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Divided rugby league fell 25 years ago – but united has it conquered? by Steve Mascord.

The_Wookie

Bench
Messages
2,976
There's a good reason I do not value "revenue" generated from non-football operations such as gaming machines when measuring the viability of a sports franchise.

No theres not a good reason. Period. You dont get to decide something is viable if your excluding half its revenues. Thats just flat out dishonest.

A well run club doesn't need to draw money from sugar daddies, real estate, gaming machines and betting companies if it has a large fanbase willing to spend money on club merchandise, memberships, tickets, sponsorship and corporate hospitality. The Sydney clubs fail miserably on most of these metrics because their fanbases are small. They rely on gaming machine revenue to plug the shortfall caused by having small fanbases.

And thats perfectly legal to do so. Your personal tastes not withstanding.

Any well run club these days will also be diversifying away from pure football revenues. AFL clubs are into Leisure Centres, Child Care, Sports Training Colleges, Netball Clubs, Pokies Venues, Real estate, and other things. The AFL itself owns half of Champion Data and a 56,000 seat multipurpose sports stadium

We don't have teams in Adelaide and Perth because the NRL chose small and unviable Sydney clubs with no room to grow over markets that have the potential to create new fans and participants for the game.

Clubs are viable. Period.

What seems to fly over your stubborn head is most of the world's sporting clubs don't have access to gaming machine revenue, yet many of them are significantly richer than any NRL club from Sydney. The reason they're richer is because they have larger fanbases due to not being in over saturated markets. Serbia has 16 soccer clubs in a country that's slightly bigger than Sydney and pull about 5k people to their games. Sydney's clubs will always be small until a few drop back to the NSW Cup.

What you persistently ignore that in actual fact, the clubs are viable. And the rest of the f**king world doesnt matter.

Why are clubs all around the world able to get by without gaming machine revenue but Sydney's NRL clubs cannot?

I dont care. And plenty of those clubs have legal revenue streams outside of the game itself.

It's an honest question that you cannot answer. I've just given you the answer BTW.

No you havent.

The only Sydney club that's done away with pokies is the Rabbitohs, but they're in the fortunate position of having sugar daddies bail them out when they were on death's door.

Thats what private ownership is for.

Roosters were turned around by Politis, but still rely heavily on gaming machine revenue to plug the gaps.

Good for them, its literally what Leagues Clubs are designed to do.

Perth's sporting teams do not have access to gaming machine revenue, yet the West Coast Eagles are the largest and richest sporting club in the country and the Perth Wildcats are the largest and richest club in the NBL, generating attendances that rival Sydney NRL clubs.

That has everything to do with their stadium deals being unequalled by anywhere else in the country, and being able to charge a fortune for highly in demand memberships. With 2 clubs in a city approaching the size of Brisbane and no real competition. See also: Broncos.

So a club is viable if it is able to generate half of its "revenue" from people who have a gambling addiction?

According to their accountants, thats what the bottom lines read.

Fleecing money from people with an addiction is disgusting and should be illegal.

But its not.

I question the integrity of anyone who tries to justify this practice.

I dont give a damn what you question at this point. Its evident you have some moral objection to perfectly legal revenue streams and wish to foist in on the rest of us.

The irony is most of the people playing the pokies probably don't give a f**k about the football club. They frequent the Leagues Club because it's the closest licenced venue to their house.

Doest matter if they do. the Club benefits.

They had no choice but to sell their stake in the retail project because they were in debt to the tune of about $9m. Their survival was on the line. The original plan was to run a retail precinct similar to the shopping centre that generates money for the Redcliffe Dolphins.

And if they use the money to get debt free and use the remainder to buy profit generating assets, it serves the same purpose.

It's against the court of public opinion,

Your opinion, let alone the Greens, isnt the court of anything.

which matters deeply in an industry where brand recognition is vital. Good luck convincing casual fans from the upper class segments of society to get on board with a club from a sport that relies on money from drunks, gamblers and betting companies.

They havent had any real trouble getting them on board.

Cool. So replacing Cronulla, Manly and Canterbury with Adelaide, Perth and Wellington won't impact the value of the broadcast rights.

Sure. If you think subscriptions wont suffer by dumping 3 teams from the NRL in favour of teams in some of the areas with the lowest Foxtel penetration in the country, with minimal support for the game, let alone the NRL.

Youd be preparing for a long and lengthy legal battle that will pretty much ruin a season or two since thered be no validity in getting rid of teams, so panel shows would do a roaring trade.

And they do a shit job because they ignore half the country. If you're not from Queensland, NSW or NZ then the odds of making it to the NRL are slim.

That is going to change in Victoria at least with the Storm and VRL on the same page now.

It's more accurate to say all Sydney clubs -- bar the Rabbitohs -- are propped up by drunks and gamblers.

No thats your interpretation, the facts - without embellishments - as stated in audited accounts say the clubs are viable.

Revenue from gaming machines isn't sustainable and is reliant on the laws and social trends remaining in place.

Almost everything is reliant on laws. Crypto sponsors, Gambling and betting, alcohol, soft drinks, fast food, they can all fall to regulation at any time.

I made my point. Ironically, Sydney clubs are trying to wean themselves off pokies because they see the writing on the wall, even if you cannot.

hmm which Sydney clubs exactly are doing this.

So you're saying the Broncos are successful because the Brisbane RL market hasn't been over saturated for 30 years. Congratulations. Maybe you'll eventually put two and two together to see why I am an advocate for rationalising Sydney.

thats not really the point im making. The Broncos havent had real competition - and they should have after theyd won a premiership or two, while enjoying support from a massive media corporation.

The people who laugh at my posts think the next team should be from PNG and based in Cairns, despite PNG have a GDP per capita of less than $3,000US and just 15% of its population connected to electricity. They also think the Bears should play a few games in Perth but still be a North Sydney team playing out of a dilapidated cricket ground. They also think the All Blacks will die if we put a second team in New Zealand. Don't take my word for it. Go to the Expansion forum and see the shit they say. They hate me and @Perth Red because we use facts to refute their pro-NSWRL 1980s nostalgia driven fantasies.

If your facts there are anything like your facts here, Id suggest their dislike is somewhat deserved.
 

The_Wookie

Bench
Messages
2,976
Don't be obtuse. You brought up the "monopoly" Brisbane Broncos have allegedly held for 30 years to explain why they don't need pokies to stay afloat.

the point was actually that anyone can be competitive without meaningful comeptition.

The fact the Crushers entered the competition 28 years ago and left it 26 years ago refutes your claim that Brisbane have held a monopoly over the city for 30 years. Crushers drew more than 20k fans to their games in 1995, so it wasn't all one way traffic.

You know, for some one who says he doesn't care about what happened 30 years ago and is only interested in present day affairs, you sure like to bring up events from 30 years ago when it's convenient.

Literally once. In response to a statement you made.

If you only care about what's happening today then don't say the Broncos are what they are today because of things that may or may not have happened 30 years ago.

That was relevant. Your bullshit about the BRL has no relevance to your irrational fantasies about the viability of Sydney clubs. YOU compared them to the Broncos, I was merely pointing out why that was bullshit.

Earlier today you brought up the NSL and formation of the A-League in 2005. That was 17 years ago. Hardly current, is it?

Ffs im responding to your remarks on soccer.

Your regressive stance favours the NSWRL model to the detriment of the game.

My stance is that you shouldnt misrepresent financial data as something its not. And that supposed rugby league fans advocating for the removal of NRL teams is appalling - and Im not a rugby league fan of any kind.

Congratulations, you've just contradicted yourself. Not for the first time either. You've argued this point before. I couldn't be bothered going back to find it.

Why f**king stop now, you have constantly inferred I said things I havent.

If you're going to claim you never said clubs are bigger than the players then don't try to justify wasting money on clubs because the average career is "6 years" whereas "clubs persist".

You really dont read what you respond to.

Greenberg asked Cronulla to explain why they shouldn't be relocated when they were in debt a couple of years after their premiership success. It was around this time that they relinquished their stake in the Woolooware retail development to pay off their debts and expand their Leagues Club so they could make more money from gaming.

Cronulla could have told Greenberg he didnt have the right under the clubs independent constitution to relocate the club anywhere.

And as always, if they went to gaming to keep themselves viable, thats their right under NSW law.

The talent pool is drying up and the NRL needs teams in Adelaide and Perth to have a national reach. Only solution is rationalisation because there's not enough players to fund 19 teams without impacting quality of games.

People keep saying this like its true. Maybe it is.

Fleecing money from people with a gambling addiction to get by doesn't make a club viable.

Well, yes, in point of fact, it does. Your personal distate is irrelevant. When you start setting the accounting standards and theres legislation to ban them, then you get to make that call. Until either of those things happen, professional and reputable accounting firms have determined oetherwise.
 

The_Wookie

Bench
Messages
2,976
You're defending the authenticity of OzTam and saying Gemba is unreliable, despite many companies around the world hiring them to conduct research on their behalf due to their strong reputation.
Many countries? The organisation has offices in two. the UK and Australia. and I doubt its more reputable than AGB Nielson who have done tv ratings in multiple countries for decades. Im saying its the standard for measuring tv ratings worldwide.

They both survey people to find out what they watch and like. Gemba actually asks people to rate their support for the things they're surveying.

And surveys can be manipulated by the questions asked.

You accused me of holding a position despite me stating the opposite on numerous occasions.

No I didnt.

My comments and your comment were quoted to prove you put words in my mouth. Just accept you were caught in a lie and stop trying to weasel your way out when you're wrong. T

I literally quoted what you wrote and responded to it. One person other than you called me out - and he was wrong.

he only reason you get support is because the bulk of posters in this thread are nostalgic NSWRL fans who yearn for a return to the old days and see you as a defender of their backwards beliefs.

Also because you post outright bullshit.

"My bad" is a euphenism for "I got it wrong". Something you'll never bring yourself to admit when you've been caught out.

Im well aware what it means, and when you actually catch me out, Ill admit it quite happily.

You tried to justify Sydney retaining its nine clubs by pointing out that it is the largest market, which is a stupid reason as Melbourne is set to become the largest city in the 2030s.

No I didnt.


The NRL's "duty" is only codified in a contract until 2027.

Sure. And part of that is the funding agreement. Thus duty. As it will be in the next agreement.

Contracts don't mean shit these days. Super League went ahead in 1997 despite ARL having a contract in place until 2000. Clubs will jump ship and create a new league if some one with more money is willing to fund it.

In 1997 Club contracts were renewed annually. They no longer are. And if they do jump it will be the NRls fault for f**king up their licenses.

I've mentioned the stipulations heaped on the expansion clubs in 1995. That included the Reds and Warriors.

Dont care.

This thread is full of baby boomer from Sydney who yearn for a return to the NSWRL days of the 1980s. Their outlook on expansion is based around bringing back "The Bears". Go see their comments in the Expansion forum.

no

Sydney clubs benefit from it the most and they hold the balance of power on the ARLC.

Thats the way it is when you expand from the NSWRL.

They could have done it a few months ago when the clubs refused to sign the licencing agreement and threatened to form their own competition. V'landys is an insular New South Welshman who only cares about the long-term survival of the NSWRL clubs. One day we'll have a chairman who isn't as insular as V'landys.

Because a split in professional league is something everyone wants again right.

How is removing the three weakest teams from Sydney ignoring the largest market?

Wasnt really the context of my response to you.

It would still have six clubs, which is more than enough to cover it from east to west and north to south.

Im sure it will be. It just doesnt have to be.

Using your logic every other sport is ignoring Sydney by not having nine teams in it. The AFL not having nine teams in Sydney hasn't prevented the Swans from becoming the largest and most profitable sports club in the market.

No youve got the logic wrong.

Sydney is the largest rugby league market there is. Melbourne is an NRL market, but it is overwhelmingly an AFL market.


The AFL's variable funding scheme fosters development of the game in new territories and provides them with an extra $200m over what the NRL gets with its limited footprint. They can afford to spend $50m on Gold Coast and GWS when they have an extra $200m to spend. That still leaves them with plenty of money left over to fund development in Queensland and NSW. It also costs more to run a fumbleball club due to the squads being bigger in number.

Variable funding is club equalisation funding - its literally propping up clubs to put them on the same level as the big ones - and in GWS, Brisbane and Gold Coast, keeps the afloat, along with some academy funding. The AFL generally funds most development seperately, funnelled through the state bodies.

Betting companies have their logos plastered on so many jerseys and run so many ads on Ch9 and Fox League it drives me mad. Plenty of people complain about the relentless betting ads they see during the football.

Sure.

Sydney clubs have a massive advantage as they travel the least. It's hardly fair on the interstate clubs and Warriors, who often have to pay overs to get a player to leave Sydney.

Welcome to Geography?

What percentage of gaming machine revenue goes to community football?

How many community clubs in NSW and QLD have their own pokies? Im betting quite a few.

I'd be happy to see alcohol banned from sponsoring sport. It's as bad as the tobacco industry.

Good for you.
 

AdelaideSharky

Juniors
Messages
919
Many countries? The organisation has offices in two. the UK and Australia. and I doubt its more reputable than AGB Nielson who have done tv ratings in multiple countries for decades. Im saying its the standard for measuring tv ratings worldwide.



And surveys can be manipulated by the questions asked.



No I didnt.



I literally quoted what you wrote and responded to it. One person other than you called me out - and he was wrong.



Also because you post outright bullshit.



Im well aware what it means, and when you actually catch me out, Ill admit it quite happily.



No I didnt.




Sure. And part of that is the funding agreement. Thus duty. As it will be in the next agreement.



In 1997 Club contracts were renewed annually. They no longer are. And if they do jump it will be the NRls fault for f**king up their licenses.



Dont care.



no



Thats the way it is when you expand from the NSWRL.



Because a split in professional league is something everyone wants again right.



Wasnt really the context of my response to you.



Im sure it will be. It just doesnt have to be.



No youve got the logic wrong.

Sydney is the largest rugby league market there is. Melbourne is an NRL market, but it is overwhelmingly an AFL market.




Variable funding is club equalisation funding - its literally propping up clubs to put them on the same level as the big ones - and in GWS, Brisbane and Gold Coast, keeps the afloat, along with some academy funding. The AFL generally funds most development seperately, funnelled through the state bodies.



Sure.



Welcome to Geography?



How many community clubs in NSW and QLD have their own pokies? Im betting quite a few.



Good for you.
Mate, just put the clown on ignore. The sooner everyone does the same the sooner the GROTD knucklehead will take the hint and piss off. He's probably some 40 year old virgin living in mummy's basement who's sole purpose in life is picking fights with anonymous people on an internet forum.
 

Generalzod

Immortal
Messages
33,418
People talk about gambling I’ve been a supporter of Cronulla For years but what Cronulla makes in gambling revenue to the likes of of say Penrith or Canterbury is pittance, i Used to visit the club on a Friday night and there be basically nobody there playing the pokies, when I used to go for after work drinks at Canterbury the place was always full of people playing the pokies.
 
Messages
15,007
Just wondering if Logan Potato eats crayons .
To continually discount revenue to suit his agenda is laughable .
then claim if the clubs don’t give up pokie revenue they’re doomed.
It seems to have worked very well ( ethics aside) since the first pokie was in place at a club .
Yet apparently it’s DOOMED
DOOMED I tell ya.

No. He does not eat them -

1673644993605.png
 

Pneuma

First Grade
Messages
5,475
You're defending the authenticity of OzTam and saying Gemba is unreliable, despite many companies around the world hiring them to conduct research on their behalf due to their strong reputation.



They both survey people to find out what they watch and like. Gemba actually asks people to rate their support for the things they're surveying.



You accused me of holding a position despite me stating the opposite on numerous occasions. My comments and your comment were quoted to prove you put words in my mouth. Just accept you were caught in a lie and stop trying to weasel your way out when you're wrong. The only reason you get support is because the bulk of posters in this thread are nostalgic NSWRL fans who yearn for a return to the old days and see you as a defender of their backwards beliefs.



"My bad" is a euphenism for "I got it wrong". Something you'll never bring yourself to admit when you've been caught out.



Yes I have. You're just too stubborn to admit when you're wrong.



You tried to justify Sydney retaining its nine clubs by pointing out that it is the largest market, which is a stupid reason as Melbourne is set to become the largest city in the 2030s.

The NRL's "duty" is only codified in a contract until 2027. Contracts don't mean shit these days. Super League went ahead in 1997 despite ARL having a contract in place until 2000. Clubs will jump ship and create a new league if some one with more money is willing to fund it.


I've mentioned the stipulations heaped on the expansion clubs in 1995. That included the Reds and Warriors.



This thread is full of baby boomer from Sydney who yearn for a return to the NSWRL days of the 1980s. Their outlook on expansion is based around bringing back "The Bears". Go see their comments in the Expansion forum.



Sydney clubs benefit from it the most and they hold the balance of power on the ARLC.



They could have done it a few months ago when the clubs refused to sign the licencing agreement and threatened to form their own competition. V'landys is an insular New South Welshman who only cares about the long-term survival of the NSWRL clubs. One day we'll have a chairman who isn't as insular as V'landys.



How is removing the three weakest teams from Sydney ignoring the largest market?

It would still have six clubs, which is more than enough to cover it from east to west and north to south.

Using your logic every other sport is ignoring Sydney by not having nine teams in it. The AFL not having nine teams in Sydney hasn't prevented the Swans from becoming the largest and most profitable sports club in the market.



The AFL's variable funding scheme fosters development of the game in new territories and provides them with an extra $200m over what the NRL gets with its limited footprint. They can afford to spend $50m on Gold Coast and GWS when they have an extra $200m to spend. That still leaves them with plenty of money left over to fund development in Queensland and NSW. It also costs more to run a fumbleball club due to the squads being bigger in number.



Betting companies have their logos plastered on so many jerseys and run so many ads on Ch9 and Fox League it drives me mad. Plenty of people complain about the relentless betting ads they see during the football.


Sydney clubs have a massive advantage as they travel the least. It's hardly fair on the interstate clubs and Warriors, who often have to pay overs to get a player to leave Sydney.



What percentage of gaming machine revenue goes to community football?



I'd be happy to see alcohol banned from sponsoring sport. It's as bad as the tobacco industry.
Potato
 
Messages
14,865
Bask in the knowledge that they will for ever be disgruntled. Enjoy referring them to the growth and ongoing success of the mighty sharks! They both hate us with passion. That’s reason enough to keep posting here. Our very existence annoys the feck out of them!
You were supposed to say "have a beer" haha
 

AdelaideSharky

Juniors
Messages
919
Bask in the knowledge that they will for ever be disgruntled. Enjoy referring them to the growth and ongoing success of the mighty sharks! They both hate us with passion. That’s reason enough to keep posting here. Our very existence annoys the feck out of them!
The thing I find most laughable is Deputy Potato comes from a part of the world who's grounds make Shark Park look like Wembley in comparison.

Think that bloke would be better off worrying about his own backyard before tossing stones at us.
 

Iamback

Coach
Messages
19,499
Just wondering if Logan Potato eats crayons .
To continually discount revenue to suit his agenda is laughable .
then claim if the clubs don’t give up pokie revenue they’re doomed.
It seems to have worked very well ( ethics aside) since the first pokie was in place at a club .
Yet apparently it’s DOOMED
DOOMED I tell ya.

Crayons and Meth - The Logan diet
 
Messages
15,649
So basically every argument put forward by potato boils down ( ok boiled potato)to 2 things .
1. His hate for all Syd RL clubs…is what drives him .
2..His moral crusade against pokies is the base for most of his unviable clubs financial rants.
While they are legal & can’t see that changing because that’s Govt $$ rolling in nothing will change.
So it’s a legal revenue stream for clubs no matter how outraged he is .

maybe he should try arguing with facts instead of feelings .
 
Messages
14,865
So basically every argument put forward by potato boils down ( ok boiled potato)to 2 things .
1. His hate for all Syd RL clubs…is what drives him .
2..His moral crusade against pokies is the base for most of his unviable clubs financial rants.
While they are legal & can’t see that changing because that’s Govt $$ rolling in nothing will change.
So it’s a legal revenue stream for clubs no matter how outraged he is .

maybe he should try arguing with facts instead of feelings .
I thought the ultimate goal was to get to the point where everyone has been put on his ignore list except PR.
They then get to duke it out in a winner takes all Super Smashed Potato Bowl.
 

AdelaideSharky

Juniors
Messages
919
So basically every argument put forward by potato boils down ( ok boiled potato)to 2 things .
1. His hate for all Syd RL clubs…is what drives him .
2..His moral crusade against pokies is the base for most of his unviable clubs financial rants.
While they are legal & can’t see that changing because that’s Govt $$ rolling in nothing will change.
So it’s a legal revenue stream for clubs no matter how outraged he is .

maybe he should try arguing with facts instead of feelings .
Lefties arguing with facts instead of feelings?

The day that happens will be the day we see pigs flying to the moon.
 

The_Wookie

Bench
Messages
2,976
So basically every argument put forward by potato boils down ( ok boiled potato)to 2 things .
1. His hate for all Syd RL clubs…is what drives him .
2..His moral crusade against pokies is the base for most of his unviable clubs financial rants.
While they are legal & can’t see that changing because that’s Govt $$ rolling in nothing will change.
So it’s a legal revenue stream for clubs no matter how outraged he is .

maybe he should try arguing with facts instead of feelings .

This is all you need to cover almost every post he makes. I think ill just cut and paste this in future. Save time: work smarter.
 
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