⚠ COVID-19 NRL Announcement

General Rugby League
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:mega: Competition status updates are now added to top of thread.

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Well season ticket holders have been offered Basic Kayo for $5 for 2 months thru a voucher code. Existing Kayo subscribers like me get 2 months for the $5, instead of the $50 I would pay normally ($25 p.m.), so not all bad news :slight_smile:

Other than that who knows what may happen - maybe footy membership rolls into 2021 season??

26

It appears evident to me with todays actions by the Federal and Victorian Government with NSW almost surely to follow the NRL season is now at its end and perhaps unless there is either a saviour by way of Government grant or white knight, perhaps we have witnessed the end of the NRL as we know it

I personally cannot see the Government offering the NRL a lifeline other then what is being offered to any business and what is being offered to any employee, it would set a benchmark which just wouldn’t sit well with the public

I think we will see enormous announcements from the NSW Government tonight or tomorrow at the latest basically shutting the NSW economy down except for essential services.

I will keep an eye on the site but my heart goes out to anyone who will be heavily impacted by this and even mores for anyone who is infected with this virus

If the Italy model is what we are looking at, everything as we know it will change.

No one alive has seen anything like this and where we land whether it be in 3,6 or 12 months no one knows.

Take care and keep well all posters.

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27

With state borders closing (Queensland have just made an announcement) it looks almost inevitable that the NRL will have to be suspended. I’m expecting an announcement either this afternoon or tomorrow. Hopefully it won’t effect our season too much.

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Well if they do take the NRL to QLD, it will be at least 2 weeks for self isolation !

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It has just been confirmed that NRL is suspended until at least May 1st.

In a year we were looking good lol.

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UPDATE 23 MARCH

  • The ARLC has suspended the 2020 Telstra Premiership Season, no return date has been specified and will be continually under review.

  • Leagues Clubs will remain closed due to Government Direction to close pubs and clubs.

  • Training will be cancelled for the foreseeable future, and self-isolation guidelines outlined by the NRL are in affect.

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31

well that is it, the NRL has been suspended and many of us on here who have followed this game for many years…in my case going back to the 60’s this is a little surreal and hard to fully process
I am in shock the NRL do not have the money to withstand this invisible enemy and the damage will be enormous across all involved in the game from the cheerleaders through to players, let alone those poor folks who Panthers have and will have to let go who work at the Club

Its hard to even make a comment because we have nothing at all to compare it with and the enormity of the impact across our broader community will be terrible with many who will not be able to cope with what is ahead

My heart goes out to everyone and its not time for incriminations and placing blame about the game but when the dust settles and we emerge from this fog, i urge everyone to demand we do things differently for the good of the game and our country.

A $2 billion contract and the NRL have ZIP to show for this and even if we has a war chest, maybe we couldn’t face what is coming but it would surely ensure we have something when we emerge.

Again take care to the few but spirited and keen posters on this site, your comments, reviews, opinions and reviews of the game have been a revelation to me in as much so few can be so passionate and hold the Panthers as i do…#1

But its now time for all of us to focus on what we can control and come out the other side of this, but again i urge who may join me when we emerge to agitate for a different way forward and what has happened in the past can no longer be the way forward.

Stay Safe and Take Care

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32

If we want to put a positive spin on this scenario, the fact the Powers at be say the game will go broke, we as a game will recover.

Maybe not with the top heavy salaried “decision makers” but we will get back to grass roots footy. I went and watched Big Sam play for St Mary’s last Sunday week and if that is where I have to go back to, I’m happy to do it, players (Like Sam) playing for the love of the game.

Maybe your million $ players will earn reality money, like a bonus for a win. It will be extremely interesting as to who will put the boots on if this was the case.

#Lovethegame

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UPDATE 24 MARCH

  • The ARLC/NRL have revealed to the 16 NRL clubs today set a timeline for the league to return in June, with scenarios for June, July and August returns.

  • The deadline is September 1. If the NRL has not resumed by this date the 2020 Premiership will be cancelled and would return for the 2021 season in March 2021.

  • Players will be expecting pay cuts as the NRL has revealed that the $9.8m salary cap is “dead in the water”. Teams are set for deep losses in the wake of the COVID-19 situation, especially that rely on Licenced Clubs to support them.

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UPDATE 27 MARCH

  • NSWRL, QRL and Combined Affiliated States has announced all state second tier competitions are cancelled for 2020.

  • In NSW the Canterbury Cup, Jersey Flegg Cup, SG Ball Cup, Harold Matthews Cup, Tarsha Gale Cup, Andrew Johns Cup, Laurie Daley Cup, Men’s under 23s Championships & Women’s Country Championships are cancelled with the Sydney Shield and Ron Massey Cup to be determined.

  • In QLD the Intrust Super Cup, BHP Premiership, Hastings Deering Colts, Auswide Bank Mal Meninga Cup competitions are cancelled.

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UPDATE 30 MARCH

  • The NRL will pay a total of $40 million in monthly grant payments to the clubs between April and October to cover their ongoing operational costs. This is an increase of $6.4m of funding compared to the 2020 budget.

  • The NRL will reduce its operating costs by 53%, including a 95% reduction in staffing levels during the shutdown period and a 25% cut in executive salaries.

  • The NRL has proposed a funding model for player payments to the RLPA which will be provided to its members for consideration.

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Executive salaries should be cut a LOT more than 25%.

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Agree Puss, BUT, if these executives are now doing the work of the 95% reduction in staff levels, I’m ok with the 25%.

If they are doing no extra work because the work isn’t there with no footy, then whole heartedly agree, 25% is a slap in the face to the 95%.

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38

so, what exactly did these executives do, pre the purge do you think?

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By getting rid of 95% of staff, they are reducing costs by 53%. I think I know where the cuts are needed.

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Like I any business, they get paid to ‘manage’ and be the decision makers.

No I am not trying to provide any kind of valid argument, that is just the nature of todays beast !!

You will find that in 99% of profit making businesses, they are all top heavy with the gravy train…

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It saddens me that the NRL have such a top heavy financial structure.

Especially after I hear that Penrith may have to abandon its junior development and junior competitions, where it cost millions to operate these operations and the NSWRL only kicks in around $350,000.

The Panthers are a great contributor to Rugby League. For the NRL/NSWRL to leave such a valuable resource adding to the size of their player stocks, it a MASSIVE disservice to Rugby League as a whole.

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I don’t see any reason to differentiate for the not-for-profits in this regard

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I’ve not worked in a ‘not for profit’ organisation so cannot comment, but I will take your word for it mrwalker.

Power is Power at the end of the day, and most individuals will “take what they can” whilst they can.