Footy bosses Peter V’landys Andrew Abdo ‘complain about NRL’s unfair treatment’ on Nine’s Today show

The relationship between the NRL and Channel Nine is strained, with footy bosses Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo reportedly complaining to the network about the code’s lack of promotion on the Today show.

According to a report in the Daily Telegraph, V’landys and Abdo have in recent weeks formally complained to the network’s chief executive, Mike Sneesby, to protest what they see as unfair treatment by Nine.

The Today show, which was recently in Adelaide for the AFL’s Gather Round, regularly runs stories promoting the AFL but according to NRL top brass, doesn’t focus on their sport in equal measure.

Nine’s push for AFL content on Today is an attempt to grab TV ratings away from Channel Seven’s Sunrise, the report said.

Channel Seven hold the rights to the AFL, making it an unusual move from Nine to promote a rival’s flagship sport.

Footy bosses Peter V’landys (pictured) and Andrew Abdo have reportedly complained to the Nine network about lack of promotion on the Today show

The Today show regularly runs stories promoting the AFL but according to the NRL doesn’t focus on their sport as much as it should

It is expected that the Today show will make more of an effort during Origin, with the opening game kicking off on May 31.

The NRL is insisting on ‘more consistent season-long coverage’ from the network as it attempts to grow the sport around Australia.

The relationship between the NRL and the free-to-air TV giant has been rocky at times in recent years.

Nine hit out at ‘mismanagement of the code’ in 2020, in a scathing bombshell statement after it emerged that rugby league bosses had rubber-stamped a date for the resumption of the competition during the pandemic without consulting them.

‘At Nine we had hoped to work with the NRL on a solution to the issues facing rugby league in 2020, brought on so starkly by COVID-19,’ the statement began.

‘But this health crisis in our community has highlighted the mismanagement of the code over many years. Nine has invested hundreds of millions in this game over decades and we now find they have profoundly wasted those funds with very little to fall back on to support the clubs, the players and supporters.

‘In the past the NRL have had problems and we’ve bailed them out many times including a $50m loan to support clubs when the last contract was signed.

‘It would now appear that much of that has been squandered by a bloated head office completely ignoring the needs of the clubs, players and supporters.’

The NRL is insisting on ‘more consistent season-long coverage’ from Nine (NRL CEO Andrew Abdo pictured)

Weeks later, NRL boss Todd Greenberg stood down from his position amid mounting financial pressure on the game.