NRL faces major turmoil as clubs threaten breakaway league

[BuffaloRules]

Easier to hate on Gould then try to refute what he is saying...

 

[straightothepoolroom]

Ffs if they aren't responsible for their own targets who is. Surely noone is stupid enough to promise improvements in areas where they have no control.
The future fund is just another broken promise.Honestly where the f**k has the money gone. The clubs didn't take it,they have received what was promised from the last agreement, that was budgeted and paid for, so what happened to the extra 120 million promised. I'll tell you.what happened, it never existed. Exactly the same as the 130% offered.It was never there. It was always needed elsewhere. So what we are dealing with.is people who obviously can't count or people who are telling lies and making promises to keep their jobs. Either way they have to go. If these fools were beholden to shareholders like in the real world they'd be gone.Just like any other board that has failed in its ambitions.
I don't care who runs the game,I just used those guys as an example of some extraordinarily successful people who love league that were excluded because some stupid need to appease everyone. There should be only one criteria, the best person for the job. That's it.Surely some sort of democratic process involving all the major stakeholders could find the right people.

 

[T-Boon]

People criticise the clubs and now Gould, but can can someone answer the main point he raised...

If the clubs get $208mil per year or $13mil each, then why can't the NRL develop the game and run itself on the reaining $275- $300mil per year?

They can it just means that less gets spent on grass roots.
The big problem is that the NRL has worked out that the extra 30% that the clubs will get adds nothing to the game. It is just pure waste that will see costs for all the unnecessaries in the game inflate. The wrestling coaches and video guys would be licking their lips.

 

[applesauce]

People criticise the clubs and now Gould, but can can someone answer the main point he raised...

If the clubs get $208mil per year or $13mil each, then why can't the NRL develop the game and run itself on the reaining $275- $300mil per year?

And once again... The current NRL administration is just as against expanding the NRL at the top level as the clubs are... There are no current plans in the wings, and both Grant and Grrenburg have said they don't support it..

Which is odd, because it would improve their chances of keeping their jobs had they done it already i.e. harder to turn 18 clubs against you than 16.

 

[BuffaloRules]

They can it just means that less gets spent on grass roots.
The big problem is that the NRL has worked out that the extra 30% that the clubs will get adds nothing to the game. It is just pure waste that will see costs for all the unnecessaries in the game inflate. The wrestling coaches and video guys would be licking their lips.

Why does it mean less for the grass roots?

Just spend less on the admin... $300 Mil a year seems more than enough for both...

 

[siv]

The issue that Gould seems to miss is we cannot jump from a $7 mil salary cap in 2017 to a $10mil in 2018

In 2017 clubs pays for NRL 36 players and 20 u20 players

What they can do is jump from a $7 mil grant in 2017 to a $14 mil grant in 2021

Which means the Salary cap in 2021 should $10.7 mil

Then work backwards to 2018 with steady $925k annual increases

Which means the 2018 Salary cap should by $7.925 mil
Then in 2019 its $8.85 mil
2020 its $9.775 mil
2021 its $10.7 mil

Then apply 130% for the grant

Plus a travel allowance

But he now just seems to be a angry old man on a vendetta

 

[taipan]

I would really like to know what the admin costs were under the last Tv deal.
With Smith on $2m pa and his high flyers ,who came in from here there and everywhere.
With Greenberg on $1m pa. and his department.
What the admin costs will be under the new TV deal, and just how much having a digital dept will cost and how much it is estimated it will make .
I'm all for grassroots getting $100m pa and clubs securing funding to pay the players and provide better facilities for their fans.

 

[BuffaloRules]

It's not Gus on his own though is it?

Not a bad point around stepping up the salary cap over the 5 years...

This might be the compromise that whoever takes over from Grant actually proposes...

 

[DiegoNT]

They can it just means that less gets spent on grass roots.
The big problem is that the NRL has worked out that the extra 30% that the clubs will get adds nothing to the game. It is just pure waste that will see costs for all the unnecessaries in the game inflate. The wrestling coaches and video guys would be licking their lips.

Adds nothing to the game?
Improving the football departments of nrl clubs means a better product on the field. Better rehab facilities means players are returning to the field quicker meaning we see more of our stars. Better medical procedures means an injury that used to result in a player retiring can see that player nowdays return to the field in the same year. Better facilities, support staff and wages keeps our players in our sport. If you can remember back in the early 00's there was a real threat of a player exodus to the other code. Players are fitter and more skilled then ever before.
With a stronger elite comp you get more money in which then can be spent on grassroots. Why doesn't a sport like baseball spend more money on grassroots in australia? Because they have no elite comp to make them the money.
You say spending extra on the nrl clubs adds nothing to the game, you are way off the mark.

 

[T-Boon]

Adds nothing to the game?
Improving the football departments of nrl clubs means a better product on the field.

I disagree. The product on the field is worse than it was in the 90s and I think most people would agree with that. It certainly hasn't improved between 2012 and 2016 when football department expenditure has more than tripled from 1.8mill to 6mill.

Better facilities, support staff and wages keeps our players in our sport. If you can remember back in the early 00's there was a real threat of a player exodus to the other code.

Better wages keep players in the game. I am all for increasing the salary cap. Facilities and support staff mean nothing. The players hate all the wrestling drills and weight training. Their job satisfaction is down.

Players are fitter and more skilled then ever before.

They are bigger and more athletic. They are definitely not fitter or more skilled. The lack of skill in the game today is alarming.

 

[T-Boon]

I would really like to know what the admin costs were under the last Tv deal.

It is more important in my opinion to compare the NRL admin costs against our competitors. I am guessing it is somewhere in between AFLs and A- Leagues costs. I am guessing increases in admin have in part come from looking at what things the AFL do that we don't. For example before the last TV deal we paid a fortune to a consultancy/negotiation group to help negotiate a good deal. The reason we did was because we got such a terrible deal relative to AFL the time before and they had a consultancy group help them out.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

It is more important in my opinion to compare the NRL admin costs against our competitors. I am guessing it is somewhere in between AFLs and A- Leagues costs. I am guessing increases in admin have in part come from looking at what things the AFL do that we don't. For example before the last TV deal we paid a fortune to a consultancy/negotiation group to help negotiate a good deal. The reason we did was because we got such a terrible deal relative to AFL the time before and they had a consultancy group help them out.

I tend to think the fact News Ltd owned the game had a fair bit to do with the tv deal. The VFL may spend more on its admin than NRL, although I've seen no evidence for this, but considering their league is bigger, they have expanded it, they are starting a women's pro league and their grassroots is bigger and expanding faster, I'd say they're probably still getting more value for their money. Propping up their shitty expansion clubs might be a different story.

 

[Cumberland Throw]

Worries the hell out of me when a club GM says this...

" you could lock to door at NRL Hq and the clubs would make it happen"

 

[DiegoNT]

I disagree. The product on the field is worse than it was in the 90s and I think most people would agree with that. It certainly hasn't improved between 2012 and 2016 when football department expenditure has more than tripled from 1.8mill to 6mill.



Better wages keep players in the game. I am all for increasing the salary cap. Facilities and support staff mean nothing. The players hate all the wrestling drills and weight training. Their job satisfaction is down.



They are bigger and more athletic. They are definitely not fitter or more skilled. The lack of skill in the game today is alarming.

Year after year we set new records in tv ratings, more and more people are watching the game. Memberships are climbing every year. But sure people hate the game nowdays
You don't think better facilities, better physios, more trained medical professionals etc. There's have also player welfare programs, education and/or trade training for younger players. You think this has no effect on players?
If you dont think players are more skilled then you aren't watching. Watch the tries the wingers score nowdays and compare it to wingers just 10 years ago. Every half can pass both left and right, It's a bare minimum requirement yet 15 years ago you still had 1st grade halves who couldn't do that. The majority of forwards can offload now, every from rower can pass the list goes on. It may not be as noticeable because defence has improved dramatically as well. Players fitness is miles ahead and continues to improve.

 

[T-Boon]

Why does it mean less for the grass roots?

Just spend less on the admin... $300 Mil a year seems more than enough for both...

The reason clubs want less spent on admin is they think they should control the game. Talented outsiders like Smith cost money and more frightening bring in new ideas on how to grow the game (like for example a second Brisbane team). Insiders like Greenberg can be controlled, they are safe because they have limited alternative options outside of the NRL so the idea of going against the will of the establishment is terrifying for them - so they toe the line.

 

[DiegoNT]

Anyone got links to club bosses saying they don't want expansion?
I know Gould has long called for a 2nd Brisbane club and I'm sure Richardson at Souths said he wanted expansion. I want to know when these club bosses supposedly blocked expansion

 

[T-Boon]

Worries the hell out of me when a club GM says this...

" you could lock to door at NRL Hq and the clubs would make it happen"

Imagine Sharp, Spagnolo, Seward, Osborne in charge of our code.

 

[Blues Riff]

Worries the hell out of me when a club GM says this...

" you could lock to door at NRL Hq and the clubs would make it happen"

What he actually said-
"We could lock the doors on that building down there at NRL Central and I promise you the game would still go on. The clubs would make it happen".

 

[Cumberland Throw]

Still worries the hell out of me..

What he actually said-
"We could lock the doors on that building down there at NRL Central and I promise you the game would still go on. The clubs would make it happen".

 

[T-Boon]

but considering their league is bigger, they have expanded it, they are starting a women's pro league and their grassroots is bigger and expanding faster, I'd say they're probably still getting more value for their money.

Those things didn't just happen, they are happening because they are prepared to spend more on AFL administration. They have smarter CEOs that get paid a lot more and were prepared to stand up to the clubs years ago (the clubs themselves are a lot smarter) and explain to them why expansion and growth is good for everyone.
We need better talent at the top and thus more admin costs to try to bridge the gap the AFL have opened up. Instead the clubs want us spending less on admin so that brainiacs like Gould, Doust, Steve Sharp and Tinkler can run the game.