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Message: [QUOTE="Coxy, post: 2449439, member: 1764"] I agree completely that initially Murdoch was up front and clear with his intentions and proposals. Just as Packer was when he approached the ACB to get the commercial TV rights, basically throwing a blank cheque at them and being turned down. Both of them realised a bitter split was not going to help them get their desired outcome. Ultimately both saw dissatisfaction with the establishment as a potential opportunity to leverage and get their respective TV products a major attraction. Pay TV was in its infancy in 1995, and Optus Vision and Foxtel were head to head competitors. I think they both realised long term there wasn't enough of a market for both so they needed to get product on there that gave them the competitive advantage. Foxtel already had its ties with Fox in the US for movie/TV content, but needed local sport. So Murdoch would've been willing to share the pay TV rights with Packer because it'd still be a win for him. Packer realised Optus Vision had SFA to appeal other than sport, so he clung onto his bargain basement acquired league rights for dear life. The long term outcome proves it - Optus vision folded, acquired by Foxtel, and we now have a pay tv monopoly owned by Murdoch. He won the real war. Where rugby league failed was that the likes of Ribot, Quayle, Arthurson weren't seeing the forest for the trees. Had they worked together, and worked with Murdoch and Packer, my god the game could be huge now. Instead it's only passed where it was in 1995 in the last 2-3 years IMO. I have no love for the ARL/NSWRL either, and was very much behind the concept of Super League. But ultimately I love rugby league and in hindsight what happened to the game from 1995-2002 was horrible. While I thought Souths should be gone and still do, it was their return in 2002 that to me signified the end of the war. [/QUOTE]

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