Cheers for the post mate. Would love to hear some stories of your personal experiences during it all.
Thanks for your reply would gladly provide you with the information our group was involved in, I don't live in Sydney but come here on occasions if it can be arranged I would be happy to talk to you about my involvement.
At the time Murdoch wanted the broadcasting rights the the game, the ARL ran a 20 team comp many thought that there was not enough talent to provide for the best possible football entertainment, in order to do that the number of teams had to be reduced hence it was something of a scramble to get into this proposed elite competition
Also pre SL the salary cap was about 1 million and the top players were getting no more than $100,000 however most were getting no more than an average labours wage. Under SL it was proposed to pay the top players about $400,000.
Our club decided to align with SL, other clubs tried but failed some clubs remained staunch ARL supporters, North Sydney players wanted their club to join SL but the board decided not, the rest is history for that club. I believe that our club our club would have ended up the same way as the Bears if it had not joined SL
As for McCracken's book I have not read it and have no intention of doing so, it was reported that he lobbied our players to defect to the ARL after they had signed with SL
after all he did not play another game for us following the defection where as Pay, Dymock and Smith did.
Our players who defected back to the ARL were offered more money to do so but I'm certain that it was the fanatical campaign by the ARL media which played a major part in their decision, our club was not short of money and could have increased the original offer which I believe was around $400,000 PA if the players had approached the club first.
The legal battle which followed the presiding Judge Berchip (not sure of the spelling) verdict was an insult to the average persons intelligence, however on appeal his judgement was overturned.
I believe that RL would be dead if it had not been for SL, simply because the ARU had at that time decided to go professional and Murdoch would have backed it instead.