‘They did a good job’: Peter V’landys finally paid the AFL a compliment. Here’s why

Another year, another NRL finals series launch in the Harbour City. And another gentle jab at the AFL from NRL supremo Peter V’landys.

With the Swans basking in the afterglow of their stunning win over Brisbane in Saturday’s qualifying final at the SCG on Saturday, their week off to prepare for the preliminary final – which looms as the hottest ticket in town – has given the NRL clear air for its opening week of finals action.

Three games in Sydney take centre stage, beginning with South Sydney’s clash against Newcastle at Allianz Stadium on Friday night.

Overlooking the Opera House from the Museum of Contemporary Art on a sun-soaked Monday morning, the ARLC chairman and interim NRL chief executive does not blink when asked about rugby league’s turn in the spotlight this week.

“Who are the Swans? Is that a team?” V’landys jokes. “That doesn’t bother us. We’ve got the best entertainment sport in Australia, so we just rely on that.”

But for all the predictable bluff and bluster, V’landys actually had something complimentary to say about the AFL. We checked, it wasn’t April Fools’ Day.

V’landys is warming to the idea of a wildcard round, where the top six teams would have the week off while the teams finishing between seventh and 10th spot on the ladder play off for the two remaining finals spots.

The concept, which has been adopted successfully by the AFL, has been discussed by V’landys and NRL club officials. For a fleeting moment, V’landys’ mask slips.

“The AFL did a good job,” V’landys says. “They’ve proven that by big attendances and big ratings. Maybe the [rewarding] mediocrity thing isn’t a factor. Maybe we should be looking at it more for the fan. We’ll certainly sit down and have a close analysis of it.

“We floated this idea four or five years ago, and the first thing that came to my mind is, you’re rewarding mediocrity. I think the AFL have shown you’re not. I think they kept all the fans engaged for a longer period of time.”

One-sided mismatches and dead rubbers have increased in the NRL over the past month, but the slate has been wiped clean with eight teams now vying for supremacy.

As far as a geographical spread goes, this is about as good as it gets for the NRL.

Four Sydney clubs – Penrith, the Roosters, Cronulla and South Sydney – is ideal in the game’s biggest market, while the Dolphins and Cowboys ensure interest remains high north of the border.

Throw in the New Zealand Warriors across the ditch and a rusted-on rugby league city in Newcastle, and V’landys is delighted with how things are shaping up.

“It’s ideal,” V’landys says. “You want to diversify it as much as you can. It’s reached our expectation because last year we were the most viewed sport in Australia and we still are.”

V’landys is supposed to be impartial, but admits he has a soft spot for two teams this year: the Warriors and Dolphins.

Both sides are yet to win an NRL premiership, and a breakthrough triumph for either would be a compelling story.

That is particularly true of the Warriors, whose relocation to Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 kept the competition going – for which V’landys will remain eternally grateful.

“I’d like to see the Wahs do well, especially what they did for us during COVID when they sacrificed their family lives to stay in Australia,” he says. “This is probably a little bit of karma back for them. I think the Wahs have become everyone’s second team, as have the Dolphins. They’re the two teams I think will be most interesting.

“I think the teams are more even than they normally are. Naturally, Penrith are going to be hard to beat. They’re such a well-coached team with a lot of superstars.”

Six of the eight captains are in attendance, working their way through a series of photoshoots, live crosses, interviews and other commitments after an unusually early 7am start.

Junior players from local teams are running around everywhere and Sharks skipper Blake Bailey is signing autographs. There is no sign, however, of Panthers co-captains Nathan Cleary or Isaah Yeo – something the NRL are not thrilled about.

There are also four teams notable by their absence – Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canterbury, who filled the top four positions last season.

“For those four big guns to miss out, it shows you the equitability of the salary cap,” V’landys says.

Expansion franchise Perth Bears have drawn criticism in some quarters over the perceived weakness of their inaugural squad, but could they be represented here next year in their debut season? What about the PNG Chiefs the year after that?

“I think a lot of people have got the Bears wrong,” V’landys says. “I think the roster is very good. I think they’re going to shock a few people. They may not make the top eight, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they did similar to what the Dolphins did in the first year and remain competitive.

“I think PNG definitely. Michael Chammas, that former Sydney Morning Herald reporter – although he’s thrown the toys out of the cot about [Hudson Young’s] market value – he’s done a great job and he’s got a very good team so far.

“I think that they’ll be competitive, and they’ll probably make the finals in the very first year.”

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