Russell Crowe has been good for attracting the likes of Burgess and some sponsorship deals, but he no longer tips in his own money, and is no longer really required for securing major sponsors or gun players. The club makes a profit primarily on the back of our strong membership base and good policies, which Crowe pushed, but is no longer required to pilot.
Warrington are doing reasonably well with what they have, but like just about every other club they are afraid of plunging into the abyss. So marketing is a bit of an afterthought because of the outlay required. It's seen as a gamble rather than a sound investment. A shame really. Having a rich backer whom you know is in for the long haul, rather than just saying they are, is one way of getting past those fears. The other route would see a central fund for all clubs, spent by the RFL, catering to marketing and other areas such as club investments or development funds. But then, that would require the RFL to be forward thinking as well. They have improved greatly in recent years, but matters needs to be further developed.
If the RFL or NRL were forward-thinking they would look to doing all of their marketing, design and video production in-house, enabling a much greater output for a similar cost factor to what is currently being spent.