Covid 19 and footy - season (suspended) now resumed

[KTigers]

Yeah, sure, a few really good players in the one league team can make more of a difference to that teams fortunes than a few
really good players would in an Aussie Rules team. The "superstar" AFL player is only marginally better than the very very good
AFL player these days in my opinion. Even with an uncompromised AFL draft there is always going to be a time lag because it
usually takes even a top 10 draft pick four or five years to reach their potential. It might be just me, but I'm not a big fan of
excessive player movement generally. I believe players and clubs should stick to their written agreements, as we regular folk
should in our day to day lives. It's character building. And I think the ease of player movement has hurt the growth of the code
in the northern states. If there is a mutual agreement halfway thru that it's just not working then fine, annul the contact. If not
then stick it out.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

[mcs]

The relevance is that the NRL are in a position to attract new talent in (Sonny Bill) with lucrative contracts, and move players around (Fifita from Brisbane to Titans) on big contracts with the same salary cap in place as pre-covid.
Same salary cap, loosely means same major revenue streams. We know two revenue streams are down (crowds, and sponsors), so other revenue (broadcast rights) must be same or up.

This is logical conclusions based on actions, not words from the media.

'Lucrative contract'..... he is likely to get paid all of about $150K for the rest of the season... good money sure for 1/2 a season, but lucrative.... pull the other one. Especially given what he is missing out on (A 10 million, 2 year contract).

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/extraordinary-times-nrl-to-bend-the-rules-for-sonny-bill-williams-20200726-p55fl8.html

The details of the new TV deal for the NRL were broadly leaked at the time it was announced. In short, it involved some extra money up front for this year and 2021 compared to what was expected following adjustments for COVID-19 impacts (I would say paid for by Fox - as Nine have made it clear they are saving substantial amounts of money in 2020 and 2021), traded off against a longer contract at lower then expected levels in later years (i.e. below the current contract amount). That doesn't mean somehow 'broadcast revenues' are the same or up - because we know there is also an enormous push from V'Landys to get some of the gravy suckers off the gravy train at head quarters.

It's more likely a reflection that the NRL spends more on administration than the AFL, and expected cost cutting on that side will plug some of the 'gap'. That plus the loan deal they brokered with the UK based 'banks' (more likely private equity loan sharks in disguise) would have provided the capital they have required to stay at current levels more broadly.

So they've traded off future gains for current needs - nothing wrong with doing that sure, but you wonder just how much they've given up to do so, and what it'll all look like in 2 or 3 years time.

[barry]

You just can't be convinced that the NRL has played this period better.
While the AFL flops around with late start, hubs all over the joint, big pay drops, and this rather desperate 30 games in 30 days, the NRL just plays week in week out as normal.

Maybe the AFL should also apply some big cost cutting at headquarters.

[0918330512]

Yup the NRL know how to land the big fish. Cheat.

NRL prepared to tweak contracts rule to land Sonny Bill
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia's National Rugby League (NRL) is prepared to give Sonny Bill Williams an exemption from a contractual rule which would allow the New Zealander to play for the champion Sydney Roosters, league boss Peter V'landys said on Monday.

Dual code international Williams was released by Toronto Wolfpack after the Canadian team pulled out of the restart of Super League Europe due to financial challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Players are not allowed to sign with an NRL team if they hold a playing contract outside the league but V'landys said an exception could be made for Williams if he were still contracted to Toronto.

"If that's not the case we will change the rules to give us flexibility to adapt to the two-contract situation but give exemption for specific circumstances like this one.

"We will look at anything that's for the benefit of the game ... We should look at every case on its merits, we should not have blanket rules that stop you from doing things for the benefit of the game."

[707]

You just can't be convinced that the NRL has played this period better.
While the AFL flops around with late start, hubs all over the joint, big pay drops, and this rather desperate 30 games in 30 days, the NRL just plays week in week out as normal.

Maybe the AFL should also apply some big cost cutting at headquarters.

By not employing every sacked coach in yet another wishy washy role with a fancy title!

I think the clubs who are being asked to take huge cuts in footy departments will be ensuring HQ slashes their costs as well, by a similar %. A stack of money to be saved in future on CDB floorspace.

[barry]

Yup the NRL know how to land the big fish. Cheat.

In the offical top 1 million list of cheats, this didnt even make the list.

[mcs]

You just can't be convinced that the NRL has played this period better.
While the AFL flops around with late start, hubs all over the joint, big pay drops, and this rather desperate 30 games in 30 days, the NRL just plays week in week out as normal.

Maybe the AFL should also apply some big cost cutting at headquarters.

Where did I suggest the AFL has handled it better? Nowhere.

All I did was present facts that suggest your 'evidence' supporting your supposition in regards to the financial outcomes for the NRL was fairly weak at best. Only time will tell just how much of the castle they have truly sold to get through this period.

[0918330512]

In the offical top 1 million list of cheats, this didnt even make the list.

You had to look just a little further down to 1,000,004

[KTigers]

By not employing every sacked coach in yet another wishy washy role with a fancy title!

I think the clubs who are being asked to take huge cuts in footy departments will be ensuring HQ slashes their costs as well, by a similar %. A stack of money to be saved in future on CDB floorspace.

It's so hard to know what the AFL is doing sometimes. I think poor old Gill was taking a 20% pay cut on his $1.8M salary and was going to
have to eek by on a measly $1.44M this year. Brutal. But I'm sure his thoughts were with the lower rung AFL & club employees who were
pushed out the door in April and have gone from 60K a year to whatever the dole is paying at the moment. That will mean a lot to them.

[barry]

It's so hard to know what the AFL is doing sometimes. I think poor old Gill was taking a 20% pay cut on his $1.8M salary and was going to
have to eek by on a measly $1.44M this year. Brutal. But I'm sure his thoughts were with the lower rung AFL & club employees who were
pushed out the door in April and have gone from 60K a year to whatever the dole is paying at the moment. That will mean a lot to them.

Be fair, his au pair costs have gone through the roof, now that he has to smuggle them into the country.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

It's so hard to know what the AFL is doing sometimes. I think poor old Gill was taking a 20% pay cut on his $1.8M salary and was going to
have to eek by on a measly $1.44M this year. Brutal. But I'm sure his thoughts were with the lower rung AFL & club employees who were
pushed out the door in April and have gone from 60K a year to whatever the dole is paying at the moment. That will mean a lot to them.

Did the players end up taking a 50% pay cut?

[Mel_C]

Did the players end up taking a 50% pay cut?

Yes 50% if they played and I think 70% if there were no games.

[Nico]

I liked the look of Jackson from Melbourne. Very mobile in the mould of Peter Moore. Looks a star of the future.

[barry]

Where did I suggest the AFL has handled it better? Nowhere.

All I did was present facts that suggest your 'evidence' supporting your
supposition in regards to the financial outcomes for the NRL was fairly weak at best. .

The NRL cap is unchanged. How is that "weak evidence".,?