It’s NRL grand final week, and with the same sense of inevitability that Penrith and Melbourne made it to the premiership decider, players and coaches of the two clubs have had to wade through the usual morass of manufactured drama cooked up by the rugby league media.
But the relentless hunt for new controversies – and new villains – is now facing pushback from players and coaches.
“I used to enjoy talking to journalists, I never found it a chore,” says former Panthers winger Josh Mansour. “I found it a great way to connect with players and get my voice out there. But I remember once, I came away after speaking to a few journalists thinking we’d had a great chat, and then I saw the story. The headline gave the reader a really false impression of what I’d said and blew it up into something completely different from what we’d talked about.
“A lot of players have experienced something like that – dropping the ball, making a mistake like humans do, and then seeing coverage talking about how they should be burned at the stake. That sort of thing can get a bit tiring.”
Ahead of Sunday’s grand final, much has already been made out of a supposed “feud” between Panthers second-rower Liam Martin and Storm five-eighth Cam Munster. Hours have been spent trawling for “hidden meaning” in a comment Penrith halfback Nathan Cleary made at a press conference about his injured shoulder. And, because a grand final apparently isn’t compelling enough on its own, NSW Blues coach Michael Maguire’s decision to take up the head coaching job at Brisbane has kicked off a fresh round of outrage.
Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall has been outspoken about his frustration with media outlets that, in his words, publish “things that are not true”. And when Marshall does speak out, including responding to criticism that he spends too much time with his young family, it is framed as a “stoush” between him and the media.
The most recent punching bag has been Newcastle Knights fullback Kalyn Ponga, who was harshly criticised last week after ruling himself out of contention for selection in the Kangaroos squad ahead of October’s Pacific Championships.
Ponga laid out his reasoning at the time, citing his desire to focus on the upcoming NRL pre-season and commit fully to the Knights. But after a week of hand-wringing coverage of the supposed “snub,” Ponga reversed his decision and made himself available to play – a move that prompted “stunning backflip” headlines.
It was partly in response to the targeting of Ponga that the Rugby League Players’ Association, the representative body for NRL players, published a statement last week criticising the “lengthy and negative media agendas” that dominate mainstream rugby league coverage to the detriment of players’ wellbeing.
“We’re so conditioned to the brutal negativity that some genuinely think this is the only way to critique and promote our game,” the RLPA said. “No one is saying you can’t have an opinion or criticism. But there’s a difference between having an opinion and tearing apart people’s characters.”
RLPA CEO Clint Newton, a former NRL player himself, says the statement came out of frustration with “an environment [that] has built up over a long period of time”.
“It came off the back of a lot of engagement not just with our players, but with their families – wives, partners, parents,” Newton says. “It’s gotten to the point where we need to provide a reality check.
“There’s not a lack of understanding on our end of the media’s need to sell stories. But when it starts to cross a line, that’s when it becomes an issue. We just want to create a space where there’s mutual respect and confidence that these stories are being told responsibly.”
Mansour, who now co-hosts the ABC NRL Daily podcast, was vocal in his defence of Ponga, saying the media “outrage” around the story was confected.
“God forbid [Ponga] wants to have a break, go away from footy and freshen up mentally and physically, so he can be right to play footy and ply his trade next season,” Mansour said last week.
Together with Bulldogs winger Josh Addo-Carr, Mansour is also the creative force behind Lets Trot, a podcast series where NRL players sit down for in-depth interviews.
“It’s very hard to earn a player’s trust. Everyone’s got a story where they meet a fan face-to-face and the person says, ‘You’re nothing like what people say about you’,” Mansour says.
“When you’re talking to someone who’s a complete stranger, and you’re maybe not very confident or you’re really young, you put your guard up. I like to build rapport with people I interview and have a laugh, try to put them at ease. I want to create an environment where players feel like they can open up and be themselves.”
Partly to avoid feeding the media beast he’s criticising, Newton declines to name specific outlets or commentators who “cross the line”. He instead points to the growing cohort of current and former NRL players like Mansour and Ryan Papenhuyzen who are forging alternative media careers, cutting out the traditional media middleman to reach fans directly and present themselves on their own terms.
“Media is a great platform to share your story and reach people who are looking for inspiration in their life or looking for a bit of guidance,” Storm star Papenhuyzen said this week. “So that’s what I really like about it – I can share my story.”
Newton says it is difficult to put a price on how valuable that is in the NRL and NRLW.
“That’s one of the great things that social media platforms and podcasting have provided players and fans,” Newton says. “It gives players the confidence to step out on their own and make something they can be proud of. It’s such a great opportunity to lift up the characters of our game and give them a voice.”
