NRL coronavirus news: ARLC to ask Scott Morrison for help amid fan lockout
As clubs face a financial blow of up to $1m, Peter V’landys will seek aid from Prime Minister Scott Morrison to protect the NRL from bankruptcy.
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ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys says he will not let the NRL plunge into bankruptcy and will seek financial aid from Prime Minister Scott Morrison to ensure the code survives the coronavirus crisis.
V’landys will approach the federal government for an NRL rescue package that could surpass the $235 million the sporting administrator secured for the horseracing industry during the equine influenza outbreak.
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As the NRL braces to play in front of empty stadiums for the first time in the game’s history next weekend, V’landys said the financial impact of the coronavirus on rugby league was worse than the equine outbreak which brought the racing industry to a standstill in 2007.
“I will do whatever it takes to protect the game,” V’landys said.
“This far greater than the equine influenza _ this will be extraordinary.
“Because this is affecting more than just one sport, it’s affecting the whole community.
“It’s okay to only look at the impact of no crowds, but who is going to compensate all the staff inside the stadiums that can’t earn wages?
“We have to consider the many thousands that earn a living from our game.
“In this situation, the government has to assist us if things go pear-shaped. Rugby league is a crucial part of Australian society. It’s our relaxation. It’s our escape.
“We are in battle-gear ready to go. This is an extraordinary scenario for rugby league and I will do whatever I need to do.”
V’landys was instrumental in securing unprecedented financial aid for the racing industry 13 years ago. The NSW Racing boss lobbied then Prime Minister John Howard, who signed off on a rescue package to save the racing industry.
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The ARL Commission held an unscheduled meeting last night to fast-track contingency plans ahead of the historic lockout of fans, which will commence when Canterbury host North Queensland at ANZ Stadium this Thursday night.
V’landys and NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg will also meet with minister for health Brad Hazzard and NSW’s chief medical officer, Dr Kerry Chant, on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Morrison has announced a stimulus package in the wake of the global COVID-19 outbreak and V’landys says the NRL must be part of the government funding model.
“If the worst situation happens, the government has to assist us by providing a stimulus for the game,” he said.
“That happened in racing with the equine outbreak, I got $235 million from the government for racing and if I have to do that for rugby league I will.
“The code will not go bankrupt. It all depends how long this issue goes for and we’re all in the dark on that. We can only rely on the medical experts.
“I don’t know how much this will cost the game, we will provide some financial assistance to the clubs but if they require more, I will go to the government.
“The government has a massive stimulus out there and it has to consider rugby league as the No.1 sport in NSW and Queensland.”
BRONCOS FACE $1M HIT
The Broncos are bracing for a financial blow of up to $1 million dollars as the coronavirus crisis leaves Brisbane’s first home game against South Sydney at Suncorp Stadium this Friday night in disarray.
Brisbane chief executive Paul White concedes all NRL clubs will suffer a major financial hit in the wake of moves to lockout fans from stadiums for the first time in rugby league’s 112-year history.
In an unprecedented scenario, the Broncos will run out against Wayne Bennett’s Rabbitohs this Friday night to be greeted by 52,000 empty seats at Suncorp Stadium.
The Sunday Mail understands the crowd lockout will be a major kick in the guts for Brisbane’s bottom line.
The Rabbitohs are traditionally one of the Broncos’ best drawcards, with Brisbane bosses initially forecasting a crowd of 32,000, which could have swelled to 40,000 following their outstanding defeat of the Cowboys on Friday night.
Financial estimates indicate the Broncos stand to lose between $700,000 to $1 million by playing at an empty Suncorp this week. That figure will balloon to several millions if Broncos fans are unable to attend Brisbane’s home games against the Cowboys and Cronulla in rounds five and six.
It is understood the Broncos have insurance policies in place to cover a Suncorp event crisis, but White confirmed Brisbane will suffer financially and backed the NRL’s plans to provide a fighting fund for clubs.
“It will most definitely (have an impact),” White said of the Suncorp lockout this week.
“For Todd (Greenberg, NRL CEO) to articulate that (financial support), it’s a really good move because if we want to look after our members, sponsors and supporters who buy a casual ticket, clubs will need that financial support.
“We have a really big membership base which we are proud of so I want to reassure our members and fans that they are at the forefront of our thinking. Hopefully by the end of the weekend we will have more definitive answers.”
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Asked if the Broncos will lose hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Souths clash, White said: “Yes we could, but now is not the time to panic. We must keep calm.
“We would love to be playing in front of a full-house at Suncorp but if the government and the NRL restrict that, we will fall in line with that decision and work with the game’s governing authority around the financial impact.”
Broncos coach Anthony Seibold still cannot comprehend his players will run out to empty stands and Suncorp silence this Friday night.
“It will be quite bizarre, definitely,” he said.
“I don’t know how it will work and the financial implications for clubs to put on games without patrons attending.
“I understand from a health perspective it has been led by our government so we need to support what guidelines are there.
“We just have to do our job whether there’s 40,000 or no-one there. It will be bizarre watching it at home looking at Suncorp with no-one in the grandstand.”
Rival Souths coach and former Broncos mentor Wayne Bennett said: “The empty stands doesn’t worry me.
“The players will be competitive, they will have a fight over a game of marbles. The Souths and Broncos players will give their best in an empty stadium.”
—Peter Badel
Originally published as NRL coronavirus news: ARLC to ask Scott Morrison for help amid fan lockout