Buzz: NRL clubs call for greater grand final prize as other sports leave league in their wake

If the NRL is so much bigger than the AFL - and the ARLC richer than ever before - why is that the premiers receive so much less for winning the premiership?

It never pays to boast about your wealth.

Rugby league independent Commission boss Peter V’landys declared in this newspaper last week: “The game’s finances have never been better – we will be announcing record figures.”

This has triggered a blast from Penrith boss Brian Fletcher, who has called on the NRL to lift prizemoney to $2 million for winning the premiership.

The Panthers walked away with just $200,000 this year compared to the Geelong Cats, who picked up $1.1 million for winning the AFL grand final.

AFL runners-up Sydney Swans got $600,000 while the Parramatta Eels got only $100,000.

Fletcher has slammed the NRL over the issue.

“They (NRL) got millions extra from the government to play the grand final in Sydney,” Fletcher said.

“They boast in the newspaper last week about making a $50 million profit.

“They’ve bought a hotel and restaurant for $25 million. It’s just ridiculous.”

Before Covid, the NRL premiers received $400,000.

“We all agreed to taking a 50 per cent cut in prizemoney when Covid hit,” Fletcher said.

“That was fair enough. But there’s no Covid anymore, we sold out the stadium, yet Andrew Abdo won’t move on it.

“The clubs and players put the show on. We’ve put in a lot of effort and a lot of money to get to where we are. Seriously it should be a couple of million.”

Fletcher said the NRL prizemoney was embarrassing compared to other events.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 03: Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman Peter V'landys has boasted of the league’s financial position. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

“The Everest, for goodness sake, is worth $15 million.” he said. “The Melbourne Cup is $8 million.

“Peter V’landys keeps putting the prizemoney up in the racing but they go and halve it in football. I’d understand if the NRL had no money.

“We’re supposed to be bigger than the AFL but their premiers get $1.1 million.”

Fletcher said he first raised the $2 million prizemoney figure to former NRL boss Todd Greenberg. “I told Todd a few years ago it should be worth a couple of million. He had a lame-duck excuse. He said there was a risk clubs would cheat to win that sort of prizemoney. I said ‘that’s why you’ve got an integrity unit’.”

Eels CEO Jim Sarantinos agrees.

“For a premier national competition, for the winner to only receive $200,000 and the runner-up $100,000, it doesn’t feel right,” he said.

“Everyone is aligned in thinking that the prizemoney is not what it should be.”