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All the chatter in sporting and media circles heading into this year’s State of Origin opener was squarely focused on Peter V’landys, the chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission and chief executive of Racing NSW.
V’landys, for all intents and purposes, rolled up to Accor Stadium in Sydney on Wednesday night as the man of the moment, with a $4 billion point to prove.
First, of course, there was the looming prospect of one of the nation’s most influential sporting administrators – who wields great influence in media as a result – could be set accrue yet more power as rugby league’s executive chairman, following the departure of NRL chief Andrew Abdo.
Setting that against the backdrop of a blockbuster showdown with the biggest media companies in the country – and, reportedly, possibly even the world – in a bid to get $4 billion for the next NRL broadcast deal, and the rugby league boss was always going to want to put on a show.
So we were hardly surprised to hear V’landys forward-sizzling the arrival of his celebrity guests to those who joined him in the president’s suite well before kick-off on Wednesday evening. The media execs fighting for pride and place with the big man had to go up against Australian actor Patrick Brammall, on the heels of his appearance in the Devil Wears Prada 2, and his actor wife Harriet Dyer, who starred alongside him in the hit show Colin from Accounts.
Among those who got in early were Abdo, who of course is bound for Tennis Australia after close to six years as NRL boss, along with NRL commissioners Kate Jones and Professor Megan Davis, a Cowboys and Maroons tragic.
The media contingent reliably showed up in force, headlined by News Corp chairman Lachlan Murdoch (in a Queensland jersey, no less) and his wife, Sarah. Then there was the long-time Foxtel chief executive Patrick Delany, who our sister column On Background recently reported is London-bound, set for a new global role at DAZN, after the streamer bought Foxtel last year.
Matt Stanton, the chief executive of Nine Entertainment – owner of this masthead – and his chairman Peter Tonagh were also there, we hear, flanked by the company’s broadcast boss, Amanda Laing.
No doubt the trio were keen to impress on Origin night, fresh on the heels of the company’s reported Tuesday pitch to snare the NRL’s full suite of broadcast rights, in a move that, if successful, would edge Foxtel out of the game for the first time in about three decades. Wonder how their hellos went down with Delany! Rounding out the media contingent was Tom Malone, the former Nine Radio boss turned chief executive of 2GB owner Tapt Media.
NSW Premier Chris Minns was also in the suite, where we hear he got some quality time with V’landys, who he sat next to for a bit. Opposition leader Kellie Sloane was also seen hobnobbing in the suite, as was Commonwealth Bank chief executive Matt Comyn, fresh from his talkfest with OpenAI boss Sam Altman in Sydney earlier in the week.
As kick-off neared, executives and sporting administrators continued to flow in. There was Sally Loane, the newly minted chair of Chubb Insurance Australia, and NRL players boss Clint Newton, and later NRL football boss Graham Annesley, and Australian actor Bryan Brown. Then there was the NRL Commissioner Wayne Pearce, along with Justice Geoffrey Bellew, who is also NRL special investigator. Outgoing Queensland Rugby League boss Ben Ikin also showed face.
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John Buckley is a CBD columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.From our partners
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