Why have the afl got so much money and the nrl has very little money. Not trying to pay anyone out. I am just legitimately curious. Is it because they make much more money from their bigger crowds and merchandising? Is it because news ltd take a lot of rugby leagues profits? Is it because afl's running costs are less due to the fact they have had a commission in place for a number of years? Or is it a combination of all these things? Afl invested $200M in gws for gods sake!