NEWCASTLE THUNDER shocked the rugby league fraternity to its core with the news that it could fold after withdrawing from the League One competition for 2024.
Newcastle Thunder chief on the club’s future, six-figure fee needed to survive, potential return to League One and Kingston Park
The club maintained that players and staff would still be paid for the remainder of their contracts but that financial issues meant that Thunder could not compete for the foreseeable future.
For Newcastle’s General Manager Keith Christie – who has been at the club for just over 16 years – there are a number of questions that need to be asked and answered if the club is to move forward.
“We are in a transition stage where we are looking at options in terms of what is feasible, what is financially viable and what is essentially needed,” Christie told League Express.
“We have had a lot of people be very vocal from the north east about this but we have to ask the question: is rugby league wanted or needed in the north east? And are people going to get behind it, support it financially and physically?
“There has been a lot of chat without any direction, when there is a void people make things up. We are in a very sensitive time in the options we have available.
“I’ve been speaking to (RFL chief executive) Tony Sutton and Semore Kurdi – the owner – and we have to look at what we could look like and how can that be funded and supported.
“It’s a total blank space at the minute because we are going through so many things to try and see where we stand.
“There is every chance the club could go under if the support is not identified within the rugby league realms. I’m not just talking about fielding a team, will we be able to finance it? Will we have a facility to play from? There are lots of questions that need to be asked as this point that we are working towards.
“The timeframe is varied because we have to take into account other clubs if they are going to accept it and commercial timeframes for preparation and players.
“Realistically, can we field a team that is competitive? If not, where does that value sit? It doesn’t sit anywhere if you are getting beat every week. We have already got that t-shirt from last time.
“There is a transition period we are in at the minute with a number of questions still needing to be asked and answered by different groups.
Though Thunder withdrew from the League One competition for 2024, Christie admits he is hopeful that they could return – if things go the club’s way and £120,000 is found.
“We are working towards getting a team for League One next year, but chronologically we have to put processes in place to get to that point.”
“We just don’t know what it looks like but we are not going to give up on it, we don’t want to lose rugby league in the north east. We have good kids, good guys, good development programs and stronger platforms to work from than a lot of clubs – especially when they are trying to reform.
“We have areas we are fairly competent in we just need to know what it looks like financially and how feasible it is. We need, realistically, around £100-120,000 which will cover players, coaching staff, medical, facilities and everything that goes with running the club.
“We could probably do it cheaper but with having expertise and speciality within the region, there is always a higher cost value to that.
“When you are kind of a more heartlands-orientated club and have more access to the services required, they come a bit cheaper.”
What about playing about Kingston Park? Christie was coy: “They are conversations we will have to have.”
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