Skinner
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Blood will be spilt, no doubt.
From : http://stuff.co.nz/sundaystartimes/4287092a6444.html
Chalmers will challenge his colleagues to do better, writes Steve Kilgallon.
Angry Auckland clubs may force an extremely rare motion of no confidence in the NZRL board if directors fail to depose chairman Andrew Chalmers at a meeting next weekend.
Auckland's Conference of Clubs yesterday morning was reportedly awash with complaints from grassroots officials at the game's poor image, and most were blaming the national body.
ARL chairman Cameron McGregor said he had assured clubs "steps were in motion" to address the issue, alluding to a board revolt aimed at sacking Chalmers.
The Star-Times has learned that five of the eight directors have been engaged in conference calls to discuss the chairman's position. And if they do not vote to replace Chalmers with another director, Ray Haffenden, Auckland would then have a mandate to propose a motion of no confidence, which requires a two-thirds majority of district votes to be passed.
Chalmers, meanwhile, is home from the Kiwi tour and will ask his dissenting board if any of them believe they could do a better job, then tell them the NZRL faces another difficult financial year ahead.
The Star-Times understands the Kiwi tour will post record returns. However, while Chalmers admitted the league had budgeted to return a loss this year after dropping nearly $500,000 in 2006, he declined to give details of the final bottom line.
He plans to tell the board that 2008 will be a "transitional year" before new commercial deals hatched around the expanded Four Nations competition take effect in 2009.
The board meeting has been brought forward from December 7 to next Saturday, raising the delicious possibility of directors doing battle around the boardroom table in the morning before socialising in their dinner suits at that evening's annual NZRL awards night.
Chalmers has pledged to table a full financial report at that board meeting, and then release it to the game's other stakeholders not before time for some, with minutes of the October 12 Special Advisory Panel showing Auckland, Canterbury and Coastline all demanding those details nearly five weeks ago.
He told the Star-Times yesterday the Kiwi tour would return a "handsome profit ... based on the commercial agreements with our partners ... the profit will be significant".
He will face questions on what proportion of this year's loss will consist of fees to consultants for a rewrite of the constitution, the cost of a competitions review and leftover lawyers' fees from the Nathan Fien "grannygate" affair. The league lost $478,000 last year when the chairmanship was split between Sel Pearson, Selwyn Bennett and Chalmers.
Chalmers said the league was forced into greater prudency by the declining availability of poker machine funding a reason for axing the $1m-a-year Bartercard Cup. The 2006 accounts show an income of $2.61m from pokies and $2.338m in 2005 against $3.4m in 2004.
"It is a reflection of the changing landscape for sport in this country," he said, saying the league's programme had needed an "unsustainable level of funding".
"We are cutting our cloth to match," he said, "at the same time taking those properties which do contribute financially to maximise opportunities around them."
He said 2008 would be a tough year because revenues from the world cup would be going to the International Federation, not competing countries, and the Kiwis were being allowed just a single test outside that the annual game with Australia in June.
From : http://stuff.co.nz/sundaystartimes/4287092a6444.html
Chalmers will challenge his colleagues to do better, writes Steve Kilgallon.
Angry Auckland clubs may force an extremely rare motion of no confidence in the NZRL board if directors fail to depose chairman Andrew Chalmers at a meeting next weekend.
Auckland's Conference of Clubs yesterday morning was reportedly awash with complaints from grassroots officials at the game's poor image, and most were blaming the national body.
ARL chairman Cameron McGregor said he had assured clubs "steps were in motion" to address the issue, alluding to a board revolt aimed at sacking Chalmers.
The Star-Times has learned that five of the eight directors have been engaged in conference calls to discuss the chairman's position. And if they do not vote to replace Chalmers with another director, Ray Haffenden, Auckland would then have a mandate to propose a motion of no confidence, which requires a two-thirds majority of district votes to be passed.
Chalmers, meanwhile, is home from the Kiwi tour and will ask his dissenting board if any of them believe they could do a better job, then tell them the NZRL faces another difficult financial year ahead.
The Star-Times understands the Kiwi tour will post record returns. However, while Chalmers admitted the league had budgeted to return a loss this year after dropping nearly $500,000 in 2006, he declined to give details of the final bottom line.
He plans to tell the board that 2008 will be a "transitional year" before new commercial deals hatched around the expanded Four Nations competition take effect in 2009.
The board meeting has been brought forward from December 7 to next Saturday, raising the delicious possibility of directors doing battle around the boardroom table in the morning before socialising in their dinner suits at that evening's annual NZRL awards night.
Chalmers has pledged to table a full financial report at that board meeting, and then release it to the game's other stakeholders not before time for some, with minutes of the October 12 Special Advisory Panel showing Auckland, Canterbury and Coastline all demanding those details nearly five weeks ago.
He told the Star-Times yesterday the Kiwi tour would return a "handsome profit ... based on the commercial agreements with our partners ... the profit will be significant".
He will face questions on what proportion of this year's loss will consist of fees to consultants for a rewrite of the constitution, the cost of a competitions review and leftover lawyers' fees from the Nathan Fien "grannygate" affair. The league lost $478,000 last year when the chairmanship was split between Sel Pearson, Selwyn Bennett and Chalmers.
Chalmers said the league was forced into greater prudency by the declining availability of poker machine funding a reason for axing the $1m-a-year Bartercard Cup. The 2006 accounts show an income of $2.61m from pokies and $2.338m in 2005 against $3.4m in 2004.
"It is a reflection of the changing landscape for sport in this country," he said, saying the league's programme had needed an "unsustainable level of funding".
"We are cutting our cloth to match," he said, "at the same time taking those properties which do contribute financially to maximise opportunities around them."
He said 2008 would be a tough year because revenues from the world cup would be going to the International Federation, not competing countries, and the Kiwis were being allowed just a single test outside that the annual game with Australia in June.
