Beatie has a plan

[Dogs Of War]

M2D2 complaining about having to walk the relatively short distaces between train stations and stadiums yet brags about waiting near a hot dog stand at Shark Park til the 75th min to get the free hot dogs in the stadiums thread........

So the solution is free hots dogs enroute from the station to the ground on match days. That will get 'em to the game.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Society these days:

 

[some11]

Peter needs braces.

 

[M2D2]

M2D2 complaining about having to walk the relatively short distaces between train stations and stadiums yet brags about waiting near a hot dog stand at Shark Park til the 75th min to get the free hot dogs in the stadiums thread........

also said i walk the central to SFS every time.
Still not close either.

 

[El Diablo]

go on a diet

 

[hineyrulz]

Peter needs braces.

Bet he has a good dental plan.

 

[beave]

go on a diet

 

[macavity]

I often wonder about Sydney people in general - I have lived here for 23 years and the general laziness of people here never fails to astound me. I can count the number of people on one hand that I've ever seen walking on an escalator. It's as if the exertion of actually stepping onto the bloody thing renders them incapable of movement

Sydney is an absolute shytehole unless you can afford property east of Anzac Parade.

Of course everything is in the too hard basket - the place is stress on a stick. Literally every other city in Australia shits on Sydney from a great height.

 

[El Diablo]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...p-rugby-league-expansion-20180201-h0ryjc.html

Peter Beattie ignoring local politics when he talks up rugby league expansion

• 
  Roy Masters

If former Queensland premier Peter Beattie wishes to woo Sydney clubs to support him as the incoming chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission, he ignored local politics when he recently talked up expansion.

Fifteen of the NRL's 16 clubs posted a loss last year, if grants from the 10 clubs with licensed club backing and others reliant on benefactors are excluded from total revenue. Seven of the clubs depending on poker machine income are in Sydney, where teams would presumably be culled if expansion is to occur. Sydney clubs, except Wests Tigers, are now demonstrating a rare unity, opting to vote as a bloc at a recent phone hook-up to appoint two club delegates to a new 10-person ARLC.

While Beattie, who now lives in Balmain, merely needs the votes of the independent commissioners of the ARLC to be elected chairman, he has indicated he would prefer the NRL clubs to support him.

Based on the hostility expressed by some Sydney club powerbrokers to Beattie's "if we stagnate, we die" cry in a recent interview, he will need to reinforce the message that expansion will only occur well after the current broadcasting deal expires.

The outgoing ARLC chairman, John Grant, has negotiated a new funding model that should secure most clubs' futures, provided they adhere to a $5.7 million cap on football department spending.

But some clubs, particularly the Bulldogs, Eels, Panthers, Dragons and Wests Tigers, will continue to depend on their poker machine-generated licensed club grants.

An alarming statistic was presented at a conference of NSW licensed clubs in 2016, which was derived from a census taken the previous year.

In the last 15 years the number of machine players has reduced by 36 per cent. Of those:

* Only 6 per cent of gaming revenue comes from people under the age of 35;

* More than 60 per cent of revenue comes from people over the age of 60;

* The majority of large clubs are totally reliant on gaming profits.

The data is now three years old and, since then, revenue from poker machines played by young people has further deteriorated, while there has been no growth from more senior age groups. Some Sydney clubs expect to announce a decline in revenue on last year of up to $2 million.

Young people now eschew the pokies to gamble on sport and horse racing, using their iPhones and tablets.

They prefer contests of skill, such as predicting the first scorer or beating the points spread, rather than games of chance.

If only 6 per cent of the age group 18-35 currently play the pokies, by the time they reach 60, no one will be gaming, as opposed to gambling.

Grant argues subsidies from licensed clubs should be counted in total rugby league revenue because these clubs were formed to propagate the code.

Furthermore, headlines such as "15 of 16 clubs broke" is, as he says, a "bad look" and sends a poor message to prospective stakeholders.

But the Broncos are the only club that have consistently produced a profit and they enjoy, of course, the advantage of being one team in one major city with the best rectangular stadium in Australia. The other 15 clubs rely on licensed venues or rich benefactors to subsidise losses.

Given the precarious balance sheets of the free-to-air TV networks and the monopoly position of Foxtel as a pay-TV provider, the next broadcasting deal for the NRL won't be an 80 per cent increase of the 2018-2022 contract.

The last time the game expanded – three clubs were introduced in 1995 – it fuelled inflation in salaries, with retired players unretiring to receive the largest pay cheques they had ever been paid.

Expansion ignited the Super League war, which further fuelled inflation, leading to the closure of the Adelaide Rams, Hunter Mariners and South Queensland Crushers, while Perth now field junior teams in the NSWRL competition and North Sydney play in the NSW Cup. Another four clubs collapsed to form two joint ventures.

While some commentators argue there are enough first-graders in the NRL to field another two teams, I believe up to three of the starting players at some clubs are short of the desired standard.

Beattie has indicated expansion will come from successful second-tier clubs and mentions Perth, Fiji, Country NSW, PNG, another New Zealand team, as well as Ipswich and Redcliffe.

None of these teams are represented in the NSW Cup, while PNG, Ipswich and Redcliffe play in the Queensland Cup.

Perth has a new stadium, adds an additional time zone for broadcasters and could capture disenfranchised rugby union fans. But it does not have a State Cup team.

While Beattie is right to send a signal to State Cup teams that they are candidates for inclusion in the NRL, they will have to wait until a Sydney club falls over well into the 2023-27 broadcast cycle before they can win a start.

 

[insert.pause]

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...p-rugby-league-expansion-20180201-h0ryjc.html

Peter Beattie ignoring local politics when he talks up rugby league expansion

• 
  Roy Masters

If former Queensland premier Peter Beattie wishes to woo Sydney clubs to support him as the incoming chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission, he ignored local politics when he recently talked up expansion.

Fifteen of the NRL's 16 clubs posted a loss last year, if grants from the 10 clubs with licensed club backing and others reliant on benefactors are excluded from total revenue. Seven of the clubs depending on poker machine income are in Sydney, where teams would presumably be culled if expansion is to occur. Sydney clubs, except Wests Tigers, are now demonstrating a rare unity, opting to vote as a bloc at a recent phone hook-up to appoint two club delegates to a new 10-person ARLC.

While Beattie, who now lives in Balmain, merely needs the votes of the independent commissioners of the ARLC to be elected chairman, he has indicated he would prefer the NRL clubs to support him.

Based on the hostility expressed by some Sydney club powerbrokers to Beattie's "if we stagnate, we die" cry in a recent interview, he will need to reinforce the message that expansion will only occur well after the current broadcasting deal expires.

The outgoing ARLC chairman, John Grant, has negotiated a new funding model that should secure most clubs' futures, provided they adhere to a $5.7 million cap on football department spending.

But some clubs, particularly the Bulldogs, Eels, Panthers, Dragons and Wests Tigers, will continue to depend on their poker machine-generated licensed club grants.

An alarming statistic was presented at a conference of NSW licensed clubs in 2016, which was derived from a census taken the previous year.

In the last 15 years the number of machine players has reduced by 36 per cent. Of those:

* Only 6 per cent of gaming revenue comes from people under the age of 35;

* More than 60 per cent of revenue comes from people over the age of 60;

* The majority of large clubs are totally reliant on gaming profits.

The data is now three years old and, since then, revenue from poker machines played by young people has further deteriorated, while there has been no growth from more senior age groups. Some Sydney clubs expect to announce a decline in revenue on last year of up to $2 million.

Young people now eschew the pokies to gamble on sport and horse racing, using their iPhones and tablets.

They prefer contests of skill, such as predicting the first scorer or beating the points spread, rather than games of chance.

If only 6 per cent of the age group 18-35 currently play the pokies, by the time they reach 60, no one will be gaming, as opposed to gambling.

Grant argues subsidies from licensed clubs should be counted in total rugby league revenue because these clubs were formed to propagate the code.

Furthermore, headlines such as "15 of 16 clubs broke" is, as he says, a "bad look" and sends a poor message to prospective stakeholders.

But the Broncos are the only club that have consistently produced a profit and they enjoy, of course, the advantage of being one team in one major city with the best rectangular stadium in Australia. The other 15 clubs rely on licensed venues or rich benefactors to subsidise losses.

Given the precarious balance sheets of the free-to-air TV networks and the monopoly position of Foxtel as a pay-TV provider, the next broadcasting deal for the NRL won't be an 80 per cent increase of the 2018-2022 contract.

The last time the game expanded – three clubs were introduced in 1995 – it fuelled inflation in salaries, with retired players unretiring to receive the largest pay cheques they had ever been paid.

Expansion ignited the Super League war, which further fuelled inflation, leading to the closure of the Adelaide Rams, Hunter Mariners and South Queensland Crushers, while Perth now field junior teams in the NSWRL competition and North Sydney play in the NSW Cup. Another four clubs collapsed to form two joint ventures.

While some commentators argue there are enough first-graders in the NRL to field another two teams, I believe up to three of the starting players at some clubs are short of the desired standard.

Beattie has indicated expansion will come from successful second-tier clubs and mentions Perth, Fiji, Country NSW, PNG, another New Zealand team, as well as Ipswich and Redcliffe.

None of these teams are represented in the NSW Cup, while PNG, Ipswich and Redcliffe play in the Queensland Cup.

Perth has a new stadium, adds an additional time zone for broadcasters and could capture disenfranchised rugby union fans. But it does not have a State Cup team.

While Beattie is right to send a signal to State Cup teams that they are candidates for inclusion in the NRL, they will have to wait until a Sydney club falls over well into the 2023-27 broadcast cycle before they can win a start.

I'm genuinely surprised it took certain Sydney clubs a whole 4 days to start agitating, I will bet something will pop up in the Telegraph tomorrow too. And now they're on the commission! The game won't decide to grow until it's too late.

 

[AlwaysGreen]

Roy Masters is an out of date, out of town fossil

 

[Albert Rosenfeld]

For years the NRL administration has been accused of lacking vision.

Bogged down with the same tired old ideas and no strategic planning for the future.

The soon-to-be-appointed new independent commission chairman, former QLD Premier Peter Beattie, has bold ideas to grow the game.

He spoke exclusively to sports Editor-at-Large Phil Rothfield yesterday about his vision for the NRL and plans for expansion.

Buzz: So are you ready to step in for John Grant as chairman?

I am only interested in taking the role if I have the support of the clubs and all stakeholders.

The constitution says I only need the support of the other independent commissioners but I want to make this work. So I will be asking for a vote of the entire commission including the club and state nominees … and I will only take the job if they all want me there.

There is no point having a Chair the clubs don’t want. We want unity and cohesion.

Look, I want to stake my future in the game on this. We can’t have the clubs and head office at loggerheads. We are only going to make this game even better if we work together. Some might say I am dreaming if I think that will work but I am going to give it a red hot go. If we’re having barnies we’re only undermining the game.

BUZZ: Best and worst clubs in the NRL

BUZZ: Highlights and lowlights

Incoming NRL chairman Peter Beattie. Pic Jenny Evans
Buzz: Let’s get you thoughts on some issues starting with expansion.

Expansion has to be on the table. The game can’t be complacent. We have to grow. If we stagnate we die. And that is why I want to see it back on the table. It’s time.

We need to be strategic about it and think long term.

There is so much other entertainment and other sports people are interested in. We can’t sit on our bums. The quality of the game is great but we’ve got to ensure it has a future.

That’s why expansion is so important.

Buzz: So what areas?

Now this is my personal view. We need to look at where we’re going. We’re putting a big emphasis on Perth this year with the season opener.

By the time the next TV deal comes around at 2022, we’ve got to have a product to have an attractive package for the networks. Are we going to have another QLD team? Or is it PNG? Is it Perth or country NSW?

The new State cups will provide an opportunity for everyone to demonstrate they deserve a place in the NRL. Not just through their on-field performance but the way they run their club and their business.

I can’t wait to see teams like Perth, Fiji, New Zealand, PNG, Country NSW and other cities in action, week after week in State Cup matches. Even Ipswich or Redcliffe. We’ve got to give them all a signal that we’re looking at expansion.

This broadcast cycle will give us the opportunity to see how serious they are about becoming part of the NRL. And, if one or two of them demonstrate they will benefit the NRL, can we look at including them in the next cycle?

PNG Hunters winning the 2017 Intrust Super Cup.
Buzz: What are your thoughts on the decline in crowds and TV ratings.

This is a tough one … there is hardly a sport in Australia which isn’t struggling to maintain crowds and TV ratings because our world is changing so much.

When we did the tickets for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, we targeted families.

We knew we’d sell more if we charged less. Mum and dad and two kids could go to an athletics event for $60.

We sold a million tickets, which is a lot more than if we’d had higher prices and gouged people.

And we have exceeded our revenue targets.

It shows if you’ve got a quality event and you charge a fair price, people will come.

Crowds have been steady for a decade or more … up one or two per cent then down one or two per cent depending on the weather, which teams are going well and a range of other factors.

But we have to try to break that cycle.

The new stadiums will be a game changer. For the first time in decades, especially in Sydney, fans will have brilliant facilities, served by fast, efficient transport. Women won’t have to queue to use the toilet. Guys can get a beer easily. That’s what it’s about.

Buzz: And TV ratings. They’ve been in decline, too.

I think we will change the way we measure viewers as more people use their computers and phones to watch matches — and that’s why our investment in a world-class digital system is so important.

Increasing crowds will always be a challenge, says Beattie.
Buzz: And food prices. Fans don’t like being ripped off.

You make sure people get good food and they don’t get attacked by a bushranger with a hand in your pocket. I understand it’s a big issue and we’d all like to see it become more affordable to spend at day at the footy. The truth is you can usually get a family ticket for four for about $50. That’s pretty good. Cheaper than the movies. And I think the venues are trying to drive down food prices.

Buzz: Not everyone likes big stadiums that lack atmosphere. What about suburban grounds. The tribal homes of the game.

I think the Government has got it right. Parramatta stadium is going to be a real hit. Near the station, the shops, the restaurants and bars … what a great day out that will be.

We need a world-class stadium in the city and, of course, there has to be a marquee stadium for the Grand Final, Origin and other major events.

Naturally, we would all like to see the suburban stadiums upgraded as well. But we’ve done pretty well. I don’t want to sound greedy here.

At the end of the day the suburban grounds have to be updated too. We want to keep them. The challenge is trying to fund it. Families want to go to venues near where they live.

If the game grows and expands then you’ve got the opportunity to put the wood on people for money for things like that.

Nothing beats Leichhardt Oval on a Sunday afternoon. And as a new resident of Balmain, I will be joining them this year.

Buzz: But aren’t you a Broncos fan?

Ha! I’ve got to be neutral now I am on the Commission, don’t I? Look, I have been a Queenslander all my life and have nothing but love for the State. I’ve spent most of my life in Brisbane but now I am living in Balmain. So maybe I should be supporting the Wests Tigers.

The game needs to focus on growing rugby league at the junior level, says Beattie. Picture: Supplied.
Buzz: The game is broke. Where can we cut costs?

Well, firstly, the game is not broke. We’ve done a record broadcasting deal and we have taken the opportunity to use that windfall to make our clubs and players more financially secure than ever before.

So I am more interested in generating more revenue than cutting costs. This game has so much potential.

So I want to look at how we schedule and run events like the Nines and the women’s game to generate more funds for the game. We’ve only scratched the surface in those areas.

Buzz: Off field behaviour and scandals have been a big issue.

I actually want to congratulate the players for the way they have conducted themselves in the current off-season.

I know there can be an incident at any time … but this has probably been the best off-season on record. I am not aware of any major incidents involving our players. So we should give them credit for that.

The truth is, of course, that our players are like any other group of 20-35-year-olds in the community. Most will never get into trouble. A couple will go off the rails from time to time.

Our players really pay a huge penalty when that happens. Not only do they have to deal with the issue legally, but they are named and shamed publicly and often get stood down from their career — playing football. That does not happen to too many other people in society.

We have been tough in recent years. Some players have had their livelihoods taken away from them. But I think it is clear that the players are taking heed of what has happened.

We are not going to let up … we have to protect the reputation and image of the game.

Buzz: What challenge are you most focused on?

My biggest passion is junior football. I want to make it easier for young people to play the game, I want more people playing rugby league.

And the best way we can do that is to ensure there is a game for everyone, whether you are a toddler, junior, girl or boy, senior or elite player. Whether you want to play contact or non-contact rugby league. Because we’ll only have a strong future if we have more people playing.

I really want to focus on that in the first 12 months.

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...e/news-story/36cad6516e4dd6352c776ba731128111

Spelling alert in title. Beattie has two (2) "t" s.

 

[Albert Rosenfeld]

Beattie needs to man up and say: we need Perth, Brisbane 2, Wellington, PNG, Adelaide, Christchurch, Fiji, and a fifth Queensland club in the NRL.

First, at the beginning of the next TV deal, go to 20 clubs with Perth, Brisbane 2, Wellington and PNG, making 20 clubs, Then at the end of the next TV deal prepare Adelaide, Christchurch, Fiji and the fifth Queensland club for the expansion to 24 clubs.

 

[Perth Red]

Roy Masters is an out of date, out of town fossil

Mouth piece for the nswrl, what a surprise he is saying there isn’t enough players and expansion can only happen if a Sydney clubs fails, thus getting all the good sydney folk to rally against expansion.

 

[beave]

Spelling alert in title. Beattie has two (2) "t" s.

‘Surrender’ also two (2) “r”s.......

Co-incidence??????

 

[beave]

The Masters article is full of holes.

-in 1995 there were 4 teams introduced, not f**king 3.

- I love how he believes ‘3 of the starters at some clubs are not up to standard’. Well apparently they are because they are playing FG. Care to name them Roy?

- leagues clubs were created to support their respective football clubs. To say that football clubs would be in more debt without leagues clubs and their grants is f**king ridiculous. That’s like saying ‘without clubs front of jersey sponsors, clubs would be in even more debt’

I could go on but he’s a f**king dinosaur and not worth the effort at 2am.

 

[Canard]

The last time the game expanded – three clubs were introduced in 1995 – it fuelled inflation in salaries, with retired players unretiring to receive the largest pay cheques they had ever been paid.

Super League inflated salaries in 95, not the 4 clubs being added to the NSWRL/ARL.

I wonder which previously retired players got fat cheques from the expansion clubs??

 

[M2D2]

A diet wont change the fact that SFS isnt close to Central.
But you f**kheads who dont know geography from a hole in the head keep spouting bullshit.

 

[insert.pause]

Mouth piece for the nswrl, what a surprise he is saying there isn’t enough players and expansion can only happen if a Sydney clubs fails, thus getting all the good sydney folk to rally against expansion.

More like a mouthpiece for Bellamy and the Storm.

 

[insert.pause]

I can see this going down a very familiar path, it didn't end well the first time.