Govt offers rugby union funds to keep Western Force in competition

[GIGS20]

I suspect that's his game plan: use the current situation to maximise his exit value.

by bringing the game into disrepute it hasn't seen since Webb-Eliis picked the ball up?


I would think he's driving his price so low that he'll have to reimburse the ARU when he goes!

[chibi]

A "cross coders" salary (or part thereof) does not go into the cap, "The Izzy Rule", bought in the same time as the "Giteau 60 Match Rule".

So do we get a concessionary break for Peni and Rona?

[Political BS]

So do we get a concessionary break for Peni and Rona?

Hello Chibi.
In short... no. There is no league converts fund. ARU acts on a case by case basis. This turns into bucket loads for Folau and Hunt and nothing for guys like Nick Cummins.

[chibi]

Did we ever get concessions for the likes of Ryan Cross or Will Tupou? If not, is that why we lost Ryan Cross?

[GIGS20]

Hello Chibi.
In short... no. There is no league converts fund. ARU acts on a case by case basis. This turns into bucket loads for Folau and Hunt and nothing for guys like Nick Cummins.

Surely Peni and Rona aren't counted under our salary cap though?

Probably doesn't mean much the ARU would probably refuse to sign off on a contract which would help the Force!

The crappy thing about Folau and Hunt is that they received a Wallaby top up before even playing a game. Hunt is yet to actually take the field for the Wallabies isn't he? That adds up to millions of dollars essentially given to Qld and NSW to fund expensive players, who they can then pay overs without hurting their salary cap.

It's hard to argue that the Folau money is wasted, because he's a bloody good player, even at international level, but Hunt is just starting to look like wasted cash.

Question, is there a time limit to this deal, or are Hunt and Folau exempt from the salary cap for life?

[Political BS]

Hello Gigs20
Like many decent people you and I believe in fairness and ethical behaviour. To my understanding the source of funding for "high profile" league converts is the Wallaby top up scheme. I don't believe either Peni or Rona have attracted a Wallaby top up. I think the only two Force players with top ups are DH-P and Adam Coleman. In short both Rona & Penni fit into the Force cap.... Of course I may be wrong..... But I don't think so.
There are a lot of people out there who think the $1.3m or so pumped into a couple of league converts could be better spent on grassroots development. Nothing changes let's not forget Sailors,Tuquiri and Matt Rogers and the injustice of guys like Scott Staniforth getting punted to make way for them and grassroots getting stripped of funding.

[travelling_gerry]

WA Govt slams ARU for shrinking rugby

The WA government has praised the work rugby league is doing to promote the game in Western Australia as the state faces losing its Super Rugby team.
Source: AAP
1 MAY 2017 - 6:34 PM UPDATED 51 MINS AGO

The WA Government has praised the NRL while taking a swipe at the ARU, questioning their decision to shrink rugby at a time when other codes are looking to build.

Either the Perth-based Western Force or the Melbourne Rebels will be axed ahead of next year's Super Rugby competition.

The WA Government are angry at the prospect the Force could be cut, especially after the previous leadership invested in a redevelopment of nib Stadium several years ago.

If the Force are cut, it would leave Perth Glory as the only major sporting tenants of the stadium.

Rugby League is doing its best to maintain a strong presence in Perth.

Two NRL games will be played at nib Stadium this year, as well as two World Cup fixtures.

And the new 60,000-seat Perth Stadium will host a State of Origin game in 2019.

WA Minister for Sport and Recreation Mick Murray praised the NRL for continuing to promote rugby league in WA.

"You're showing the lead by trying to expand your sport, whereas the other one is shrinking their sport," Mr Murray said in a thinly-veiled swipe at the ARU.

"I think it's a major feather in the cap of rugby league by being out there promoting their own game and trying to expand it.

"If we weren't committed to rugby league and other codes as well, we wouldn't have put money into a stadium such as this.

"That's what makes it special - people actually follow up and come through and are trying to expand our sport (of NRL).

"Probably disappointing in another code (the ARU) that's not doing that, or talking about not doing that."

South Sydney will host Melbourne in the NRL at nib Stadium on May 21.

It will be the ninth straight year the Rabbitohs have played a home game in Perth.

The possible demise of the Force would strengthen Perth's case to have an NRL side of its own in the not-too-distant future.

The NRL are unlikely to expand until the end of the current TV deal in 2022.

But if the Force go, plans for a Perth NRL side could be brought forward.

John Sackson, the boss of rugby league in WA, was sympathetic to what the Force are going through.

But he's also well aware that his bid for an NRL side in Perth would be strengthened if the Force are cut by the ARU.

"If the Force were to depart the market place here, at the end of the day what it does is creates opportunity for rugby league," Sackson said.

"It just depends on how the big decision makers at the NRL and the Commission view that situation, and whether they're prepared to take advantage in any change of the competitive landscape here.

"We've certainly drawn their attention to it. It's a hot topic nationally at the moment.

"I think it's still a case of when, not if (Perth gets an NRL team)."

Perth fans haven't had their own NRL side to cheer on since the Western Reds' stint between 1995 and 1997.


http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2...hrinking-rugby

[GIGS20]

Really? I thought that there was another scheme where league converts were counted differently under the salary cap.

This would be yet another example of there being one rule for the East and another one for us.

[Tonkar]

Hello Gigs20
Like many decent people you and I believe in fairness and ethical behaviour. To my understanding the source of funding for "high profile" league converts is the Wallaby top up scheme. I don't believe either Peni or Rona have attracted a Wallaby top up. I think the only two Force players with top ups are DH-P and Adam Coleman. In short both Rona & Penni fit into the Force cap.... Of course I may be wrong..... But I don't think so.
There are a lot of people out there who think the $1.3m or so pumped into a couple of league converts could be better spent on grassroots development. Nothing changes let's not forget Sailors,Tuquiri and Matt Rogers and the injustice of guys like Scott Staniforth getting punted to make way for them and grassroots getting stripped of funding.

I think the wallaby top up does not kick in till you have been playing for the Wallabies for 2 yrs .. This is why Nick Cummins could not get the extra cash from the ARU.. Benny Mac I think is out only wallaby top up player.. DHP and Coleman are wallaby / ARU contracted players awaiting there top up at the end of this season
Hopefully someone can confirm this

[chibi]

That's a swipe at union indeed. Though convenient that Mr Murray didn't mention RL cutting the Reds all those years ago...

[BeeJay]

Both Peni and Rona grew up playing union.

[brokendown gunfighter]

That's a swipe at union indeed. Though convenient that Mr Murray didn't mention RL cutting the Reds all those years ago...

he would not have known i think,nor his advisors

[BLR]

That's a swipe at union indeed. Though convenient that Mr Murray didn't mention RL cutting the Reds all those years ago...

Sshhh, we don't want to give the ARU any leeway, despite the facts.

[Alison]

As I said elsewhere Alison....where in those 2016 accounts does it detail the INCOME that the ARU had as part of the ownership of the Force eg Memberships we all paid prior to 31/12/16 and sponsorships?

Sorry G - I missed this question the other day. PoliticalBS is correct - the "current liabilities" figure on the balance sheet has an item called "deferred revenue". The figure for that is $17.3million, of which $1.2million is for Western Force memberships. That would relate to 2017 memberships purchased in the period up to 31 December 2016.

The majority of the $17.3million relates to the Australian Rugby Development Centre at Moore Park ($15million)

Not sure about sponsorships - don't think there is any deferred revenue in relation to that for the Force, but the income figure for sponsorship for 2016 appears to show $10K relating to the Force. I could be wrong on that though as there is no note to explain.