NRL Clubs threaten rebel breakaway competition over funding feud

[Dirkgee]

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-clubs-threaten-rebel-breakaway-competition-over-funding-feud/news-story/92fa69e709d635146ba3c48e7237c02c?amp

The article in full below:

League bosses Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo have cancelled their trip to England for the World Cup final as the club funding row reaches breaking point amid extraordinary threats of disgruntled clubs setting up a breakaway competition.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal a handful of clubs have privately raised the drastic option of forming a rebel league, such is their anger and bitter frustration over the financial stalemate that has put the game at a standstill.
While it sounds extreme and unfeasible, this action has been confirmed as a last resort play by Brian Fletcher, the boss of NRL champions the Penrith Panthers.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the licences of all 16 clubs established clubs expire at the end of next season, a situation that makes their threat more realistic, although highly unlikely.

However the urgency to find a solution has resulted in V’landys and Abdo cancelling a planned trip to England for the World Cup.

They made the decision before the latest club threats in the spirit of the negotiation process.
V’landys has apologised to the World Cup organisers.

Fletcher told The Daily Telegraph: “We’re not going to be dictated to.”

Another senior club official, who declined to be named, said: “If the NRL want to bully players and clubs, we will find a different group of people to govern the game.”

There is no question now that the relationship between a number of clubs, the RLPA and the head body is absolutely at rock bottom.

However V’landys is backing his chief executive Andrew Abdo to the hilt.

“I respect the fact that everyone is trying to maximise the returns to themselves,” he said.

“However what I find most disappointing is that they are attacking Andrew Abdo with falsehoods.

“No one has worked harder for the game to get it to the healthy position it’s now in.

“You’ve got to play the ball, not the player.

“I’m confident we will get a resolution which not everyone is going to like but at the end of the day that’s why you have an independent commission.”

The latest breakaway-competition threat is all the more remarkable in that Panthers boss Fletcher is a close 20-year friend of V’landys.

It was Fletcher who first approached V’landys and convinced the Racing NSW chief to join the independent commission back in 2018.

Yet his Penrith club is one of many that are fed up.

The game is in an unprecedented mess at the beginning of the rugby league financial year with:

• No salary cap for 2023

• No club funding agreement

• No collective bargaining deal

• No playing schedule for next year

• And no relationship with the NSWRL, with whom they are involved in legal action.

After months of painfully slow negotiations, it is fair to say both sides are at fault for the delays.

Not all clubs are as angry as others. In fact the NRL believes they have the majority of clubs onside with some minor tweaks on funding of the women’s game.

That many would be happy to take what’s on offer now because, since V’landys’ arrival, they have gone from financial basket cases to profitable organisations.

However the likes of Fletcher and Souths boss Blake Solly insists most clubs are behind them.

Fletcher complains about the lack of detail around NRL’s finances.

>“Peter has got to realise we need some answers and we need some transparency,” Fletcher said.

“We’ve asked for a balance sheet from Magic Round.

“We put on the show but we never see anything. It’s actually deplorable. Show us the figures.

“It’s hard to support them when you think they are robbing you.
"The clubs are the shareholders.

“How much did they make out of the grand final? And why rob the people that put the game on.”

Pressed again on a breakaway competition, Fletcher said: “The clubs aren’t going to be 100 percent dictated to. Abdo is using the word commission.

“I don’t think all of them even know what’s going on here.

“All the clubs want is $5 million on top of the cap which we need.

“It’s peanuts when they’re skiting about making $50 million over two pages in the paper.”

Fletcher has offered to sit down with V’landys.

“Maybe they are trying to starve us out and the financially weaker clubs will give in,” he said.

“The stronger clubs won’t be, I can guarantee that.

“Clint (Newton) is no pushover either. He’s got a strong board behind him and the players aren’t going to cop it.

“Maybe I’ll go and talk to Peter to see where we can go with a bit of common sense.” 

[Gomersall]

Ah the irony. I’m still waiting to see the balance sheet from the 2017 WC.

[gingerjon]

Aren't these threats a fairly regular occurrence?

[DlEHARD]

Really hits a sore spot when any moron suggests another civil war after the Super League war ruined the game in the mid-90s. The greedy players and clubs only care for themselves. Perhaps if they invested more in juniors, recreational and international footy there would be a bigger pie anyway.

[Damien]

6 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Aren't these threats a fairly regular occurrence?

Indeed.

[dealwithit]

Fletcher sounds like a moron in this article. “Maybe I should go talk to Peter…” — Sounds like a sensible first step than going to the paper. 

[Damien]

5 minutes ago, dealwithit said:

Fletcher sounds like a moron in this article. “Maybe I should go talk to Peter…” — Sounds like a sensible first step than going to the paper. 

As he always has with his comments on the World Club Challenge.

[Sports Prophet]

Just a bit of posturing from each side. This is a non story.

[THE RED ROOSTER]

1 hour ago, Sports Prophet said:

Just a bit of posturing from each side. This is a non story.

Spot on a media beat up, No threat is credible without a broadcaster ready to pump in million of dollars.

[langpark]

Looks like NRL off-season clickbait to me.

The "NRL matches in the USA" stories are finally getting a rest after being done for the last eight consecutive off-seasons.

 

[Gomersall]

10 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

Just a bit of posturing from each side. This is a non story.

What they call sabre rattling.

[Damien]

2 hours ago, langpark said:

Looks like NRL off-season clickbait to me.

The "NRL matches in the USA" stories are finally getting a rest after being done for the last eight consecutive off-seasons.

 

You've just missed them, there has been at least two different batches of those in recent months

[Guest]

A couple of spares we can sell to some locals then.

 

Sounds a win win.

[Madrileño]

This actually could work out quite well. Especially if they branded it up as a "Super League" and expanded it slightly to include clubs in Adelaide and Perth, or maybe a South Queensland side. 

[Eddie]

Good excuse for them to not bother coming to the WC final. 

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

Why are Australian rugby league clubs led by such short-sighted muppets. Every few years they force the NRL leadership out if it doesn’t look like they’re going to get their own way when they ask for more money.

Seeing as they’re the number 1 sport in most metro markets, like the Premier League is here, they might want to do a bit of self-reflection on why they’re unable to convert that into commensurate attendance and commercial income. Always looking for a TV rights media money bailout from the centre because they can’t run their own ships properly. Wazzocks. 

[The Future is League]

On 06/11/2022 at 13:55, Dirkgee said:

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-clubs-threaten-rebel-breakaway-competition-over-funding-feud/news-story/92fa69e709d635146ba3c48e7237c02c?amp

The article in full below:

League bosses Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo have cancelled their trip to England for the World Cup final as the club funding row reaches breaking point amid extraordinary threats of disgruntled clubs setting up a breakaway competition.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal a handful of clubs have privately raised the drastic option of forming a rebel league, such is their anger and bitter frustration over the financial stalemate that has put the game at a standstill.
While it sounds extreme and unfeasible, this action has been confirmed as a last resort play by Brian Fletcher, the boss of NRL champions the Penrith Panthers.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the licences of all 16 clubs established clubs expire at the end of next season, a situation that makes their threat more realistic, although highly unlikely.

However the urgency to find a solution has resulted in V’landys and Abdo cancelling a planned trip to England for the World Cup.

They made the decision before the latest club threats in the spirit of the negotiation process.
V’landys has apologised to the World Cup organisers.

Fletcher told The Daily Telegraph: “We’re not going to be dictated to.”

Another senior club official, who declined to be named, said: “If the NRL want to bully players and clubs, we will find a different group of people to govern the game.”

There is no question now that the relationship between a number of clubs, the RLPA and the head body is absolutely at rock bottom.

However V’landys is backing his chief executive Andrew Abdo to the hilt.

“I respect the fact that everyone is trying to maximise the returns to themselves,” he said.

“However what I find most disappointing is that they are attacking Andrew Abdo with falsehoods.

“No one has worked harder for the game to get it to the healthy position it’s now in.

“You’ve got to play the ball, not the player.

“I’m confident we will get a resolution which not everyone is going to like but at the end of the day that’s why you have an independent commission.”

The latest breakaway-competition threat is all the more remarkable in that Panthers boss Fletcher is a close 20-year friend of V’landys.

It was Fletcher who first approached V’landys and convinced the Racing NSW chief to join the independent commission back in 2018.

Yet his Penrith club is one of many that are fed up.

The game is in an unprecedented mess at the beginning of the rugby league financial year with:

• No salary cap for 2023

• No club funding agreement

• No collective bargaining deal

• No playing schedule for next year

• And no relationship with the NSWRL, with whom they are involved in legal action.

After months of painfully slow negotiations, it is fair to say both sides are at fault for the delays.

Not all clubs are as angry as others. In fact the NRL believes they have the majority of clubs onside with some minor tweaks on funding of the women’s game.

That many would be happy to take what’s on offer now because, since V’landys’ arrival, they have gone from financial basket cases to profitable organisations.

However the likes of Fletcher and Souths boss Blake Solly insists most clubs are behind them.

Fletcher complains about the lack of detail around NRL’s finances.

>“Peter has got to realise we need some answers and we need some transparency,” Fletcher said.

“We’ve asked for a balance sheet from Magic Round.

“We put on the show but we never see anything. It’s actually deplorable. Show us the figures.

“It’s hard to support them when you think they are robbing you.
"The clubs are the shareholders.

“How much did they make out of the grand final? And why rob the people that put the game on.”

Pressed again on a breakaway competition, Fletcher said: “The clubs aren’t going to be 100 percent dictated to. Abdo is using the word commission.

“I don’t think all of them even know what’s going on here.

“All the clubs want is $5 million on top of the cap which we need.

“It’s peanuts when they’re skiting about making $50 million over two pages in the paper.”

Fletcher has offered to sit down with V’landys.

“Maybe they are trying to starve us out and the financially weaker clubs will give in,” he said.

“The stronger clubs won’t be, I can guarantee that.

“Clint (Newton) is no pushover either. He’s got a strong board behind him and the players aren’t going to cop it.

“Maybe I’ll go and talk to Peter to see where we can go with a bit of common sense.” 

So how much of the extra money the clubs want will go to junior development?

[Dirkgee]

1 hour ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

Seeing as they’re the number 1 sport in most metro markets, like the Premier League is here, they might want to do a bit of self-reflection on why they’re unable to convert that into commensurate attendance and commercial income. 

The NRL isn't no 1 in most metro markets, and it certainly doesn't have as much pull as the Premier League does in England. The AFL pulls in $100 million more a year than the NRL. 

[David Shepherd]

1 hour ago, Hull Kingston Bronco said:

Wazzocks. 

Underrated insult

[Hull Kingston Bronco]

7 minutes ago, Dirkgee said:

The NRL isn't no 1 in most metro markets, and it certainly doesn't have as much pull as the Premier League does in England. The AFL pulls in $100 million more a year than the NRL. 

Mate I've lived in Sydney for years, and worked in Brisbane almost weekly whilst doing so. The NRL plays exactly the same role the Premier League does here in those 2 cities. In fact I'd say overall awareness is higher - Fox Sports market penetration in Aus is greater than Sky's in the UK. Fact is the NRL clubs have demonstrably not monetised this into audience and commercial revenues in the same way the AFL has in Melbourne and Perth, due mainly to small-minded incompetence and the sort of internecine short-term behaviours we're seeing in this case.   

AFL TV rights values vs NRL are a complex subject, and not a true metric. They have longer games with more ad spots for starters, and less of a subservient relationship with the broadcasters due to a different history (NRL serially gets paid unders by Nine and Fox because of insider behaviours). But if you look at TV ratings NRL beats AFL consistently, and State of Origin is the premium TV sport product in the country.