THE NEWS that Kerry Packer's Channel Nine television company will broadcast Rupert Murdoch's Super League games in Australia this season might be viewed by rugby league people as a significant step towards uniting a divided game.
That was the way Maurice Lindsay, as chairman of the International Board, saw it yesterday. "I'm delighted that agreement has been reached. It clearly indicates that a peace deal has been agreed and that is good news for us all.
"The fact that Channel Nine will be covering Super League as well as the ARL competition could even be the first step towards a single game in Australia, which of course would be to everyone's advantage," added the English game's chief executive.
Ken Arthurson, executive chairman of the Australian Rugby League, who are backed by Packer and have fought a long and bitter battle with Murdoch's Super League, viewed it differently.
"I would be telling a lie I said I didn't feel deeply wounded and bitterly disappointed," Arthurson said. "It's not really a great way to start the year, is it? Sometimes you really wonder what it's all about."
The ARL, who will be running a 12 club competition in 1997 alongside Super League's 10 club tournament, clearly feel betrayed by Packer who holds the ARL television rights until 2000.
At one stage after the outbreak of hostilities in 1995, it appeared that the ARL had won a comprehensive legal victory over Super League, who were told they could not start a competition in Australia before 2000. But the judgment was overturned last October.
It is not only Super League's Monday night games that will be shown by Channel Nine. The network will screen the Tri Series between New South Wales, Queensland and New Zealand, five Tests involving Australia, Britain band New Zealand and the preliminary finals and finals of the World Club Challenge.
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