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Leagues and Governing Bodies

National Rugby League Boss Dave Smith Wants Power To Break Salary Cap

Australia's National Rugby League "is considering a proposal" which would give CEO Dave Smith "sole discretion to pay players outside the salary cap and potentially decide where they play," according to Brent Read of THE AUSTRALIAN. The proposal "was discussed last week" at a meeting of CEOs in Auckland, where clubs "were taken through plans to overhaul the salary cap from next season." Consultant Andrew Fraser, who has been brought in by the NRL to lead the review of the cap, "outlined a plan that would result in Smith being able to hand-pick players to be paid from the central body’s cash reserves." The plan "would also give Smith the power to shift those players to the club of his choice, although there were suggestions the players might be put up for auction and sent to the highest bidder." The proposal "was met with resistance" from some CEOs, who "fear the concept could be used by player managers to distort the market" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 2/20).

PLAYER SAFETY: In Sydney, Adrian Proszenko reported the NRL "has aborted plans to introduce independent doctors to monitor game-day concussions, believing club medicos are best qualified to determine player safety." The issue has been cast into the spotlight after a number of prominent NRL doctors "quit at the end of last season over concerns team success was placed before player welfare" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 2/20).

SHARKS APPEAL: The AAP reported interim Cronulla Sharks coach Peter Sharp "has urged the NRL to make a decision" on Cronulla's appeal against head coach Shane Flanagan's 12-month ban as the new season looms. Flanagan was suspended by the NRL for 12 months, and the club fined A$1M ($900,000) "as part of a probe into governance issues surrounding its supplements program run by former strength and conditioning coach Trent Elkin in 2011" (AAP, 2/19).

DOPING INVESTIGATION: Also in Sydney, Proszenko reported the NRL players' association hopes the resignation of Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority CEO Aurora Andruska "won't slow the investigation process in the supplements saga," saying affected players are under ''extraordinary physical and psychological strain." In a statement, the NRL said, "The NRL is determined to resolve these matters as soon as possible while limiting the risk of legal action and further delay" (SMH, 2/20).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

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SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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