Hansen Viduka Wants AIS Program to Return

30 SPORT TUESDAY APRIL 21 2020 Greenberg out door in big NRL shake-up Hugh Marks Nine boss keen to see game back on screens SCOTT BAILEY AAP NINE boss Hugh Marks has stated for the first time he wants the NRL to return this year but says clubs must be better supported by the league. A fortnight after publicly lashing the NRL, Marks yesterday said the game needed to restart from its coronavirus shutdown to help life return to normal. Marks has been locked in meetings with ARL Commis- sion chairman Peter V’landys over the game’s planned May 28 return. Nine had previously told the stock market it stood to save as much as $130 million if the game did not come back in 2020. A reworked season is ex- pected to be announced this week with broadcasters Nine and Fox to have some say on their preference for the competition’s structure. Todd Greenberg fell on his sword yesterday after four years in the role of chief executive of the NRL Picture: GETTY IMAGES But Marks told 2GB Radio yesterday the game needed to SCOTT BAILEY of the Peter V’landys era. four years,” Greenberg said in Greenberg will not take up mours had began to surface return in some form. “Rugby AAP Under pressure to keep his a statement. another role in the NRL, with of frustration from clubs to- league restarting is one of job for the past month, “Despite the variety of his involvement in the sport wards Greenberg with his those things we need to make TODD Greenberg’s four- Greenberg’s exit comes after challenges and pressures I ending yesterday. contract up for renewal in sure happens as part of getting year reign as NRL chief meetings between broad- have loved every single min- The former boss of Can- 2020. through this and getting out executive is over after he quit casters and the NRL about ute of the journey. terbury, Greenberg became He was last week kept out the other side into a recovery,” yesterday with immediate ef- the competition’s structure. “Our growth over the last the NRL’s head of football in of NRL meetings with Nine the Nine CEO said. “Those dis- fect. Greenberg had come four years has been extraord- 2013 before he took over the while there were significant cussions are ongoing.” Greenberg stood down under fire from the game’s inary and I am very proud of reins in 2016. questions around head office The ARL Commission is ex- with the NRL claiming it was free-to-air broadcaster the my contribution to the game. His first major challenge expenditure in recent years. pected to meet today to discuss with “mutual agreement” Nine Network earlier this “I am indebted to the came in the form of Parra- “ARLC thanks Todd for broadcaster discussions before after “reflecting on the needs month, when it accused the game for the variety of op- matta’s salary-cap scandal, his contribution to the game rugby league’s Project Apollo of the game”. league of financial misman- portunities and experiences while off-field behaviour over the last seven years and committee reconvenes to- He will be replaced by agement. that have been provided to proved his biggest test until as chief executive for the last morrow. chief commercial officer An- “It has been my great hon- my family and I, and we leave coronavirus. However, even four years,” ARL Commis- Nine publicly questioning drew Abdo in the interim as our and privilege to be the with many great memories before the competition was sion chairman V’landys said the NRL’s management earlier part of the first big shake-up CEO of the NRL for the last and life-long friendships.” postponed last month, ru- in a statement. this month. Rugby must shed self-interest: Hansen Viduka wants AIS program to return FORMER All Blacks coach Online, he said the interna- MARK Viduka says the AIS 2000s, including Viduka, Josip brough believed the AIS was Steve Hansen says self-interest tional game had lost its way transformed him into a Soccer- Skoko, John Aloisi, Craig essential to Australian soccer has left rugby staring at a glo- and believes the halt brought oos legend and is calling on the Moore, Lucas Neill and Brett developing its next golden bal chasm, calling on unity and on by the pandemic is a chance FFA to reinstate its Canberra- Emerton came through the generation. “The AIS basically a new approach to resuscitate to devise a new blueprint. based program. AIS ranks. made me as a player,” Viduka the sport. Hansen, whose 16- “We have an opportunity Football Federation Austra- Viduka, captain of Austra- told Optus Sport. year New Zealand reign ended now to start with a blank page lia closed the Centre of Excel- lia’s 2006 World Cup cam- “It was sort of like being in last year, said the perilous fi- because you have got every- lence, which catered for paign, said soccer again needed an academy in England. nancial state of countries like body putting self-interest to talented under-17s, in 2017 to have a presence at the Aus- “We had so much intense Australia can’t just be attribut- the side,” he said. “They know mainly due to the $1.6 million tralian Institute of Sport. football in that two years and I ed to the coronavirus outbreak. they could be gone if they don’t annual cost. A huge core of the The former EPL star at came out of the AIS a different In an interview with Wales do the right thing. Steve Hansen Socceroos’ stars during the Leeds United and Middles- player than I did coming in.” NTNE01Z01MA - V1.

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