In the year 2020, Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Club (AKA the Sydney Roosters) gratefully accepted pandemic support from the Australian government in the form of its much-maligned JobKeeper wage subsidy.

The Chooks’ consolidated revenue fell 20 per cent, they banked $5.5 million of JobKeeper in the first seven months of the scheme and club earnings increased to $11.8 million, up 66 per cent on 2019.