NRL $63 million operating surplus, net asset position >$200 million

[Copa]

Some good figures in there

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/strong-financial-position-nrl-spruiks-record-63m-operating-surplus-20230222-p5cmqh.html

Edited February 23, 2023 by Copa

[Eddie]

A well run organisation that plans ahead and protects its future. If only we had that here. 

[ELBOWSEYE]

25 minutes ago, Eddie said:

A well run organisation that plans ahead and protects its future. If only we had that here. 

They act from a position of strength, in the past tgey wastef their resources now they have team who look to maximise. The worst you could blame our lot was they made sure they were paid well, 

[Eddie]

10 minutes ago, ELBOWSEYE said:

They act from a position of strength, in the past tgey wastef their resources now they have team who look to maximise. The worst you could blame our lot was they made sure they were paid well, 

They’ve made that position of strength though. Some people on this forum are expecting the moon on a stick from IMG, but if we could get to half the organisational ability of the NRL it would be a massive improvement. 

[lucky 7]

6 hours ago, Copa said:

Some good figures in there

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/strong-financial-position-nrl-spruiks-record-63m-operating-surplus-20230222-p5cmqh.html

The advantage of having an accountant as the main man.

They do need to spend more of junior development though to counter the treat of AFL in NSW and QLD

[Davo5]

39 minutes ago, Eddie said:

They’ve made that position of strength though. Some people on this forum are expecting the moon on a stick from IMG, but if we could get to half the organisational ability of the NRL it would be a massive improvement. 

But helped hugely by the massive broadcasting revenues available to them,something that the game over here will never be able to accomplish,even with IMG’s involvement.

[Eddie]

5 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

But helped hugely by the massive broadcasting revenues available to them,something that the game over here will never be able to accomplish,even with IMG’s involvement.

Those massive broadcasting revenues aren’t by accident tbf. 

[Davo5]

3 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Those massive broadcasting revenues aren’t by accident tbf. 

But a lot easier to come by in Australia than here where the Premier League & Champions League hoover up all the big money broadcasting revenue.

[gingerjon]

So about not paying the players properly or supporting them when injured etc ...

[Eddie]

48 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

But a lot easier to come by in Australia than here where the Premier League & Champions League hoover up all the big money broadcasting revenue.

Yes fair enough. 

[The Rocket]

1 hour ago, Davo5 said:

But helped hugely by the massive broadcasting revenues available to them,something that the game over here will never be able to accomplish,even with IMG’s involvement.

 Never is a very long-time mate. Cycling was huge over here in the 1930`s and boxing likewise, people are fickle creatures. 

 And if managed right, especially the safety aspect, the tackle format of Rugby League led by Touch and Tag being used to engage mass participation, especially in the school system, could have a lot brighter future

As NRL Cheif Executive Andrew Abdo said when releasing the figures:

" We have a plan to grow rugby league in all formats – Touch, Tag and Tackle - in schools and Club based competitions."

 

 

Edited February 23, 2023 by The Rocket

[Davo5]

5 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

 Never is a very long-time mate. Cycling was huge over here in the 1930`s and boxing likewise, people are fickle creatures. 

 And if managed right, especially the safety aspect, the tackle format of Rugby League led by Touch and Tag being used to engage mass participation, especially in the school system, could have a lot brighter future.

Even if all that happened the sport would still be dwarfed by football which will still attract the major broadcasting funding,leaving RL & other sports in this country fighting over the scraps.

The Premier League is a huge money generating machine,that’s why other European football leagues/clubs are starting to whinge about the Premier League clubs perceived “unfair” financial  advantage.

[gingerjon]

5 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

Even if all that happened the sport would still be dwarfed by football which will still attract the major broadcasting funding,leaving RL & other sports in this country fighting over the scraps.

The Premier League is a huge money generating machine,that’s why other European football leagues/clubs are starting to whinge about the Premier League clubs perceived “unfair” financial  advantage.

I don't think people outside the UK really get just how completely dominant football is.

It's like if there was the NRL but then another NRL and another one. And then some more NRL.

EDIT

And it's been that way for at least a century and is probably more so now than before.

Edited February 23, 2023 by gingerjon

[The Masked Poster]

It's a bit chicken and egg. 

What came first, the professional approach or the big money deals? 

[Oxford]

1 hour ago, Davo5 said:

But a lot easier to come by in Australia than here where the Premier League & Champions League hoover up all the big money broadcasting revenue.

And in a country wher RL is not starved of media oxygen. I have no doubt that the RFL would look very different if it was based in Oz. And I think there would be far more internationals too.

It's also why I have so many questions when it comes to IMG as we don't simply have a legacy media that ignores us but one that on the few times it does take notice it's either when someting awful's happened or when they want to bash us in some way.

 

[Copa]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

I don't think people outside the UK really get just how completely dominant football is.

It's like if there was the NRL but then another NRL and another one. And then some more NRL.

EDIT

And it's been that way for at least a century and is probably more so now than before.

I know, but my partner is English and I’ve spent some time there. Soccer is HUGE.

Having said that, I do find the big matches in Australia seem to have more dominance in the Australian media than the big soccer league matches have in the UK media. That really surprised me.

 

[gingerjon]

4 minutes ago, Copa said:

I know, but my partner is English and I’ve spent some time there. Soccer is HUGE.

Having said that, I do find the big matches in Australia seem to have more dominance in the Australian media than the big soccer league matches have in the UK media. That really surprised me.

 

League matches that's probably true although the FA Cup final used to have two channels broadcasting from 9am (for a 3pm kick off) and get massive audiences on both the whole day.

Internationals is different - and you can carbon date the switch from England being back page to front page to Italia 90.

Interesting about the big matches in Oz. I do remember an AFL comment years back that their Grand Final had the same impact on Melbourne that "a royal wedding, the FA Cup final and half an inch of snow on the same day" would have on England.

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, gingerjon said:

I don't think people outside the UK really get just how completely dominant football is.

It's like if there was the NRL but then another NRL and another one. And then some more NRL.

EDIT

And it's been that way for at least a century and is probably more so now than before.

To be fair football was in the doldrums in terms of supporter numbers in the 80s (1985/6 and 2022/3 so far average attendances below), so while RL and all other sports will of course always be dwarfed by it, they have shown what a clever strategy and marketing can do. Whether the game has been improved is another matter, but in terms of fan numbers and media coverage it’s unrecognisable to 35 years ago, support has more than doubled. 
 

1986 Div 1 19.5k, Div 2 7.7k, Div 3 4.5k, Div 4 2.6k. 
 

2023 Prem 39.9k, 18.3k, 10.4k, 5.5k. 
 

Imagine if English rugby league could double its support. 

[gingerjon]

Just now, Eddie said:

To be fair football was in the doldrums in terms of supporter numbers in the 80s (1985/6 and 2022/3 so far average attendances below), so while RL and all other sports will of course always be dwarfed by it, they have shown what a clever strategy and marketing can do. Whether the game has been improved is another matter, but in terms of fan numbers and media coverage it’s unrecognisable to 35 years ago, support has more than doubled. 
 

1986 Div 1 19.5k, Div 2 7.7k, Div 3 4.5k, Div 4 2.6k. 
 

2023 Prem 39.9k, 18.3k, 10.4k, 5.5k. 
 

Imagine if English rugby league could double its support. 

I think the interest was always there. People stayed away a lot of the time because they didn't feel safe.

In terms of what English RL can do, I think it's never fair to compare to the NRL because the worlds are so different. I do think there is a lot the RFL are getting wrong and doing badly but it's not as awful as is made out by too many people. And, being positive, I think the start of this season has (club wise at least) seen a lot more positives than negatives.

[Eddie]

3 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

I think the interest was always there. People stayed away a lot of the time because they didn't feel safe.

In terms of what English RL can do, I think it's never fair to compare to the NRL because the worlds are so different. I do think there is a lot the RFL are getting wrong and doing badly but it's not as awful as is made out by too many people. And, being positive, I think the start of this season has (club wise at least) seen a lot more positives than negatives.

Oh yeah there’s no doubt about that, attendances last week were tremendous. It remains to be seen if that’s maintained but there does seem to be a buzz about the domestic game at the moment, which has been enhanced by Saints’ win at the weekend too. 

[Jill Halfpenny fan]

Does this mean the NRL has a War Chest?

[Oxford]

2 hours ago, Eddie said:

Imagine if English rugby league could double its support. 

It can, it just never set about that as its primary target.

[Oxford]

18 minutes ago, Jill Halfpenny fan said:

Does this mean the NRL has a War Chest?

Almost certainly something in the kitty yes, but like all business talk much like houses their actual value and worth are wildly different things.

[Sports Prophet]

On 23/02/2023 at 15:22, lucky 7 said:

The advantage of having an accountant as the main man.

They do need to spend more of junior development though to counter the treat of AFL in NSW and QLD

Be careful calling AFL a treat for juniors in NSW and Qld @lucky 7, otherwise @The Future is League will start losing his peanuts again.

[Sports Prophet]

On 23/02/2023 at 15:45, Davo5 said:

But a lot easier to come by in Australia than here where the Premier League & Champions League hoover up all the big money broadcasting revenue.

The sports earn from broadcast partners what they deserve. Rolling over and blaming the PL and CL for a lower broadcast package isn’t going to improve it.

The governors must improve the product, increase public demand and broaden broadcast competition, then revenue will improve.

In saying that @gingerjon does put it well. The season has started fabulously. I have never been so entertained at the start of a SL season. SL is starting its second C4 broadcast deal. So there are positive decisions and wins taking place.

 

Edited February 25, 2023 by Sports Prophet