V’landys turns on charm before crack at Perth media
Scott Bailey |
Breakfast TV jokes, fast-food conundrums and an undying confidence. Welcome to the full Peter V’landys experience Perth.
And that was all before taking a shot at local media, accusing the state’s biggest newspaper of having a bias against the NRL.
Thursday’s expansion announcement for the Perth Bears’ 2027 NRL admission was peak V’landys.
While Western Australia premier Roger Cook was facing questions over taxpayer spend and timings of the deal, V’landys was running his own show.
Grilled over whether the NRL were treating Western Australia as a cash cow following Cook’s accusations last month, V’landys cracked back.
“The cash cow is on Sunrise on Channel Seven, I don’t know if that’s the cash cow we’re referring to,” V’landys said.
“But (the state) is a gold mine.
“I heard the figure of a $28 million return. Our figure is $50 million return to the government.”
Questioned on whether the NRL had consulted the AFL out of courtesy on entering the state, V’landys opted against firing a shot at rugby league’s biggest rival.
Instead, he responded by plugging two fast-food restaurants.
“I don’t see McDonalds checking in with Kentucky Fried Chicken when they open a new store,” V’landys quipped.
“So we certainly haven’t consulted with the AFL. They don’t consult with us.”
And as for which of those brands was the NRL and which the AFL?
“I have to be careful, I am on the McDonald’s ad and KFC is our sponsor, so I like both of them,” V’landys responded.
And while V’landys took the safe path in opting not to go after the most popular sport on the west coast, he took umbrage with sections of the WA media.
The front page of the West Australian ran with the headline “Bad News Bears” on Thursday, labelling the club as a “dud second-division team” from Sydney.
“I think the media coverage has been a bit biased, in the sense the main newspaper here is owned by 7 West Media that has the AFL rights,” V’landys said.
“Let’s be quite frank: They don’t want us to be here.
“They realise we will be quite competitive and we’ll be take some of their lunch. And we eat a lot, so we will be eating a fair bit of their lunch.”
V’landys and the NRL, however, remain bullish about expansion, repeatedly pointing out they have the “most watched” sport in the country during the announcement.
His ARLC tenure will be remembered as the most dramatic time in rugby league so far this century.
It began with COVID-19, has featured the Las Vegas venture and now includes expansion to Redcliffe, PNG and Perth.
“I am super confident it will succeed,” V’landys said of the Perth Bears venture.
“A lot of people said Las Vegas wouldn’t succeed, and we had 20,000 Australians there last year.
“It’s been one of the most successful ventures the NRL has ever done.
“And I am a lot more confident about the Perth Bears now than I was at the same stage about Vegas.”
AAP
