Gees louise, what a shambles. Imagine the situation if they didn't have leagues clubs to prop them up with pokie revenue.
Phil Rothfield Exclusive: NRL clubs lost a total of $53.4 million last year
The Daily Telegraph
February 23, 2017 11:00pm
NRL clubs lost a staggering total of $53.4 million last year, according to a secret financial document obtained by The Daily Telegraph on the eve of the season kick-off.
It is an embarrassing result for the NRL on the day of its own AGM where it will be revealed the head body also lost more than $2 million last year, despite a $50 million advanced payment on the new TV deal from broadcasters Channel Nine to help the Moore Park administration and struggling clubs.
The figures show the Parramatta Eels had the worst result in the year of their salary cap scandal, finishing with a loss of $12 million.
Salary cap fines, Anthony Watmough’s $1 million payout, legal fees, staff terminations and the loss of sponsorships from the scandal contributed to the worst financial result of any club in NRL history. Only the thriving Leagues Club business has kept the football club afloat.
Only two clubs — the Queensland powerhouses the Broncos and the Cowboys made profits.
Even premiers Cronulla finished with a loss of $600,000, despite a multi-million dollars boost from merchandising from the historic grand final win.
The Penrith Panthers also lost $7 million, blamed largely on the maintenance costs and hiring of Penrith Stadium, a $1.6 million grant to junior league and the expense of running their world class academy.
Like the Parramatta Eels, the losses are covered by a multi-million grant from the successful Panthers’ licensed clubs.
Penrith is disputing the NRL’s figure of an $8 million deficit with Panthers boss Brian Fletcher suggesting the figure is closer to $6 million.
It was also a poor year for the South Sydney Rabbitohs who turned a $1.5 million profit from the previous year into a $2.9 million loss, despite having the highest membership in the game.
The team’s poor on field performances and slump in attendances contributed.
The hefty losses are the reason why the 16 clubs fought so furiously and threatened to bring down independent commission chairman John Grant over the game’s future funding.
The club losses have increased by almost $10 million annually for the past three years from $30 million in 2014 to last year’s $53 million.
Under the new funding model where clubs will get 30 per cent more than the salary cap as their annual grant it is hoped the losses will decrease substantially.
The costs of the NRL propping up the Titans and Knights came to around $6 million.
The Broncos profit of $2.5 million according to NRL estimates could be seen as disappointing considering their turnover is $40 million, almost double the nearest Sydney club.
It is why there is such a strong push for a second Brisbane team to level the playing field.
The NRL declined to comment on the figures until after today’s AGM.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... adb391708f
liar extraordinaire 
spazza?