I had a giggle at that comment too MB, it was clearly tongue-in-cheek for dramatic effect.
You can love or hate Gould, but he's a rare breed. At a time when it seems virtually no other journalist or commentator is willing to say it like it is, for fear of NRL/News Ltd backlashes, here's what Gould wrote:
Gallop should walk after Storm slur
PHIL GOULD
18 Sep, 2011 12:00 AM
David Gallop should resign. His disgraceful comments directed at the Melbourne Storm fans last week comparing them to terrorists should be the last straw. Not to mention the insensitivity of the timing of this remark on an even larger scale.
I cannot tell you how many calls and messages I have received expressing their disgust at his misguided and emotional outburst. Gallop's deplorable retort is typical of the over-sensitive, highly reactionary management culture he brings to the NRL. He cannot deal with criticism or anything that remotely infers he is not doing a great job. The constant stream of self-promotion and the seconding of Gallop-friendly journalists to push his status or cover for his mistakes are now so obvious to everyone. It's getting very boring.
It's obvious there is no one with the authority or courage in the NRL to sack Gallop. It is also obvious Gallop lives under a blanket of protection from his friends at News Ltd, which also owns the game of rugby league. Had it been any other prominent person in the country who had made such an embarrassing statement, you can only imagine how they would have been slammed by that section of the media until action was taken to remove them from their important position of office.
No one else in the game is going to speak out against Gallop and demand his sacking because they know they too would be vilified for daring to criticise their man.
This is the environment that has existed under Gallop's leadership of the NRL and News Ltd's ownership of the game. If you dare to speak out against their authority you will be publicly slammed so that you get the message to sit down and shut up. Other NRL club chief executives tell me they also fear backlashes against their clubs in other ways if they don't toe the party line.
I can speak from my own experience in this regard, not to mention the pressure on my employers to shut up. Still, I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees.
I seriously doubt Gallop would win an election among the 16 NRL clubs to get the role of chief executive under the new independent commission if this was put to a vote.
The Storm fans were entitled to voice their protest. They didn't throw any objects. They didn't threaten him with physical attack. It was simply boos and jeers.
The last time I looked Australia was a democracy. They were well within their rights.
Of course, the major point of all of this is that the real truth about the whole Melbourne Storm salary cap story is yet to be told. Gallop keeps saying he is comfortable with the decisions he made and the penalties handed down. Of course, these and other matters concerning the Storm breaches were never tested under oath in court. The full story is guaranteed to emerge one day; of this you can be guaranteed.
In the meantime though, our game deserves new leadership. I speak with other NRL club officials, government officials, venue managers, major sponsors and trading partners and they are always comparing the negotiations they have with the NRL to those dealings they enjoy with other sporting codes. To say our game is off the pace would be an understatement. Mind you, none of this will ever be written while a media company owns the game and controls how our history is being recorded.
There are a lot of great people working in the NRL and ARL departments and many do an outstanding job. However, it's the game's leadership and unworkable ownership that lets them down. Hopefully this will change soon.
http://www.thecourier.com.au/news/national/national/sport/gallop-should-walk-after-storm-slur/2295396.aspx