Why the NRL need $30 million bank loan

THE NRL has been forced to apply for a $30 million bank loan to pay for club funding agreements it could never afford.Chief executive Todd Greenberg not only needs approval from the banks but also broadcasters Channel 9 and Fox Sports, who will act as “guarantors”.This is the second injection of cash the NRL has needed in 2017, having already received a $50 million advance from Fox Sports to ease its cashflow problems.The need for the $30 million loan has risen from the independent commission caving in to the 16 clubs on funding deals from 2018 onwards.After 18 months of negotiations, commission chairman John Grant eventually guaranteed the clubs $13 million a year in annual grants at a cost of more than $1 billion over the five years of the broadcasting deal.It saved his job and got rid of a no-confidence motion in his leadership.NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg.Yet the NRL bean counters quickly discovered they won’t have the money when the first club instalments are due to be handed out in November.Only the $30 million loan would ensure the clubs get what they were guaranteed.It’s one of the reasons why Grant had no choice but to confirm he will leave in February at the end of his term.Under the strategic plan that Grant published soon after the independent commission came into power, the game was supposed to have $200 million in the bank by 2017 in a future fund.Instead, it has basically got nothing.LEAGUE CENTRAL PODCAST: Michael Carayannis, Fiona Bollen and Nick Campton talk Origin II, the teams and why NSW should be wary. Plus, Shaun Kenny-Dowall released, Aidan Guerra to Newcastle and more.It’s not helping the NRL in that it still hasn’t sold the Gold Coast Titans or the Newcastle Knights to private owners.Both clubs are losing about $2 million a year under the NRL’s ownership.Also, the commission was forced to save a desperate St George Illawarra with a $6.5 million loan — money that still hasn’t been repaid.The new $30 million loan will be paid off over the five years of the broadcast deal and will attract millions of dollars in interest.Placing further pressure on the NRL administration is the ongoing negotiations with the Rugby League Players’ Association over its members’ future salaries.

"Issue is, seems everyone has caught on that Gutho's knees have had it for the demands of playing Fullback, but BA doesn't want to put Talagi at 1 for a few reasons.
1) Gutho and Brown is same issue of both 6's
2) Talagi has not been playing that…"

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2agd8rk0gah1u June 18, 2017 at 12:32pm

That doesn't look to impressive does it? The more debt the deeper the rabbit hole.
Dave June 18, 2017 at 3:25pm

Simply put what would you prefer a business man who calls QLD hooker Cam Cronk but runs the game at a profit.

Or a RL dope who knows the history of Annandale but puts the games finances in the toilet.

This reply was deleted.

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