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by Billy Roberts (Author)
Crossroads - Rugby League's Greatest Battle is a contrarian and controversial look at rugby league in Australia and the great challenges and threats the code faces into the future.
After the bitter civil war of Super League in the mid 1990s that ripped the heart out of the game, the code was supposed to have a happy ending with the newly merged NRL in 1998 and the creation of the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) in 2012 to govern the code independently, which would enable the code to fight fire with other sports in Australia and allow the sport to finally reach its potential. But that happy ending has eluded the sport and seems further away than ever before, despite the media's lavish praise for current Chairman Peter V'landys.
Despite rugby league dominating and being the number one sport in both New South Wales and Queensland, with record television ratings, large media deals, solid crowds and extensive media coverage, the game faces great risks to its long-term success, both from within and externally, with threats from the nation's strongest sport, the AFL.
The outside looks great to most fans, but as Covid exposed the fragilities of the code after years of fiscal mismanagement, only by going deeper do you see the real health of the patient.
Crossroads examines key matters which are not often discussed in today's agenda-driven and non-independent corporate media, such as leadership, governance, the role of Peter V'landys, country rugby league, financial mismanagement, integrity and ethics, the dangers of today's media, politics, grassroots, NRL product, expansion, the World Club Challenge and the international game.
Written from the perspective of a long-time fan who is completely independent, it's a no-nonsense look at the sport and a must read for all who love rugby league.
