NRL backs St George Illawarra's long-term plans

[The Nick]

NRL backs St George Illawarra's long-term plans - Michael Carayannis March 23, 2015 - 9:48PM

The NRL has backed St George Illawarra's long-term vision by not imposing the same management revamps it has forced on other clubs who have leant on the governing body for financial assistance.

The Dragons, Newcastle, Wests Tigers and more recently the Titans have all needed NRL funding. But unlike their counterparts, St George Illawarra's board has been largely untouched. It is understood the NRL believes the Dragons management – headed by chief executive Peter Doust – is independent and skilful enough to take the club forward.

The NRL has pushed for a female representative to be added to the board at some stage but would not confirm how much money it leant the Dragons. The NRL indicated there was a tight reporting regime in place to ensure funds are spent appropriately.

"The NRL had to step in and make changes at the Tigers, Titans and Knights to help secure their future," an NRL spokesman said. "The issues facing those clubs extended beyond the need for financial assistance. In the case of the Dragons, the NRL is working with the club on a longer-term plan. The plan involves appropriate business restructuring and ongoing, measurable accountability for the club."

Advertisement

The Dragons put forward their plan for sustainability to the NRL commission, in 2013. The NRL supports the Dragons' "right game right venue strategy", which has seen home games taken away from their Wollongong and Kogarah heartland and into bigger stadiums at Moore Park and Sydney Olympic Park.

Part of the pitch included a roadmap for membership growth and emphasis on junior development.

At the Tigers, a fractured Magpies/Balmain board remained deadlocked, making the joint venture dysfunction and unable to progress. The NRL appointed three independent board members at the Tigers, including chairwoman Marina Go. The NRL also has two "stakeholder" delegates – Peter Shear and Phil Gardner – at the Knights after revamping the board. The NRL bailed out the Knights following the end of mining magnate Nathan Tinkler's disastrous tenure at the club. The NRL felt it had little choice but to take control before Tinkler or the club fell over.

The Dragons have a convoluted board structure. Members only have voting rights for St George and/or Steelers leagues club with some of those board of directors appointed to the respective St George and Illawarra football clubs. Some are then appointed to the Dragons board. Doust, Craig Young and Bruce Spaul are up for re-election next year after Warren Lockwood, Brain Johnston and Ralph Piggott were elected unopposed earlier in March.

The Dragons said they were exploring changes. "The board and management also understand that the conjecture about the Dragons' business plan, transitional financial management to sustainability and profitability and overall governance structures, have also been receiving criticism," the Dragons said in a statement last week. "Our partnership with the NRL indicates the NRL commission's support of the Dragons board and management, however, the board is presently reviewing its governance model. Equity partners, independent directors, community representation are all elements of our ongoing review."

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...llawarras-longterm-plans-20150323-1m5joq.html

 

[Miller was a legend]

Well you guys must be impressed the NRL has such trust in the capabilities of your Board and Doust! Lol

 

[grouch]

The Dragons put forward their plan for sustainability to the NRL commission, in 2013. ....

Part of the pitch included a roadmap for membership growth..

Hmm, how is that roadmap going? Hit a few potholes has it? The membership has almost halved.

The NRL might want to re-assess.

 

[Cagey Mac]

Membership withing the district is diminishing but beyond, there is growth. A long term approach is about all that they can do.
Results on the paddock if they happen, will be a significant catalyst.
Marketing obviously needs a lift but that too is in a large part relies on how the team performs.
I wonder how many here could make a tangible case for managing better outcomes from a general business perspective than the current board?

 

[BennyV]

This is like when coaches have the 'full support of the board'...

 

[BennyV]

Membership withing the district is diminishing but beyond, there is growth. A long term approach is about all that they can do.
Results on the paddock if they happen, will be a significant catalyst.
Marketing obviously needs a lift but that too is in a large part relies on how the team performs.
I wonder how many here could make a tangible case for managing better outcomes from a general business perspective than the current board?

Not many, if any...but that doesnt mean that a) the board have it right, or b) we cant see that they have it wrong.

The whole 'lets see if you can do better' bullshit is a.recipe for mediocrity, and was the apologist warcry when Price was coaching...

 

[The Nick]

Hmm, how is that roadmap going? Hit a few potholes has it? The membership has almost halved.

The NRL might want to re-assess.

Wow your maths is almost as good as your comprehension!

In 2009 (the year we won the Minor Premiership) we totalled 10,862 members for the entire season. In 2010 (our Premiership year) we totalled 13,327 members by March.

In 2012 (the year before the "roadmap", and 2 years after the Premiership) we peaked at around 20,000 members for the entire year.

Last year we hit 13,000 members before Round 1 (on par with 2010 - a year after winning the Minor Premiership), and for 2015 we currently sit on 14,011 (actually better than 2010) and counting. Given the lack of success this club has enjoyed on the field since 2011, that's actually quite remarkable!

The fact that you view those numbers as "almost halved" shows that you're either beyond pessemistic (the glass is half empty, even when it actually isn't....) or you're just not very bright.

But hey, since when does Grouch let the truth get in the way of a good argument!

 

[grouch]

meh.. some manipulation of figures yourself there, with some around March and some at the end of the year. Whatever helps right? In 2011 I recall our total hovering between 20-25k. now we're struggling to crack 15k.

Fact is the membership numbers are in decline, if not freefall, and any so-called "roadmap" to growth is clearly failing. Feel free to attack my exaggeration if you like, anything to ignore the main point.

 

[Elias1983]

The NRL backs our plan?

It's because they are financing it lol..

 

[bottle]

Not many, if any...but that doesnt mean that a) the board have it right, or b) we cant see that they have it wrong.

The whole 'lets see if you can do better' bullshit is a.recipe for mediocrity, and was the apologist warcry when Price was coaching...

I think that's a fair assessment. The aim should be the professionalisation of the board, and I think it doesn't take too much reading of the forums to see that this isn't the place we should be looking to in order to attain that.

 

[_snafu_]

So our "plan" is to take away home games from our home grounds? Innovative.

Part of the pitch included a roadmap for membership growth and emphasis on junior development.

Our membership has actually decreased from over 18,000 to 14,000 and apart from "loans" we get from the NRL, there is no actual benefit to the club by developing juniors, who, once they have developed and actually provide return on investment, go to another club.

 

[The Nick]

meh.. some manipulation of figures yourself there, with some around March and some at the end of the year. Whatever helps right? In 2011 I recall our total hovering between 20-25k. now we're struggling to crack 15k.

Fact is the membership numbers are in decline, if not freefall, and any so-called "roadmap" to growth is clearly failing. Feel free to attack my exaggeration if you like, anything to ignore the main point.

Yes I've used some stats from March, to show we are currently on track. The fact that I need to point that out to you is startling. Seems I somehow actually overestimated your intelligence.

Really, our membership peaked the season following 2010? Oh geez I wonder why that is?

We will easily crack 15k this year. Did you know that memberships continue to sell during the season? Well now you do.

Also, funny that the same management has presided over every year that you mentioned, including 2011...

 

[grouch]

If you think our current membership numbers are "quite remarkable" then you're guilty of a far worse exaggeration than I am.

If our performance on the field is the only thing tying us to high membership numbers, then what exactly is the content of this "roadmap" to growth that the article speaks of? I'd say jsut about every other club in the NRL has seen their member numbers rise significantly over the last few years, including perennial bottom-8 dwellers like Parramatta. Yet ours is tied strictly to performance and continues to flounder - and knowing this, our learned and wise board that you so quickly defend saw fit to a) not sack the woefully inept Price at the end of 2013, and b) replace him with his equally inept assistant for another 3 years. is this the roadmap to growth?

 

[Weipa Dragon]

In regards to membership, it's been said to death, give us something decent in the packs. Throwaway hats and key chains are just plain shit. Give us quality pens or a good beenie, anything that looks and feels quality and the memberships will
Rise. Even a % off merchandise or food, something more than the Taiwan made junk we get at the moment will get many more people signing up. Promote we've got 11 in a row or the best footy club in the world. Marketing is half arsed along with every other management based decision.

 

[grouch]

Official Statement by the #SaveOurSaints​ Movement

The #SaveOurSaints movement believes that rugby league has two key stakeholders: the players and the fans. The club is the go between and should be there to represent the best interests of both parties, following best practice.

The current Joint Venture Board is no longer fit to guide our club due to significant mismanagement. It has put in place a convoluted election process to protect it from being held accountable for its performance, preventing democratic change.

Dragons fans have always been loyal and passionate, but at present we cannot overstate the level of angst towards the club for this mismanagement.

We have watched on as club membership and strategic recruitment has declined.

We have watched several of our players treated unprofessionally and without respect before being pushed away – many who were local juniors we have invested significant money in.

We have watched the decision by the Board to endorse the ‘Right Game Right Venue’ policy, which comes at the expense of games played at our spiritual homes and is viewed as compromising the club to make up for their poor financial management.

Most importantly, we believe the $5m loss the club made is a failure by the Joint Venture board in correctly managing its financial position. The Joint Venture Board should be answerable for its performance.

The existing governance model does not allow us to appropriately bring about this accountability. Currently, the Joint Venture board is not answerable to the members, and will continue to govern without challenge.

This needs to change. There needs to be full democratic reform of the clubs election process. The process should be re-engineered so members sign up for voting rights directly to the Joint Venture board.

The NRL wants strong clubs. Strong management is the core of a club’s strength. Our movement is to bring about this change at the Dragons.

We believe our movement is critical. We believe in having the right governance in place for our club.

It’s time to #SaveOurSaints.

 

[God-King Dean]

Doust loves mentioning this in his interviews.

Seems to think it justifies his failings.