Talking Footy

QUEENSLAND Rugby League chairman Peter Betros has accused disaffected Sydney clubs of trying to “drag the game backwards’’ in agitating against the sport’s leaders Dave Smith and John Grant.

Powerbrokers from some Sydney clubs, primarily Sydney Roosters, Canterbury and Penrith, are critical of the direction NRL chief executive Smith and ARL Commission chairman Grant have taken the game.

Grant’s position as chairman of the ARLC comes up for reappointment by peer commissioners for a second term at the annual general meeting in February.

Some Sydney clubs miss not having the direct influence of decision-making wielded before the independent ARLC took charge in early 2012.

Sydney media reports have in recent weeks foreshadowed opposition to Grant’s reappointment and disaffection with Smith’s leadership style.

ARLC Chairman John Grant and NRL Chief Executive Dave Smith.
ARLC Chairman John Grant and NRL Chief Executive Dave Smith.
Complaint about what these clubs see as a lack of consultation by Smith is effectively frustration at being unable to influence change to their advantage as they used to do.

Betros and QRL managing director Rob Moore reaffirmed support for the Commission and Smith at a meeting in Sydney on Monday at which the QRL’s budget was presented.

“As far as we are concerned there is no need for change,” Betros said.

“We support where the commission is taking the game, where Dave Smith is taking the game and we fully support the chairmanship of John Grant and support (the process of) reappointing him as chairman.

“We are not expecting any change. The only agitation for change, as I understand it, comes from some clubs in Sydney.

“They should get behind the Commission instead of trying to get back to the old days. They should stop trying to drag the game backwards, that’s all they are doing with this.”

Queensland Rugby League boss Peter Betros.
Queensland Rugby League boss Peter Betros.
The QRL is one of 26 voting “members” of the ARLC, with others being the 16 NRL clubs, the NSWRL and the eight ARL commissioners.

The ARLC constitution says 10 members may, with the additional support of both the NSW and Queensland Leagues, vote to remove a director.

Fourteen members are required to remove a Commissioner without the support of both the state leagues, it says, and should either of these events occur, the remaining seven commissioners would appoint a replacement.

The right to appoint a chairman is solely at the discretion of the commissioners.

“If the clubs were very unhappy with one of the commissioners, they would have to get enough support before the annual meeting to raise the issue at the annual meeting to replace one of the commissioners,” Betros said.

The QRL received a good hearing from the ARLC on requesting funding increases at Monday’s meeting, Betros said.

“While we haven’t had an answer we are confident we will be able to push on with our plans for 2015 and the future,” he said.



numpties!

No I think the QRL has a point, although I wouldn't have gone public after the funding increase request. They are pushing for the Brisbane Bombers after all as well as more in the kitty for the Titans so they can restore the balance between the codes on the Gold Coast.

Foolproof wrote:

No I think the QRL has a point, although I wouldn't have gone public after the funding increase request. They are pushing for the Brisbane Bombers after all as well as more in the kitty for the Titans so they can restore the balance between the codes on the Gold Coast.

the titans are a financial joke, with low support base

The only reason they have financial issues is because of private ownership. Fix that up and they'll get the support base.

Titans are going through a rough patch but so are the Brisbane Lions. They have been canabilised by your Suns.

South Sydney were broke and look at them now. Probably the most well known stable club in Rugby League now.. Is all about good management and it shows teams can come back.

Good example with the Bunnies. Not so sure I agree about the Suns "canabilising" the Lions, but the Lions are having their issues no matter what the reason is. In fact I would say the Lions are in bigger trouble than the Titans by a long way.

Point me to one privately owned sporting club in this country that has worked and hasn't gone belly up. All we hear about are the failures - the Titans, the Knights, the Swans, just to name a few. Going back to community ownership is what saved them from extinction. The Knights in particular as a working class club in the purely classic sense,

AFLsforPussies wrote:

Titans are going through a rough patch but so are the Brisbane Lions. They have been canabilised by your Suns.

South Sydney were broke and look at them now. Probably the most well known stable club in Rugby League now.. Is all about good management and it shows teams can come back.

the Lions football department is still turning over more than double the titans, but troubles come from being crap on field, bad management & poor investing.
the titans have no fans, & are debt ridden due to thinking they will be bigger than what they will ever be


South Sydney have had the financial backing from the singletons & crowe

Foolproof wrote:

Good example with the Bunnies. Not so sure I agree about the Suns "canabilising" the Lions, but the Lions are having their issues no matter what the reason is. In fact I would say the Lions are in bigger trouble than the Titans by a long way.

the lions crowd average & membership is still higher than nearly every NRL club, & their revenue is far higher.

the titans are a joke, no fans, low membership numbers, debt ridden & financially farrrked, so much so they are training down a local school, & their admin office is located at a local council building

Finance records of Gold Coast Titans charity Titans 4 Tomorrow show large rent and liabilities



RENT RECORDS: Company records of Gold Coast Titans charity Titans 4 Tomorrow have been laid bare - including rent payments for space in the Centre of Excellence
A GOLD Coast Titans charity was paying the struggling club rent of almost $750,000 a year at the same time it was receiving $1.5 million of taxpayers’ money.

The rent for space at the Titans’ ill-fated Centre of Excellence peaked at $748,000 in 2011 before dropping to just $88,000 last year – despite Titans 4 Tomorrow increasing its programs tenfold.

T4T has 35 staff. It would not say how many staff were employed when it was paying the club $748,000 for office space at Robina.

A Bulletin search into company records also found:

- The organisation sought three loans - one unsecured of $350,000, another secured of $347,359, and one in 2013 from Gold Coast Titans Pty Ltd for $417,392.

- Received $2.3 million in Federal Government funding in 2013 and $1.35 million in 2012, and generated more than $3.5 million in outside sponsorship for that period.

- As of October 2013, had more than $1.5 million in liabilities

- Paid $370,000 and $237,000 in consultancy fees over two years

- Spent up to $45,000 each for luxury cars.

Managing director and organisation founder Michael Searle was unavailable for comment, referring the Bulletin’s questions to chairman Joshua Creamer.


Mr Creamer, who only became a T4T director late last year, defended the transactions, saying all loans, excluding motor vehicle finance, had been repaid in full.

SPORT: COACH CARTY’S EMOTIONAL GOODBYE

TITANS: FOUNDER SEARLE ON WHY HE’S QUIT THE BOARD

Since October 2013, the company’s liabilities had been reduced by $700,000, he said.

“Titans 4 Tomorrow Ltd directors commissioned a leading independent expert audit firm, Vincent’s Chartered Accountants, to undertake two independent audit reviews in 2013 and again in 2014 after the departure of senior management from the Gold Coast Titans to ensure the former finance staff and club management had adopted a commercial approach to transfer pricing between the entities,” Mr Creamer said.

“This reasonableness review examined transactions between Titans and Titans 4 Tomorrow for the years 2010, 2011 and 2012 and reviewed the costs and charges between the non-profit entity Titans 4 Tomorrow and the Gold Coast Titans. That report definitively concluded without exception or caveat that all transactions between the entities were reasonable and commercial.”

T4T was created in May 2008 to “provide services and assistance to people in need of relief including indigenous people living in remote areas within Australia”.

An NRL investigation into Gold Coast Titans’ financial affairs will scrutinise transactions for related bodies such as T4T.

Mr Searle, a major shareholder and board member of the Titans until his resignation this week, previously indicated he was “happy to fully comply with the NRL investigation”.

‘
The records indicate T4T has increased its cash reserves to almost $300,000 after the available funds dropped to about $36,000 the previous year.

As the Titans property arm was bleeding with debts of up to $25 million in mid-2012 after legal disputes surrounding the building of the club’s Centre of Excellence headquarters at Robina, T4T provided rental payments of $748,381 in rent in 2011 and $412,765 in 2012.

These payments dropped to $88,655 last year.

T4T maintains it is separate from the club but documents show senior Titans employees were directors.
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/spo ... 7017340782


the titans are a bigger joke than what the raiders are, in their own heart land!

Foolproof wrote:

Point me to one privately owned sporting club in this country that has worked and hasn't gone belly up. All we hear about are the failures - the Titans, the Knights, the Swans, just to name a few. Going back to community ownership is what saved them from extinction. The Knights in particular as a working class club in the purely classic sense,

Brisbane Broncos.

leagueiscrap wrote:

Foolproof wrote:

Good example with the Bunnies. Not so sure I agree about the Suns "canabilising" the Lions, but the Lions are having their issues no matter what the reason is. In fact I would say the Lions are in bigger trouble than the Titans by a long way.

the lions crowd average & membership is still higher than nearly every NRL club, & their revenue is far higher.

the titans are a joke, no fans, low membership numbers, debt ridden & financially farrrked, so much so they are training down a local school, & their admin office is located at a local council building

Finance records of Gold Coast Titans charity Titans 4 Tomorrow show large rent and liabilities



RENT RECORDS: Company records of Gold Coast Titans charity Titans 4 Tomorrow have been laid bare - including rent payments for space in the Centre of Excellence
A GOLD Coast Titans charity was paying the struggling club rent of almost $750,000 a year at the same time it was receiving $1.5 million of taxpayers’ money.

The rent for space at the Titans’ ill-fated Centre of Excellence peaked at $748,000 in 2011 before dropping to just $88,000 last year – despite Titans 4 Tomorrow increasing its programs tenfold.

T4T has 35 staff. It would not say how many staff were employed when it was paying the club $748,000 for office space at Robina.

A Bulletin search into company records also found:

- The organisation sought three loans - one unsecured of $350,000, another secured of $347,359, and one in 2013 from Gold Coast Titans Pty Ltd for $417,392.

- Received $2.3 million in Federal Government funding in 2013 and $1.35 million in 2012, and generated more than $3.5 million in outside sponsorship for that period.

- As of October 2013, had more than $1.5 million in liabilities

- Paid $370,000 and $237,000 in consultancy fees over two years

- Spent up to $45,000 each for luxury cars.

Managing director and organisation founder Michael Searle was unavailable for comment, referring the Bulletin’s questions to chairman Joshua Creamer.


Mr Creamer, who only became a T4T director late last year, defended the transactions, saying all loans, excluding motor vehicle finance, had been repaid in full.

SPORT: COACH CARTY’S EMOTIONAL GOODBYE

TITANS: FOUNDER SEARLE ON WHY HE’S QUIT THE BOARD

Since October 2013, the company’s liabilities had been reduced by $700,000, he said.

“Titans 4 Tomorrow Ltd directors commissioned a leading independent expert audit firm, Vincent’s Chartered Accountants, to undertake two independent audit reviews in 2013 and again in 2014 after the departure of senior management from the Gold Coast Titans to ensure the former finance staff and club management had adopted a commercial approach to transfer pricing between the entities,” Mr Creamer said.

“This reasonableness review examined transactions between Titans and Titans 4 Tomorrow for the years 2010, 2011 and 2012 and reviewed the costs and charges between the non-profit entity Titans 4 Tomorrow and the Gold Coast Titans. That report definitively concluded without exception or caveat that all transactions between the entities were reasonable and commercial.”

T4T was created in May 2008 to “provide services and assistance to people in need of relief including indigenous people living in remote areas within Australia”.

An NRL investigation into Gold Coast Titans’ financial affairs will scrutinise transactions for related bodies such as T4T.

Mr Searle, a major shareholder and board member of the Titans until his resignation this week, previously indicated he was “happy to fully comply with the NRL investigation”.

‘
The records indicate T4T has increased its cash reserves to almost $300,000 after the available funds dropped to about $36,000 the previous year.

As the Titans property arm was bleeding with debts of up to $25 million in mid-2012 after legal disputes surrounding the building of the club’s Centre of Excellence headquarters at Robina, T4T provided rental payments of $748,381 in rent in 2011 and $412,765 in 2012.

These payments dropped to $88,655 last year.

T4T maintains it is separate from the club but documents show senior Titans employees were directors.
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/spo ... 7017340782


the titans are a bigger joke than what the raiders are, in their own heart land!

Typical of you to post OLD articles from anywhere back 5 years or so, you are one stupid person who thinks it's funny but only ends up being shown up for the idiot you are.

ParraEelsNRL wrote:

Foolproof wrote:

Point me to one privately owned sporting club in this country that has worked and hasn't gone belly up. All we hear about are the failures - the Titans, the Knights, the Swans, just to name a few. Going back to community ownership is what saved them from extinction. The Knights in particular as a working class club in the purely classic sense,

Brisbane Broncos.

the broncos, then the same ownership structure for the storm doesn't quite work
even after a decade of hand outs from the NRL & newsltd & routing the salary sap the storm have never turned a profit!

WHAT?? Bullshit!! The AFL don't own ANY clubs!! They can't because that would be against ACCC rules for conflict of interest!!

Parra Eels NRL, the Broncos structure is not private ownership. You're mixing up ownership and sponsorship. Same for the former major sponsors of the Storm - which was only allowed because the same sponsor had seats on the NRL board. That was a conflict of interest as well, but I think they got away with it because they were dealing in the off field post Super League mess.

I didn't know that about the swans (plus others) the FFA owned the Wanderers until June 30 this year, and have owned other teams so I can't see why ACCC would be a problem for AFL and not HAL (or NRL) The Asian Football Confederation doesn't like it, but then again they don't like that FFA "own" the HAL.

leagueiscrap wrote:

ParraEelsNRL wrote:

Foolproof wrote:

Point me to one privately owned sporting club in this country that has worked and hasn't gone belly up. All we hear about are the failures - the Titans, the Knights, the Swans, just to name a few. Going back to community ownership is what saved them from extinction. The Knights in particular as a working class club in the purely classic sense,

Brisbane Broncos.

the broncos, then the same ownership structure for the storm doesn't quite work
even after a decade of hand outs from the NRL & newsltd & routing the salary sap the storm have never turned a profit!

:_<>

Butbut

Pokes pokes pokes

Whered yr team go bomber ? >
:_<>