Wednesday, 17 August 2022
Meet the JournalistsPremiumAucklandWellingtonCanterbury/South Island
CrimePoliticsHealthEducationEnvironment and ClimateNZ Herald FocusData journalismKāhu, Māori ContentPropertyWeather
Small BusinessOpinionPersonal FinanceEconomyBusiness TravelCapital Markets
Politics
Premium SportRugbyCommonwealth GamesCricketRacingNetballBoxingLeagueFootballSuper RugbyAthleticsBasketballMotorsportTennisCyclingGolfAmerican SportsHockeyUFC
NZH Local FocusThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay of Plenty TimesHawke's Bay TodayRotorua Daily PostWhanganui ChronicleStratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu Courier
Covid-19
Te Rito
Te Rito
OneRoof PropertyCommercial Property
Open JusticeVideoPodcastsTechnologyWorldOpinion
SpyTVMoviesBooksMusicCultureSideswipeCompetitions
Fashion & BeautyFood & DrinkRoyalsRelationshipsWellbeingPets & AnimalsVivaCanvasEat WellCompetitionsRestaurants & Menus
New Zealand TravelAustralia TravelInternational Travel
Our Green FutureRuralOneRoof Property
Career AdviceCorporate News
Driven MotoringPhotos
SudokuCodecrackerCrosswordsWordsearchDaily quizzes
Classifieds
KaitaiaWhangareiDargavilleAucklandThamesTaurangaHamiltonWhakataneRotoruaTokoroaTe KuitiTaumarunuiTaupoGisborneNew PlymouthNapierHastingsDannevirkeWhanganuiPalmerston NorthLevinParaparaumuMastertonWellingtonMotuekaNelsonBlenheimWestportReeftonKaikouraGreymouthHokitikaChristchurchAshburtonTimaruWanakaOamaruQueenstownDunedinGoreInvercargill
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDriven MotoringThe CountryPhoto SalesNZ Herald InsightsWatchMeGrabOneiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
Sport

On the footy field, governance is an important determinant of success

21 Jul, 2016 11:25 PM4 minutes to read
New Zealand Warriors chief executive Jim Doyle. Photo / Greg Bowker

New Zealand Warriors chief executive Jim Doyle. Photo / Greg Bowker

NZ Herald
By Alex Malley

When things go wrong on the footy field, most fans blame the players and then the coach. Sometimes it's the other way round depending on the team and the circumstances.

But there's a case to be made for another more deserving target of sports fan's ire when results don't go their way: the board and executive management.

Football clubs may inspire passion and loyalty, but in many other ways they are just like any other business. Their leadership defines the organisation's culture, for good or bad. If it's a bad culture, then that 'tone' filters down through the whole organisation, playing group included.

Sometimes players' public misdemeanours are a direct reflection of a club culture that does not demand accountability from its employees.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Other times, bad leadership provides so many distractions that staff are not concentrating on their core roles. It's even worse if there's a public crisis and the club's woes become a newspaper headline.

Good governance matters and if you get it right, the chances for better results on the footy field are significantly improved. Get it wrong and your beloved team is likely to be languishing towards the bottom of the ladder.

One team that's regularly been at the wrong end of the ladder in recent years is the Warriors, perhaps the most exciting and frustrating team in the NRL. Exciting because of the scintillating style they play; frustrating because they all too frequently fail to live up to the capability within the side.

I don't need to enumerate the Warrior's travails at management and board level over the years. Certainly the dispute between co-owners in 2014, played out in the media, was unhelpful. In those unsettled circumstance, it's hardly surprising the focus was not on the footy field.

The ownership schism has now been excised and Jim Doyle, one of the sharpest sports business brains on both sides of the Ditch, has been brought in to manage the club.

Doyle is a serial entrepreneur, helping bring Navman to market, and as chief executive saved New Zealand Rugby League when it was tearing itself apart. He also had an impressive spell as chief operating officer at the NRL.

Related articles

Sport

McFadden dismisses claims over Lolohea

20 Jul 12:13 AM
Sport

Konrad Hurrell ready to fire Titans into finals

20 Jul 04:05 AM
Sport

Tuivasa-Sheck's recovery well on track

20 Jul 04:15 AM
Sport

Gubb fails to overturn seven-week ban

20 Jul 05:18 PM

While the Warriors' performances have been inconsistent - running the gamut from woeful to wonderful - there's been a lot to admire about the governance.

When I saw chairman Watson fronting the media to defend coach Andrew McFadden after a poor start to the season I was encouraged. This was a leadership team that was focussed and which had each other's backs.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Stars were dropped to the reserve team to illustrate that everybody is accountable and nobody is bigger than the game. The club's strained relationship with promising but mercurial centre Konrad Hurrell was resolved when Jim Doyle announced he was being released from the club with immediate effect.

That good leadership of a sports team can translate to good results on the field is one of those axioms that is difficult to prove and the Warriors illustrate that even the best governance is no guarantee of success. Only time will tell but winning four of their last six games, and only two golden point field goals short of six on the trot is encouraging.

The changes off the field are giving the players on the field every opportunity to succeed. The great work that's taking place at the junior level shows a commitment to player development which is all about ensuring a pipeline of future talent is coming through. All in all, it could just be that the team has now turned a corner.

If they don't make the finals from here, then I respectfully suggest that in this singular instance, we really should blame the players, not the governance.

Alex Malley is chief executive of CPA Australia

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Premium
Sport|Rugby

Ian Foster's 'new dawn': How tide turned towards All Blacks coach

17 Aug 06:20 AM
Sport|Rugby

Ex-boss: NZ Rugby took 'soft option' in Foster decision

17 Aug 05:45 AM
Sport

Auckland City seal passage to Fifa Club World Cup

17 Aug 05:20 AM
Premium
Sport|Rugby

Gregor Paul: The critical change that helped Ian Foster keep his job

17 Aug 04:50 AM
Sport

Elon Musk: 'I'm buying Manchester United'

17 Aug 04:15 AM

Most Popular

Premium
NZ's highest paid CEO: Fletcher boss takes home $6.58m
Business

NZ's highest paid CEO: Fletcher boss takes home $6.58m

17 Aug 05:30 AM
Adrian Orr fronts media after RBNZ hikes OCR by 50bp
Business

Adrian Orr fronts media after RBNZ hikes OCR by 50bp

17 Aug 02:00 AM
'Incredibly unsettling': Police update on suitcase homicide mystery
New Zealand|Crime

'Incredibly unsettling': Police update on suitcase homicide mystery

17 Aug 01:32 AM

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.
About NZMEHelp & SupportContact UsSubscribe to NZ HeraldHouse Rules
Manage Your Print SubscriptionNZ Herald E-EditionAdvertise with NZMEBook Your AdPrivacy Policy
Terms of UseCompetition Terms & ConditionsSubscriptions Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2022 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP