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Whateley

Andrew Abdo Resignation debate - Andrew Voss | Across the Divide! (27.05.26)

27 May 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What prompted Andrew Abdo's resignation from the NRL?

0.031 - 23.553 Andrew Voss

This is what's had me curious. Andrew Abdo takes the role as Chief Executive of Tennis Australia. Peter Volandi sits there and makes it sound like he has graduated to the pinnacle job in Australian sport. There is no bigger position. Any job you take after the CEO of the AFL is a step down. I was amazed to see it pitched that way.

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23.573 - 26.398 Unknown

Oh, what is that malarkey? What did you just say?

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26.498 - 30.925 Andrew Voss

Any job you take after being the CEO of the AFL is a step down.

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32.608 - 33.349 Unknown

In Australian sport?

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34.05 - 44.247 Andrew Voss

In any walk of life. If you're conceding that Tennis Australia's job is bigger than the NRL job, then you have just conceded a whole lot of ground, my friend.

45.644 - 51.674 Unknown

But first of all, I want to just go back to your original comment. So you're saying AFL CEO is the biggest job in Australian sport.

51.734 - 53.897 Andrew Voss

Unless you're going to graduate to become prime minister.

Chapter 2: How does Peter V'landys perceive Abdo's new role at Tennis Australia?

55.56 - 59.206 Unknown

So it's PM, AFL. What's third? What comes third?

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59.226 - 60.708 Andrew Voss

Well, it's not the NRL CEO.

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62.711 - 66.097 Unknown

Where's this going? Why is it? Jared, why are you so committed?

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66.137 - 71.005 Andrew Voss

Why would you concede superiority to Tennis Australia?

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71.045 - 71.145

Yeah.

71.851 - 73.414 Unknown

Oh, well, that's true too.

73.534 - 78.062 Andrew Voss

I think I was just throwing that out there. That was a weirdly staged press conference.

78.082 - 84.093 Unknown

Yeah, no, it was. And I'll tell you why. Because the NRL have become very good at controlling narrative, the news cycle.

Chapter 3: What are the implications of Abdo's departure for the NRL?

84.313 - 105.277 Unknown

In fact, they do it outstandingly well, Gerard. They have a whiteboard of when things get released. This got them on the hop. I have no doubt someone in Tennis Australia... lick this, and that got rugby league like, hang on a second, what, what, what? We weren't announcing this today, not a day before, you know, Origin Week. That's not how it works. Yes.

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105.378 - 124.15 Unknown

So then they had to come up with a press conference, hastily convened press conference in the afternoon, and Peter was Peter. And he had One Nation references. Yes. I don't think I'm holding – I think if you held the press conference today, you'd come up with a whole different diatribe. It'd be a different delivery. But they were caught on the hop. I think you're reading too much into it.

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Chapter 4: Why do some believe the AFL CEO position is the pinnacle of Australian sport?

124.19 - 132.441 Unknown

I think your remarks about the AFL, I'm going to have to think about that. I really am. So prime minister, boss of cricket, not there, no?

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132.461 - 146.56 Andrew Voss

No. AFL. Not alongside AFL. I would have had AFL and NRL previously, but clearly I'm wrong about that. The cricket job is a much bigger job than Tennis Australia's job. So if you're sitting in behind that.

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146.76 - 154.553 Unknown

Yeah, the press conferences have been Tennis Australia. How many? Just in terms of press conferences, how many Tennis Australia press conferences would you do?

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154.754 - 162.829 Andrew Voss

And not running the Australian Open either. So it's quite a niche position. Do you think Andrew Abdo had just had enough of working under the Landys?

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164.613 - 187.521 Unknown

He probably got a situation of an offer too good to refuse. I reckon he's got one-tenth the work and maybe more money. And a trip to Wimbledon, Paris, New York as well. Mind you, we do go to Vegas. I'm just trying to get around your comments. So you don't have a team from New Zealand in your league, in the AFL League. You don't expand. You don't have an international level of the game either.

188.142 - 200.238 Unknown

You don't have PNG on the horizon. You're going to have a team from Tasmania. Giddy up. And it's the biggest job in sport. I'm going to have to think about that, Gerard. I might have to have a week to come back with some sort of reply.

200.278 - 203.125 Andrew Voss

Yeah, well, you've folded your cards, Vossi.

Chapter 5: What challenges does Tennis Australia face with Abdo at the helm?

203.145 - 207.316 Andrew Voss

So it doesn't actually matter what you come up with. Pete folded his cards.

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207.336 - 216.754 Unknown

I wasn't expecting this today. I now understand... We usually do this on a Tuesday, but you were very keen still to come on Wednesday. Very keen. As if you've had this loaded up and ready to go.

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216.934 - 225.228 Andrew Voss

We all just assume that Volandes will run rugby league in a more formal way now. So he's taken leave from racing New South Wales, which is theoretically his day job.

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225.729 - 236.499 Unknown

Yep. I think it's just the perfect storm, though, of having to deal with business, and it's big business. So the television rights presentation started yesterday, Gerard.

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236.519 - 237.039 Andrew Voss

Yes, yeah.

237.059 - 262.206 Unknown

Yesterday. And rather than previously a panel from the commissioners that run the game, no, it's Peter Volandes and Andrew Abdo, like Batman and Robin, going to the broadcasters. They're the only two in the meeting that you are presenting to. Like, that's going right to the top. Yeah. You are not dealing with anyone else. So Peter Volandis is there with Andrew Abdo.

262.847 - 284.425 Unknown

Andrew Abdo's leave date is July 15. Lock me in for a television right still announcement. Is it going to be bigger than AFL? Whatever it's going to be. I think on the Monday or the Tuesday of the week he leaves. So that will be 13 or 14 July. I think that's where they plan to make the announcement. Andrew Abdo walks off into the sunset. Big deal signed off on.

284.926 - 287.872 Unknown

Peter Valandes is up there in the wicker chair and we're throwing rose petals.

Chapter 6: How do the NRL and Tennis Australia compare in terms of media strategy?

288.093 - 300.48 Unknown

Well done. Will he go as well? Is their job done? Were they made to work together? Is this the breaking up of the Beatles? These questions to be answered down the track.

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300.5 - 301.422 Andrew Voss

Yes, yes.

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