Daily Telegraph: We'll march in protest

[Hurriflatch]

NRL

We'll march in protest

By DEAN RITCHIE Rugby League Writer

August 18, 2004

LEADING NRL players will next month march in protest against the new poker machine tax after it emerged that Sydney-based clubs will be short-changed an estimated total of $15 million each season.


A document prepared for ClubsNSW obtained by The Daily Telegraph has forecast that 12 licensed rugby league clubs in Sydney which support NRL teams will be forced to pay an extra $469 million in tax over the next seven years.

The impact of the poker machine tax was a key factor in the NRL partnership committee's decision on Monday to hold off expanding the competition to 16 teams.


South Sydney Juniors – a benefactor of the Rabbitohs – is expected to outlay an additional $40 million in tax over the next seven years.


"This tax puts the future of the game in jeopardy," said Souths captain Bryan Fletcher. "Clubs are struggling enough as it is. There's no doubt it's going to have an adverse effect on all clubs and all players."


Parramatta captain Nathan Cayless said: "There is a real fear for the game's future."


Eels and Souths players will take part in a protest march to the NSW Parliament on September 1 – when the tax is officially implemented.


Players from Wests Tigers, the Bulldogs, Manly, Sydney Roosters and St George Illawarra will also consider marching.


Eels chief executive Denis Fitzgerald admitted last night his leagues club grant to the football club will be slashed from $4 million to $2 million annually after the tax is introduced.


"It will have a massive impact on any leagues club that supports an NRL team – we won't be able to continue to support the NRL team as we have in the past," Fitzgerald said.

Grants from all Sydney leagues clubs to football clubs will be substantially reduced by as much as $15 million collectively per season. Clubs claim to be already under-funded.


ClubsNSW chief executive David Costello said: "Expecting an NRL team to remain competitive without the financial support of a leagues club is the equivalent of putting lead weights around the ankles of Ian Thorpe and asking him to win an Olympic gold medal."


The ClubsNSW document identified the leagues clubs to pay the combined extra tax of $469 million as being Balmain Leagues, Canterbury Leagues, Cronulla, Easts, Steelers, Manly, Parramatta, Panthers, Souths Juniors, St George, Wests Ashfield and Wests Campbelltown.


Queanbeyan Leagues, which financially supports the Raiders, will also be affected.


"There is no doubt it will have a dramatic impact on our NRL team," Cayless said.


NRL chief executive David Gallop said clubs were deeply concerned.


"The football clubs are petrified about the impact it's going to have on them," he said.


"The leagues clubs are telling the football clubs they won't be getting the funding they have in the past."


Costello remains angry at the tax. "You can't force 13 leagues clubs to pay an extra $470 million in tax and still be able to financially support their football teams," he said.


In other developments yesterday, Nick Politis was disappointed his NRL partnership committee was unable to add a team to the 2006 premiership.


"I'm very disappointed for our fans and for the three bids for all the time, effort and money they have wasted," Politis said.


The game's Player Managers Executive yesterday also expressed anger at the rejection of expansion.



Gallop said his organisation would offer financial incentives – up to $8 million – for Sydney clubs to relocate.

 

[half]

i believe relocation is the way of the future... imagine getting 8 million from the nrl and a few more from singo. it has to be tempting for any club facing financial crisis

i'd rather pokies be taxed more than regular people. our game should not be supported by gambling addicts

 

[Morenito]

Central Coast Eels
OR
Gold Coast Eels

i couldnt imagine not having my team in the comp!
what would we do
i wouldnt follow a relocated eels
just wouldnt be the same

 

[Misty Bee]

Hit it on the head, Halfy.

The NRL can't run it's own game properly, how can it whinge about a pokies tax? If the game survives because of pokies, then it ain't fair dinkum.

Fitzy should be more concerned with making the Eels competetive -ie sacking Smith, than worrying about how they'll survive as underachievers!

 

[Twizzle]

Its the old story "you dont know what you've got till its gone"

Pokie Tax is party responsible for getting the NRL where it is.

People will not stop playing the polkies, becasue of the tax. It just means that more of it is going to the government, because they need it to balance their books.

Now the clubs that financially support the NRL will have to withdraw some of that support.

The rich will now get richer, and the poor may even drop out.

And areas like Gosford, now have very little hope of supporting an NRL team.

 

[The Colonel]

Its the old story "you dont know what you've got till its gone"

Pokie Tax is party responsible for getting the NRL where it is.

People will not stop playing the polkies, becasue of the tax. It just means that more of it is going to the government, because they need it to balance their books.

Now the clubs that financially support the NRL will have to withdraw some of that support.

The rich will now get richer, and the poor may even drop out.

And areas like Gosford, now have very little hope of supporting an NRL team.

I think the NRL teams will survive because they make money for the Leagues Clubs - the sad bit will be the junior clubs as they rely on grants from Leagues clubs and such to run and are the ones more likely to be cut - sporting groups and charity groups are the ones who it will effect more.

 

[bazza]

Since Fitzgerald is slashing funds to the Eels - will he also be slashing funds to the 2 blues or his dream super 12 franchise?

 

[Freak]

The pokie tax has Yawion conspiracy written all over it!! :evil:

We are the most taxed 1st world country in the world and why???

Because the government thinks they can spend the money more wisely then individuals/companies/communities.

We become more and more like communist every year!!

 

[Misty Bee]

The poker machine tax will not affect me. I don't use poker machines.

Freak, the poker machine tax is going into hospitals, where the money is sorely needed, moreso than spending millions on failed coaches!

 

[Freak]

You keep believing that Misty

Im sure it makes you sleep better at night!!

 

[Twizzle]

Its the old story "you dont know what you've got till its gone"

Pokie Tax is party responsible for getting the NRL where it is.

People will not stop playing the polkies, becasue of the tax. It just means that more of it is going to the government, because they need it to balance their books.

Now the clubs that financially support the NRL will have to withdraw some of that support.

The rich will now get richer, and the poor may even drop out.

And areas like Gosford, now have very little hope of supporting an NRL team.

I think the NRL teams will survive because they make money for the Leagues Clubs - the sad bit will be the junior clubs as they rely on grants from Leagues clubs and such to run and are the ones more likely to be cut - sporting groups and charity groups are the ones who it will effect more.

Alot of people are unaware of just how much pokie money goes back into teh local community and junior sporting clubs.

As president of our Cricket Club, we received a substantail amount of money from our local clubs, merely by asking for it, as they have to dish it out under the state legislation.

That's all gone now, and we are running out of chooks to raffle.

 

[Twizzle]

And on Mistys point, they ran hospitals for about 50 years and did a better job than they are doing now, with out pokie money.

I'm sure some of the money will find its way into the health care system, as well as every other system in which the state government is struggling to make the books balance.

Saying that it goes into health and education, makes it easier to sell to the voters.

 

[fish eel]

As president of our Cricket Club, we received a substantail amount of money from our local clubs, merely by asking for it, as they have to dish it out under the state legislation.

That's all gone now, and we are running out of chooks to raffle.

That money wont disappear Twizzle.

No legislation pertaining to community grants requiremnents of registered clubs has been changed, if you have a club telling you it has, they're telling you porkies!

 

[The Colonel]

As president of our Cricket Club, we received a substantail amount of money from our local clubs, merely by asking for it, as they have to dish it out under the state legislation.

That's all gone now, and we are running out of chooks to raffle.

That money wont disappear Colonel.

No legislation pertaining to community grants requiremnents of registered clubs has been changed, if you have a club telling you it has, they're telling you porkies!

It may not disappear but it will decrease substantially.

 

[fish eel]

I'm not sure of the excat figures Colonel, but the clubs will still be legally bound the provide a certain % of revenue in the form of community grants, and that hasn't changed!

In the case of one particular club, it may mean certain people not giving their kids such wonderful christmas presents ;-)

 

[Twizzle]

As president of our Cricket Club, we received a substantail amount of money from our local clubs, merely by asking for it, as they have to dish it out under the state legislation.

That's all gone now, and we are running out of chooks to raffle.

That money wont disappear Colonel.

No legislation pertaining to community grants requiremnents of registered clubs has been changed, if you have a club telling you it has, they're telling you porkies!

I might be ugly, but I aint the Colonel

I'm Twizzle, plesed to meet you FE.

 

[fish eel]

Pleased to meet you Twizzle!

You've just given me another reason why I should make sure I read my post again before hitting submit when on the phone #-o

 

[DarkAvenger]

i believe relocation is the way of the future... imagine getting 8 million from the nrl and a few more from singo. it has to be tempting for any club facing financial crisis

i'd rather pokies be taxed more than regular people. our game should not be supported by gambling addicts

We need to be able to stand on our own feet without pokies and problem gamblers being the lifeblood of our team and competition.

 

[bartman]

Well at least this protest march will give our first graders a way to keep fit during September ;-)

 

[strider]

Did all the Smith bashers stop to think that possibly ONE reason Fitzy is scared to give Brian Smith the sack (thus pay him out) is because of the potential lack of funds to do so with the intruduction of the pokie tax?

Millions of dollars that could be spent giving you all your wish in the form of a payout to the coach going to the State Govt.

The current state govt is the most mis-managed govt in the history of the world....they have been riding on the back of the biggest real estate boom in Australian history, with a BIG FAT stamp duty rate producing huge $$$s of revenue....yet everything is falling appart at the seams....pokie taxes will just fund more state govt rorts - oh and the odd grand might find its way to public infrastruture.