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Rugby Australia to target top NRL talent

bazza

Immortal
Messages
30,058
This part of an article on Fox Sports (source: https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nr...t/news-story/bbfc7e9935f5ca358cd15f229736ece8) says probably not if the figure quoted is accurate -

View attachment 87405
I think that is why any RU players would be unlikely to switch to the NRL unless they are a superstar outside back or have previously played RL at a decent level
If the assumption is that this guy get $700k in RU - then I doubt any NRL club is going to match that unless he is some superstar
 

nko11

Juniors
Messages
646
I think that is why any RU players would be unlikely to switch to the NRL unless they are a superstar outside back or have previously played RL at a decent level
If the assumption is that this guy get $700k in RU - then I doubt any NRL club is going to match that unless he is some superstar
Rugby Australia really shot themselves in the foot multiple times with the Suaalii signing. You now have an angered player base that is using the NRL as a negotiation tactic. A junior player base that you have shown that the only way to get a big contract in Australian Union, is to start in the NRL. And you've artificially increased all of your players values whilst doing it.

The NRL doesn't even need to sign anyone, there isn't really anyone with name appeal anyway, they just need to be involved in most negotiations going forward. Push every Union players price up by 100k. Squeezes the ARUs finances even more and tests the depth even more.

The Lions tour and World Cup is more about staying afloat now, rather than building any real legacy.

Funnily enough, I don't think Union disappearing would be a good thing for the NRL. Alot of their fans in Sydney and Brisbane are more likely to jump on board the AFL. Best case scenario for the NRL is Union retracts from their expansion markets (Melbourne, Perth, ACT to an extent) whilst remaining just solvent in Sydney and Brisbane.
 

Wb1234

Referee
Messages
23,979
Rugby Australia really shot themselves in the foot multiple times with the Suaalii signing. You now have an angered player base that is using the NRL as a negotiation tactic. A junior player base that you have shown that the only way to get a big contract in Australian Union, is to start in the NRL. And you've artificially increased all of your players values whilst doing it.

The NRL doesn't even need to sign anyone, there isn't really anyone with name appeal anyway, they just need to be involved in most negotiations going forward. Push every Union players price up by 100k. Squeezes the ARUs finances even more and tests the depth even more.

The Lions tour and World Cup is more about staying afloat now, rather than building any real legacy.

Funnily enough, I don't think Union disappearing would be a good thing for the NRL. Alot of their fans in Sydney and Brisbane are more likely to jump on board the AFL. Best case scenario for the NRL is Union retracts from their expansion markets (Melbourne, Perth, ACT to an extent) whilst remaining just solvent in Sydney and Brisbane.
No they already watch nrl anyway

union dieing would be highly beneficial to the nrl and also very funny
 

gerg

Juniors
Messages
2,323
Rugby Australia really shot themselves in the foot multiple times with the Suaalii signing. You now have an angered player base that is using the NRL as a negotiation tactic. A junior player base that you have shown that the only way to get a big contract in Australian Union, is to start in the NRL. And you've artificially increased all of your players values whilst doing it.

The NRL doesn't even need to sign anyone, there isn't really anyone with name appeal anyway, they just need to be involved in most negotiations going forward. Push every Union players price up by 100k. Squeezes the ARUs finances even more and tests the depth even more.

The Lions tour and World Cup is more about staying afloat now, rather than building any real legacy.

Funnily enough, I don't think Union disappearing would be a good thing for the NRL. Alot of their fans in Sydney and Brisbane are more likely to jump on board the AFL. Best case scenario for the NRL is Union retracts from their expansion markets (Melbourne, Perth, ACT to an extent) whilst remaining just solvent in Sydney and Brisbane.
Killing off the Brumbies would be stupid, but there has been plenty of talk about it the last few years. Australia's most successful franchise and it's not even close.
 
Messages
226
Gents the moment we've been waiting for has arrived.

The release of the 2023 Rugby Australia financial statements.

Some highlights:

1) Revenue down $4m from the previous year. Amazing work given it was a World Cup year

2) Profit inverting from $8m in the the black to $9m in the red. Double LOL.

3) The asset deficit blowing out from $4m to $13m

4) That $13m deficit is boosted by the lease accounting. The net lease assets are $10m and not really worth shit. Actual deficit is closer $23m when removing them.

5) Feast your eyes on the pièce de résistance of this master work:

View attachment 87400

A blow out in debt by 10m.

At the low low rate of 10.62%.

I foresee much raiding of the NRL from this well capitalised organisation.

Sauce: https://australia.rugby/about/about-us/governance
I love the way they say that " the loan rate carries an interest rate of 6.25% above the Australian Bank Bill Swap Reference Rate." sneaky way of not having to put 10.62 % up there which looks so much worse and shows what a high risk investment the people who outlayed this money think it is.
The bankers and businessmen running union will never change, they just can`t help themselves, always trying to pull the wool over someone`s eyes, only difference is with union the tides going out and everyone can see who`s swimming naked.
 
Messages
226
I foresee much raiding of the NRL from this well capitalised organisation.
The beauty is we have so much money to take punts on players now, look at Sullivan at the Tigers, half a mill/four years, he`ll probably amount to nothing, so with cap exemptions I`d love to see the NRL start to raid union players more regularly.
I don`t buy this most union fans will go to f-ball, a lot of them are as derisory as us about that game, more likely to follow League on the sly until it is more socially acceptable to come out as a League fan. So f**k having union survive at all, the only good union is a dead union for me, get rid of them and then we can concentrate on fumbleball.
 

Jamberoo

Juniors
Messages
1,305
Rebels fate to be decided tomorrow. According to this article the MCG expects to host the RWC final, but that is conditional on the Rebels not being liquidated.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
66,495
In a time when investors are keenly looking for sports clubs to buy the fact a white collar sport like Union cant find anyone to take over and build the Rebels is very telling of where their sport is at. Shame Twiggy was a union man or Force would have been long gone by now as well.
 

Wb1234

Referee
Messages
23,979
In a time when investors are keenly looking for sports clubs to buy the fact a white collar sport like Union cant find anyone to take over and build the Rebels is very telling of where their sport is at. Shame Twiggy was a union man or Force would have been long gone by now as well.
They are 20 million in debt for a reason

including a huge unpaid tax bill

most union clubs around the world have problems paying their tax
 

Jamberoo

Juniors
Messages
1,305
So, current state of the supposed ‘Code War’ between NRL and AFL is that both of those sports are well up on where they were ten years ago (particularly crowds and revenue), and both RU and soccer have been killed off as spectator sports. AFL and NRL crowds are up roughly by the same amount soccer and RU are down.

We are left with a duopoly. AFL and RL are Coles and Woolworths. RU is SSW and soccer is Jewel. Cricket is IGA.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
66,495
So, current state of the supposed ‘Code War’ between NRL and AFL is that both of those sports are well up on where they were ten years ago (particularly crowds and revenue), and both RU and soccer have been killed off as spectator sports. AFL and NRL crowds are up roughly by the same amount soccer and RU are down.

We are left with a duopoly. AFL and RL are Coles and Woolworths. RU is SSW and soccer is Jewel. Cricket is IGA.
Pretty much, all countries have one or two dominant sports and the less much smaller. In a country as small as australia (population) its amazing it sustains two sports at the level it does.
 

taste2taste

Juniors
Messages
1,863
Interesting reading about the last 3 Union World Cup profits, England made 30m AUD, France finished with a small profit ( largely due to thier major sponsor pulling out at the last minute and blow outs with costs ( ironicly leading to the League world cup being canned )) and Japan had a modest profit.

Former ARU Chair McLennan was quoting numbers of 100m profit expected for Australia 2027.... unless RA has found a miracle way to make triple the profit, they will fall way short of that.

Rugby Australia are going to be flat out repaying thier loans if the World Cup isn't a huge success.
 
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