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Shutdown NRL - 3 Clubs Most Under Threat


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Why the Gold Coast Titans are better equipped to deal with the NRL shutdown than the Broncos

The Titans have long been the paupers of the NRL - but now that weakness becomes a strength, with the Gold Coast far better placed to deal with the shutdown than the Broncos.

The Gold Coast Titans’ biggest weakness has turned into the club’s strength in the fight to stay alive during the NRL’s coronavirus crisis.

The Titans’ owners have vowed to keep the battling NRL franchise afloat following the league’s decision to indefinitely suspend the 2020 season.

The NRL’s 16 clubs have already started cost-cutting measures, slashing staff and budgets given the competition will not resume before June at the earliest.

The Titans have long been the NRL’s paupers, operating on a shoestring budget in comparison to glamour clubs like the Brisbane Broncos, who generated $52 million in revenue last year.

The Titans employ about 50 staff, less than half of the Broncos, and their shrewd spending has been viewed as the club’s achilles heel in the yearly arms race to win the NRL premiership.

But with most clubs now relying on handouts from the NRL to survive, the Titans are well-placed to emerge from the game’s biggest financial crisis intact.

“Because the business has had to run lean for some time, this situation works in your favour,” Titans CEO Steve Mitchell said.

“We’ve been running very close to what’s a baseline resourcing expectation around an NRL club.

“We don’t have the geared-up resourcing the bigger clubs like the Broncos would have to deliver their programs right across Brisbane. We won’t have to make the same amount of deep cuts that the Broncos might have to make.

“We’re lucky we’ve got two wonderful owners in the Frizelle (Brett and Rebecca) and Kelly (Darryl and Jo) families. They’re great custodians of the club.

“We’re in constant dialogue and they’re steadfast in their belief in the organisation and it’s sustainability going forward.

“That helps greatly. Armed with that, we’re confident we’ll work our way through this and the club won’t be going anywhere.”

The Titans have started the process of asking staff to take leave and Mitchell said yesterday morning they had yet to lay-off any employees.

But with little membership, corporate and game-day revenue coming into the business, it is likely the club will be forced to cut staff until the competition resumes.

“We’re lucky in the fact we are flexible, we’re not as resourced as some of the really big clubs that have to make dramatic changes,” Mitchell said.

“We’ll definitely need to make sacrifices. That’s everybody. We’ll adjust to our needs so we can get through. We’re seeing that across the country.

“We want to be here at the back of this. We know there is a finite period of time this will go on for. We want to come out the other end of this while we’ve got our people intact so we can get back to work.

“We want to keep all of our people. We’ve got wonderful people who are passionate about the club.

“We don’t want to lose them. They’re part of our family. We’ve got to do our best to retain them.

“We’re going to work our way towards holding on to these guys as best as we can.

“We’re all going to take a hit at some point, but we want them here so when we get through we can get back to business as quickly as possible.”

The Titans’ players have been given days off yesterday and today as the club plots its plans for a season with no games.

https://www.couriermail.com.au/

DIEHARD / TITAN / MAROON / KANGAROO

 

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1 hour ago, Graham said:

According to Paul Kent there are three clubs whose existence is most under threat.

Do you know or can you guess which ones?

Watching  NRL 360 on youtube last night. Manly was a club mentioned.

Sydney clubs would be hit hard with the closure of their " leisure" clubs

I would like to think in times like this those financially secure would  help those in trouble.

Anything is only as strong as its weakest link.

Poverty exists not because we cannot feed the poor but because we cannot satisfy the rich.

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2 hours ago, Graham said:

Yes Manly was one of the three mentioned.

Given all that Diehard has told us Kent did include Titans in his three..

Of course he is speculating and some would say wildly speculating.

Which other one do you think he honed in on:

Tirans, Manly and ...?

Are Newcastle still supported by NRL?............they could be one

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Personally I see other clubs struggling more, but others on here , especially aussies, might know better.

Nine NRL clubs are either owned by or have links to leagues clubs, and some rely on them for financial security most years. That doesn't include Cronulla whose league club is shut for a couple of years for upgrades.

The NRL has already handed each club $425,000 in support, but it’s anticipated further strain could be placed on sides - particularly if matches are lost.

The NRL could consider playing until as late as December 20 to ensure all matches are played.

Belt tightening will be the order of the day.

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Phil Gould is another cheerful chappie who prophesies doom. He can't see all 16 NRL clubs surviving.

Amidst this doom and gloom, Canberra coach Ricky Stuart sees clubs sticking together to try and get every one of them through this.

Peter V’landys also has some fight in him:

Quote

“We will do our best to keep all our clubs viable,” V’landys said at Monday’s press conference.

“We’re a family, a rugby league family. When one needs help, we will support them.

“We will do everything in our power to ensure every single one of our clubs remains viable and exists.

“We have some pretty tough decisions, but the main objective is to keep everyone within our game viable.”

 

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Rabbitohs general manager of football Shane Richardson has resigned effective immediately in a bid to help ease financial pressure from the suspended season due to the coronavirus crisis.

Formerly CEO of the club, Richardson will stay on board in a consultancy role.

South Sydney released a statement on the matter on the club website, where Richardson addressed the club members.

“In times like these, leaders have to step forward and lead,” Richardson said.

“When we were reviewing things with Blake (Solly) early in the week, it became very clear to me on Tuesday that I needed to step down. The cost of having me remain in the football department was one of our largest costs and as a club we need to cut the cloth to suit the suit.

“I made the decision on my own, it’s my decision, and then I informed Blake, the Board and Russell (Crowe). No one pushed me into this decision. It became very obvious to me that this was a decision that needed to be made for the next 18 months for the club.

Souths co-owner Russell Crowe added: “Quite simply, without Shane’s focus and input during the decade leading up to the 2014 premiership win, that victory would not have happened,” Crowe said. “Such is his vital contribution.

“Shane has made an incredibly selfless gesture on behalf of South Sydney. It’s something I’ve come to expect from him, he always puts the needs of the club first in everything he does.”

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