‘Creative tension’: Ikin to fight with NRL over $30m funding grant

Queensland Rugby League boss Ben Ikin wants to meet with all 17 NRL clubs to discuss their proposal to fund the game in the state, including the Hostplus Cup.

Queensland Rugby League boss Ben Ikin claims the NRL is short-changing the QRL as he prepares to launch a $30 million funding “fight” with the ARL Commission.

This masthead can reveal Ikin will formally submit a funding proposal on Monday as a preamble to a high-powered meeting with all 17 NRL clubs on Tuesday week.

Just three weeks ago, Ikin launched a stinging attack on NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo after the governing body rejected a $4.2 million submission from the QRL to expand the Hostplus Cup to 17 teams next year.

Now Ikin will lodge a separate proposal for rugby league’s budget in the Sunshine State, prompting the QRL CEO to contact the 17 NRL clubs seeking a meeting to outline his operating blueprint.

Historically, the QRL was invited by the NRL to a meeting of club CEOs, but that has ceased in recent years. With the support of NSWRL counterpart Dave Trodden, Ikin is getting on the front foot with NRL clubs.

Ikin believes the QRL is being underfunded by the NRL, but insists the meeting with club bosses on August 8 is not designed to undermine Abdo or ARLC chief Peter V’landys.

“We feel that being open and transparent is the way to build trust among stakeholders,” Ikin said.

New head of Queensland Rugby League Ben Ikin says football in the state is underfunded. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

“Our funding submission will go to the Commission for consideration, we will present that to all 17 clubs in Sydney on August 8 and then we will meet again with the ARLC to go through the submission in detail.

“We want to show the 17 clubs what we have asked for and how we plan to spend it across our business and why it’s important.

“Every submission you hope has merit in it and we certainly believe in what we do and how we want to run the game in Queensland.

“We will send our funding submission up the chain (to the ARL Commission) and hopefully they see things the same way.

“We will fight for it.”

Ikin blasted Abdo following the collapse of the Hostplus Cup’s expansion plans, warning the NRL boss to “invest, not mess” with the code in Queensland.

Tensions exploded after Ikin accused Abdo of attempting to place proposed reserve-grade teams from Queensland NRL clubs, the Cowboys and Titans, in the NSW Cup competition.

Asked to describe relations with the NRL, Ikin said: “I think there is … let’s call it creative tension.

There is ‘creative tension’ between the QRL and NRL CEO Andrew Abdo. Picture: Monique Harmer

“We feel we need to keep helping them understand how rugby league operates in Queensland and like a lot of relationships at this level of business and sport, not everyone sees eye-to-eye all the time.

“But we believe in what we do and we prepared to fight to get the money to do it.”

Abdo said recently the NRL was not in a position to fund an expanded Queensland competition as it continues to assess pathways.

“It’s important the Commission takes a broader view on development. We have the rest of the country, New Zealand and the Pacific as well,” he said.

Asked if the QRL’s current level of funding is satisfactory, Ikin said: “No it’s not.

“That’s not me being cynical, but participation is growing, so there’s more people and that requires more investment.

“We believe in our network of statewide clubs and they have been operating on the same funding levels since pre-Covid.

“We want to get more investment in community football and more investment in statewide clubs.

“We believe in the statewide footprint because the QRL wants more opportunities for more people in more places.”

Originally published as ‘Creative tension’: Ikin to fight with NRL over $30m funding grant