Tinkler pulls plug

[Loudstrat]

Maybe he is.

Still, he speaks of someone on the pulse of the petition. And still doesn't explain why these club members are sqareing off at Tinkler and holding HIM accountable

 

[Silent Knight]

I don't know why but I get the feeling that if Tinkler ends up taking over the club, the Knights will be hated by many on this forum.

If he engages in these sort of tactics (e.g. Snowden) before he even owns the club, what will he do in the future to ensure that everything goes his way?

Will Tinkler clash with the NRL itself? Will he get offside with other clubs and their fans? Will showing up at an away game with a Knights jersey on result in home fans abusing you?

I'm happy for the team to be successful but not at the cost of being reviled across the NRL.

Of course, what happens will happen, I'll still be a Knights fan.

 

[Noname36]

I don't know why but I get the feeling that if Tinkler ends up taking over the club, the Knights will be hated by many on this forum.

Don't worry, I think we already are.

 

[Loudstrat]

I hope not Silent. But what Knights fans have to make sure is that they don't become blind supporters of the boss. I think many Parra fans achieved that in the Fitzgerald era.

Then again, Tubby Tinkler has already proven that he wants to operate outside the salary cap. Are you willing to follow the agonising path of Storm supporters?

 

[Silent Knight]

Then again, Tubby Tinkler has already proven that he wants to operate outside the salary cap. Are you willing to follow the agonising path of Storm supporters?

I'd be happier with a legitimate spoon than an illegitimate premiership. And if the Knights ever did rort the cap in the future and I try to defend the club, you can quote this comment and shame me. Of course I hope to never see that day.

 

[Billythekid]

Then again, Tubby Tinkler has already proven that he wants to operate outside the salary cap. Are you willing to follow the agonising path of Storm supporters?

I think this brings up another issue in the game. Ever since this announcement i have had knights fans i know getting really excited telling me how their club is going to be able to sign anyone they want because they have a billionaire running their club.

These were the same people just last year who wanted the storm to be kicked out of the comp because of their salary cap rorting.

Personally this is something im concerned about. I think the game needs to keep a close eye on the amount of 3rd party payments being given to players. Otherwise you will end up with some clubs dominating just like the storm did.

I don't want to end up in a situation where the clubs with plenty of funds (broncos, storm and clubs with rich private owners for example) can just dominate the rest. Although i think in some ways we are there already.

I'm not trying to defend the storm, that sort of cheating needs to be stamped out. However i don't want to see clubs simply finding other ways of paying their players significant amounts of extra money.

My take on all this, for what it's worth: The main thing in Tinkler's favor is the history of financial troubles the club has had. There are no guarantees if Newcastle has a terrible year (hypothetically) on and off the field, that they won't rack up more debt this year. And if they do Tinkler will be the new Jack Newton: I would have done this, they should have done that. Why can't they all just work together for the good of the club and the town? Hopefully they can work together productively and there is a positive outcome to all of this. (Says the Manly fan who still hates all you Knights for 1997).

The knights are actually now making a profit which isn't something that can be said for most of their history. Their stadium has just been upgraded and membership numbers are on the rise. There are also other avenues for the club to get more money without selling the club.

IMO the knights have a healthy future with or without Tinkler.

I'm not saying they should just ignore the option but it shouldn't be taken out of desperation.

 

[Loudstrat]

Very well said Bily.

 

[KiamaSaint]

I don't know why but I get the feeling that if Tinkler ends up taking over the club, the Knights will be hated by many on this forum.

I too think you might be right, however it doesn't seem to worry Souths fans. They are loving their new success in the player market and loving the fact that everyone is now hating them. Is it a bad thing if other fans hate what Newcastle become? Surely you have to decide whether you can live with it. Oh, and I agree with you too Billy, I think Newcastle will survive with or without Tinkler.

 

[Loudstrat]

Very well said Bily.

 

[Billythekid]

Very well said Bily.

I think this might be the first time i've been on the same side of the argument as you:lol:

 

[applesauce]

On your point about the Knights profits, and alternative avenues Billy, image the extra revenue if they will have if they can get some long-term success at the club like the "Joey" years.

 

[Loudstrat]

Yes Billy, I was thinking that!

 

[Raider_69]

Tinkler wont be able to come in and buy the farm back and then some, the NRL has worked damn hard on getting this comp fair, establishing a SC and enforcing it as best they can, if they were going to allow anyone to bend the rules, it would have been the storm in order for them to be successful and gain a foothole in a key developent area

if Tinkles does come into the league, i garentee you the NRL will be all over their contracts and all over their approaches to players and if anything smells fishy, they'll come down hard.

But more does need to be done, the last thing we want is a EPL situation where you've got buckleys chance of winning the comp if your not in the big 3. Im not saying this because canberra is poor, quite the contary, we'd be a big club in a EPL style system, maybe we've not got the money of a Tinkler but we've got plenty to splash... but for the sake of the competition, the NRL needs to find a way to limit the impact a guy like Tinkler can have in terms of buying an all star team..

he has loads of connections, to get loads of players 3rd party deals, but you cant allow him to have TLL, Snowden, Idris, Ennis, etc al, to be on 100k under the cap and another 500k outside it. Thats not what we're about.

Perhaps we need to revisit the points system in conjunction with a SC.

 

[Jobdog]

I don't know why but I get the feeling that if Tinkler ends up taking over the club, the Knights will be hated by many on this forum.

If he engages in these sort of tactics (e.g. Snowden) before he even owns the club, what will he do in the future to ensure that everything goes his way?

Will Tinkler clash with the NRL itself? Will he get offside with other clubs and their fans? Will showing up at an away game with a Knights jersey on result in home fans abusing you?

I'm happy for the team to be successful but not at the cost of being reviled across the NRL.

Of course, what happens will happen, I'll still be a Knights fan.

The Knights are already hated and you still get abused at away games by opposition fans; it's what supporting your team is all about ;-)

I personally couldn't care less whether people like us or not, it's their problem, not ours

Tinkler wont be able to come in and buy the farm back and then some, the NRL has worked damn hard on getting this comp fair, establishing a SC and enforcing it as best they can, if they were going to allow anyone to bend the rules, it would have been the storm in order for them to be successful and gain a foothole in a key developent area

if Tinkles does come into the league, i garentee you the NRL will be all over their contracts and all over their approaches to players and if anything smells fishy, they'll come down hard.

But more does need to be done, the last thing we want is a EPL situation where you've got buckleys chance of winning the comp if your not in the big 3. Im not saying this because canberra is poor, quite the contary, we'd be a big club in a EPL style system, maybe we've not got the money of a Tinkler but we've got plenty to splash... but for the sake of the competition, the NRL needs to find a way to limit the impact a guy like Tinkler can have in terms of buying an all star team..

he has loads of connections, to get loads of players 3rd party deals, but you cant allow him to have TLL, Snowden, Idris, Ennis, etc al, to be on 100k under the cap and another 500k outside it. Thats not what we're about.

Perhaps we need to revisit the points system in conjunction with a SC.

Why not? It wouldn't be too dissimilar to what Brisbane do and/or did ...

 

[Raider_69]

because this is not the English Premier League and part of what makes this competition awesome is that every year, just about every club can go into a season with hope of winning a comp or being reasonably successful

the game isnt strong enough to sustain a situation where 3-4 teams dominate and the rest arent a hope in hell of being successful. The NRL have worked too hard for too long for them to allow someone like Tinkler to stroll in and essemble an all star team with dirty money to buy premierships.
They'll instill measures to stop that kind of thing occuring and so they should. And i suspect he will have to reign himself right in if he wants to have contracts ratified, the NRL wont allow him to carry on as he has been this past 7 weeks Re: Snowden

you are absolutely dreaming if you think the NRL will allow Tinkler to come in and poach an all star team to dominate the comp for the how ever man years, absolutely dreaming.

 

[Quigs]

And don't forget that the Stains were permitted to resign Gaz for $2.67 and a pie for the 2010 season with the Leagues blessings.

It's all to do with the new level playing fields.

 

[Raider_69]

i think the NRL made some exceptions for the fact we've got a talented player coming back from RU, his season they are being made to play fair and pay him properly under the cap. And they are losing players re Costigan and Smith (and others)

i have no doubt that if the knights go out and buy someone like Quade Cooper, the NRL wont do a f**king thing about it, but once you start taking guys like Idris from the dogs, TLL from the Raiders, Snowden from the sharks... you start pissing the other sides off, which will not be a very wise move going into the IC

Everyone will be worried about tinklers coin, every single side will have players they fear tinklers dirty money might come after, and they'll band together to ensure measures are put in place to limit the amount of impact privatisation can have in the player market

 

[badav]

I don't know why but I get the feeling that if Tinkler ends up taking over the club, the Knights will be hated by many on this forum.

If he engages in these sort of tactics (e.g. Snowden) before he even owns the club, what will he do in the future to ensure that everything goes his way?

Will Tinkler clash with the NRL itself? Will he get offside with other clubs and their fans? Will showing up at an away game with a Knights jersey on result in home fans abusing you?

I'm happy for the team to be successful but not at the cost of being reviled across the NRL.

Of course, what happens will happen, I'll still be a Knights fan.

On thing you can count on for certain. He will interfere with management, recruitment, coaching and whatever else he can.

I found it funny that Tinkler accused Newcastle of playing fantasy football. Yet hes making offers to players to before taking ownership of the club. That sounds more like fantasy football to me.

 

[applesauce]

March 30 looming as decision day for Nathan Tinkler takeover of Knights
Barry Toohey
The Daily Telegraph
February 25, 2011

MARCH 30 is looming as decision day for the Newcastle Knights as a deal with mining magnate Nathan Tinkler to take ownership of the NRL club edges closer to reality.

If all goes to plan Tinkler could be the new owner of the club just days before the Knights take on defending premiers St George in the first home game of the season at an upgraded EnergyAustralia Stadium on April 3.

Lawyers for both organisations were working yesterday to finalise a final draft document to take to Knights members after a breakthrough in negotiations on Wednesday.

Two days after withdrawing his $100 million offer for the club and insisting he would not renegotiate again with the existing board, Tinkler had a change of heart, addressing all of the Knights concerns in a revised bid.

The Knights board met on Thursday night and agreed in principle to the re-worded document, opening the door for Tinkler to take over the club.


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Knights chairman Rob Tew said yesterday that provided the draft document was a true reflection of the offer put to his board on Thursday night, there would be an extraordinary meeting of members called. Tinkler will need a 75 per cent majority to vote in favour.

"At this stage, that meeting is likely to be held around March 30 if everything is in order with the new documentation," Tew said yesterday. "We haven't got there yet and it's my understanding lawyers for both parties have been working on that today to get something finalised.

"We are still having a members' information meeting on Monday night where a full history of what has happened over the past month will be outlined."

It's understood Tinkler's revised offer stipulates a guaranteed $10 million a year in sponsorship revenue over a 10-year period, around $3 million more than the club generates now.

He has also guaranteed to pay off the club's accumulated debt, rumoured to be between $3.5 to $4 million.

There are also buy-back and on-sell guarantees in place to protect the rights of club members and Tinkler has upped the ante with his spend on junior development.

A sweetener is a minimum $300,000 a year grant for 10 years to the domestic Newcastle Rugby League competition.

The future of the Patrons Trust financial model the Knights had intended adopting if Tinkler had not come back to the table is in limbo. It will remain a potential option until the Tinkler proposal is officially accepted.

Looks like the Knights board has done the right thing, if this article can be trusted.

 

[clarency]

Better, but I still think the "guaranteed 10mil sponsorship" is too big a variable. It takes away the incentive for the management to go out and seek higher sponsorships for those years as they know they'll be getting the money anyway.

I'd like to see them push a set payment deal and negotiate that.