Cost to run an NRL team

[DINGb@T]

Read an article in The Courier Mail yesterday that was talking about how much it costs to run a basketball team. The guy being interviewed said that he heard it cost about $25 million to run an AFL team and that basketball could break a profit on a bit over a million. Also said that the Roar required 20,000 spectators a game to break even.
Does anyone know how much it costs to run an NRL team? Surely with the smaller player roster and support staff it would have to be cheaper?

 

[S.S.T.I.D]

It varies wildly. Our turnover (without the help of a leagues club) is about $8.5 Mil, which is comfortably the lowest. I can't remember which club it was but the 14th ranked club was operating on about $9.5 Mil. The Broncos have the highest turnover I believe at around $20-22 Mil. All the other clubs fall somewhere in between that.

 

[Edwahu]

I think its about 8 Million average. Some do it for about 4 or 5 and some spend a fair bit more the 8.

 

[S.S.T.I.D]

I think its about 8 Million average. Some do it for about 4 or 5 and some spend a fair bit more the 8.

I assure you it is way more then that.

 

[Stagger eel]

I was told that average was 10 to 12 million. I would understand that the non-Sydney teams would be looking up to 20 million...especially the Warriors.

 

[skeepe]

I was told that average was 10 to 12 million. I would understand that the non-Sydney teams would be looking up to 20 million...especially the Warriors.

It would cost a little more, but I believe the NRL themselves pay for travel these days so that may even it out a little.

 

[keeney]

Travel really can't cost more than a couple 100k a season can it?

 

[Azkatro]

With flights and accommodation, as many as 20 players + coaches, club reps etc it would easily be a lot more than that.

 

[Quidgybo]

Just plucking some figures out of thin air for a non NSW team - 30 people (players and support staff) for 12 away matches at $500 per person for business class (you've not going to fly expensive athletes in cattle class are you?) is $180,000 to start with. Add hotel costs (again no motels for $300,000 players) for two nights on each trip at say $100 per person per night - $72,000. So there's a quarter of a million before we even make the finals, have a pre-season camp, play a couple of trials, send the chief executive and coach to a few meetings in Sydney and get three or four players and thier lawyer called before the judiciary. No doubt wildly inaccurate but you can see how it adds up fast.

Leigh.

 

[LeagueLegend]

There's no business class flights. The NRL pays for Economy only - it's up to the club to top that up to Business Class and it's never happened with the clubs I've been at.

The NRL pays for 25 people, if there are more the clubs pays. It depends on where you go as to how many nights you get and whether it is bus or plane.

eg.
Sydney club to NZ Flight 2 nights
Sydney club to Brisbane Flight 1 night
Sydney club to Canberra Bus 1 night
Sydney club to Central Coast Bus 1 night
Sydney club to Illawarra Bus 1 night
Sydney club to Melbourne Flight 1 night
Sydney club to Newcastle Bus 1 night
Sydney club to North Queensland Flight 2nights

 

[Quidgybo]

OK, so given you've been at some different NRL clubs, what sorts of expenses were being incurred on interstate away trips? How many people traveled, what sort of hotels etc etc.

Leigh.

 

[LeagueLegend]

I've always been the lucky one who travelled and not had to worry about the accounts. I'll do some looking about and get back to you.

 

[Perth Red]

I would think it would be in the 12-20mill bracket given salaries take up around 70% of most companies expenses. If you add the salary cap limit to salaries for backroom staff would think it will be 7mill plus just in salaries?

 

[Quidgybo]

I've always been the lucky one who travelled and not had to worry about the accounts. I'll do some looking about and get back to you.

Don't worry too much about exact figures. Even getting an idea of four star hotels or two star, number of nights away, number of staff etc etc gives us some rough idea of the ballpark to be thinking in. Would I be right in guessing that clubs that travel more often (eg. Cowboys, Warriors) would invest more in player comfort (again the question of class) on away trips then those clubs based in Sydney?

Leigh.

 

[t-ba]

George Piggins assured me that a Nightly Meat Raffle Down at Souths Leagues is more than adequate to cover the costs of running a Top Flight NRL side.

 

[skeepe]

I do know that most teams that travel to Canberra tend to stay at the Crowne Plaza in the city, which is 4-5 star accommodation... the cheapest rooms there are $260 a night per room. Obviously group bookings and those who come back year after year would have some sort of discount.

 

[spider]

A realistic measure would be between 12 - 15 million. Variations being accom. style, feeding the players daily 3 x times a day - its amazing what figures this turns, etc, etc.

 

[LeagueLegend]

Don't worry too much about exact figures. Even getting an idea of four star hotels or two star, number of nights away, number of staff etc etc gives us some rough idea of the ballpark to be thinking in. Would I be right in guessing that clubs that travel more often (eg. Cowboys, Warriors) would invest more in player comfort (again the question of class) on away trips then those clubs based in Sydney?

Leigh.

Essentially the clubs don't pay for any of it. The NRL pays travel and accommodation based on their travel agents and the deals they have for being corporate customers.

Clubs only pay when they stray outside the paramaters set by the NRL (by taking more than the allocated personnel, staying longer, or using non-approved providers). For example, my club has to use the NRL accredited bus transport on trips where we are provided bus transport if we want the NRL to pay for it. That is despite our own sponsor that we use if we were to travel to other Sydney locations.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I do know that most teams that travel to Canberra tend to stay at the Crowne Plaza in the city, which is 4-5 star accommodation... the cheapest rooms there are $260 a night per room. Obviously group bookings and those who come back year after year would have some sort of discount.

Given the level of discounting that you can routinely get on hotel rooms if you shop around I'd say that the group discounts that the teams negotiate would be fairly hefty.

 

[Kurt Angle]

I agree with SM, the NRL would know which weekend NRL teams will be down in Canberra.

You buy 25 rooms a weekend for 12 weekend, you get a massive discount. Add in the goodwill for returning year after year after year