BRIAN WALDRON walked into the press conference like he was stepping on to a yacht and bit down hard on the hand that feeds him. It won't surprise if the hand throws a left jab and right cross after the grand final. Or, according to those who would know, passes on a termination letter.

Waldron is the chief executive for the News Ltd-owned Melbourne Storm. After Friday night's victory over the Sharks, his ego convinced him to sit front and centre, before the bank of television cameras and throng of journalists, so he could say: "The game has a responsibility to fix it. And the people running the game need to fix it because we're sick of it and we'll fix it if someone else doesn't."

Oops. News Ltd half-owns the NRL, too. It also owns The Daily Telegraph, the newspaper he and coach Craig Bellamy slammed for engineering a campaign against captain Cameron Smith as he defended his grapple tackle charge. Maybe Waldron should start boxing up his office now.

The whispers yesterday were that Waldron is a dead man walking. He is off with his News Ltd superiors, especially so now that he has attacked the Empire of the NRL in such a flagrant manner.

Other club chief executives aren't so shocked. They have cocked an eyebrow ever since the former AFL suit - he was chief executive at St Kilda and football manager at Richmond - walked into his first CEOs conference and started telling men who have had rugby league coursing through their veins since birth how to run their game.

Of course, it depends on how you read it. Some say Waldron has been a tempest of vitriol for the sole reason of earning column inches in a town that prays to the god of AFL every waking minute. Picking a fight against the "northern media" might just create some down south.

As if. The News Ltd-owned Herald-Sun will designate seven pages to Collingwood players Heath Shaw and Alan Didak running amok on the ink while the News Ltd-owned Melbourne Storm are given scant regard.

Perhaps the News Ltd bean counters have taken notice.

News Ltd freely admits the $8 million it receives out of the NRL each season is funnelled directly to the Melbourne Storm. For that reason, officials at Sydney clubs scoff whenever it's said that their Melbourne friends have done really, like, well.

They know precisely why the Storm have been able to build their dynasty. They know why they have reached their third successive grand final.

Yet they also know that Melbourne have lost in the vicinity of $30m over the past five years. Sydney clubs wince when reminded about that fact. Maybe News Ltd does, too.

But it's Waldron's manner that irks many, and it extends beyond the puerile comments of Sharks coach Ricky Stuart, who called Waldron a "flip" and an "idiot" after the loss to Melbourne on Friday night.

For an example of what they are talking about, you need only go back to the Storm's semi-final against Brisbane last Saturday week.

A video referee decision that went against the Storm prompted Waldron to rant and rave and seek out NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley to complain. While the game was still going.

When NRL chief executive David Gallop found out the next day, he read Waldron the riot act. Without question, Gallop would have relished handing Waldron with a $50,000 breach notice for the attack on the Empire on Friday night. News Ltd versus News Ltd.

The Herald called Waldron for comment last night. For a change, he had nothing to say.

Best bet

Melbourne: $2 (TAB Sportsbet), $2.20 (Betchoice.com).