an 11 -set tackle.And teams just can't defend that.The game is just too tough to defend that.So more contested possessions, if they can figure out a way to bring that in, would probably help that.

Just kidding, just kidding.Another interesting one, 95 % of players responded to say the game has increased significantly in regards to fatigue year on year.95%.Yeah, that's fine.That's good.They're getting fitter than they need to.

You want fatigue.All right, this is the other big issue that you want to talk about, Kenty.84 % of players say referees have a major impact on the overall result of a game.84 %?

84 % of players.To me, that's a huge number.out of this whole poll.84%, according to the way the game is currently officiated, believe referees having a big impact on the result.

52 .5 % said refs have more of an impact on the game than players.That's insane.

That's frightening.See, Warren, that's the issue the NRL is in denial about, and that's the issue the NRL has got to address.They've got to figure out a way through it.because the game needs to be decided by the players.You can't have players walking off, sitting there thinking, well mate, we had four six against go against us, when we're up 18 -6, suddenly we're down 26 -18, and we're sitting there and complaining that that wasn't really a six again, that wasn't a six again, and the other thing that's most important, and this is the bit that's sort of the devil in the detail, Players sit there and they'll see, they'll get six again called against and they go, okay, well, yeah, we probably did lay on him a bit long.But then when they got the ball, they've seen a tackle player lay on their player equally as long, but no six again.

And that's a real telling part too.And look, I empathize with the referees because they've got an unforgiving job and it is getting harder and harder.We're getting tougher on them.And the game is making it even harder for them to get it right.And I think this strive for perfection we've got from the referees in the way that we go to the bunker for everything these days and all that sort of stuff, the fact that their KPIs are measured on how long they allow play the balls to go for and all this sort of business, I think we're in a negative whirlpool.that's going to just keep going down the sinkhole.

I don't see how we fix it unless we come in with a real circuit breaker.

The scary thing is if players think 52 .5 % of players think there's more chance of a referee dictating how the game goes, then players are surely match fixing.is a matter of time.

Well, I've been saying that for a while, Warren.The day will come when a referee will be got to.Look, there's been things in the past.Tennis was investigated a few years back, players losing games, tanking games, because there's just so many places to bet, and it's very hard to regulate.Once rugby league starts being gambled, particularly overseas where there's less regulation.Here in Australia, if there's anything that looks a little bit unusual in the market, in the betting habits of regular gamblers, or even new gamblers, more importantly sometimes, the bookmakers are very quick to cut it off, firstly.

Second, they will then notify the NRL.And then thirdly, all the other bookmakers will be quickly notified and cut off that as well.So it's very hard to do that under the regulations here in Australia.But there are so many unregulated gambling sites overseas that that's where the damage gets done.And that's where the damage gets done for a lot of other sports.The cricket and tennis are two of the biggest.

Basketball is another big one.Kenti, the last issue that we want to talk about today, and obviously it's close to your heart, is 39 % of players say the game is less enjoyable because of the rule changes.

And how frightening is that?39%.So in every team, three to four players aren't enjoying the game.as much.as what they used to enjoy because of the way the game's going rule -wise.

No, it's more than that, Kenty.If you're talking about 20 players, it's kind of...I'm talking 13 players on the field.Yeah, okay.

Yeah, well, you're talking about a squad, yeah.

You're talking eight or nine players, not interested in watching the game.

Yeah, and look, we've already had Harry Grant and Cameron Munster come out this year.Oh, there was Drone Hughes and Cameron Munster come out this year.

Yeah, on their podcast, 167, I think it was.

Yeah, and they said that they don't watch the game like they used to.Now, that's the modern -day player, not watching the game, because they don't enjoy it as much.Look, call me a dinosaur, but I thought Manly's 12 -10 win over the Titans on the weekend was wonderful.

Yeah, that's fantastic.Yeah, that's great.

I really enjoyed it.And it showed you, and we saw that earlier in the year with a couple of other games.We saw it last year with, I think, Bulldogs had a little win over the Penrith, I think it was, last year.Those low -scoring games where defense is a premium.and defense is valued in the game, they have their own excitement value.And for some reason we've got all these people on the commission who are just driving this need for entertainment.

More tries apparently is more entertainment.It does not necessarily equate.They don't understand that.They've got to get rid of that mentality that just because you get more tries, more people are entertained.Good defense where you bring attention to the result.That is what is entertaining.

Attention to the result.Where people are sitting there and they go, and yeah, people watch the game like this through their eyes, through their fingers, you know what I mean?And they're sitting there going, okay, and they want to watch, but they don't want to watch.That's what we've got to bring back into the game.We're getting these too many games now being played in a manner where we'll just let you score because we'll get the ball and then we'll score.And hopefully when we get two in a row, then we're in front.

And if you get it now and we're60 games, you get a couple of 60 games, you'll get that two in a row.And that's just the way the game, that's the attitude towards the game.I'll talk about this on another podcast, because I had it written down, but there's too much stuff to talk about today.But the amount of edge defenders who cannot put a shoulder into a tackle these days, it's an epidemic.It is so poor.

And over the weekend, yesterday's game, Thursday night's game, Friday night's game, and the Saturday games, all of them had edge defenders who just stick an arm out, arm tackle, a blocker calls it arm tackle in the commentary.You cannot tackle that way.And it just shows you that all the coaching is going into defensive structure, not defensive technique.And we'll talk about that another time.But defense has its own merit in the game.And we need to value that in the game, and we need to get back to where that has some value in the game, and stop thinking that a 38 -24 scoreline is a good game and an entertaining game.

It's often a rubbish game.And we say this with Two Days to Go, with Origin coming up, where they are absolutely terrified that it's going to be 40 to 36, or something similar.ridiculous scoreline, which just basically just tears apart the fabric of what Origin's been about for 46 years.

Genty, big day for Rugby League today.I'm going to ask you one thing before we go.Give me a grade for ABCD.

I'll give him a Look, I give him a 7, 8 out of 10.I think he's done a pretty good job.Look, his partnership with Vellaini, they've done a tremendous job overall.

The game's in good hands.All right, Kenny, that's it.Thanks for today.Until tomorrow.We'll see you then.Bye -bye.