NSW rugby league set for multimillion-dollar win over Queensland
NSW rugby league is about to score a huge victory over Queensland before a ball has been kicked in Wednesday night’s State of Origin series decider.
Bush footy is poised to receive the kiss of life as a result of the most historic rugby league meeting in NSW in 84 years.
Just hours before the State of Origin decider on Wedensday night, members of the NSWRL and Country Rugby League are expected to sign off on a landmark merger which will give bush footy immediate access to the majority of $9 million in NRL funding.
After decades of differences, the NSWRL and CRL are to finally merge to become a single, state-based organisation.
The merger will slash administrative costs and allow a strategic plan to increase participation and growth of the game.
NRL CEO Todd Greenberg will also instantly distribute most of the NRL’s $9 million in grassroots funding to the state of NSW, and not Queensland.
The merger is a huge win for clubs in country and regional areas, where participation rates have plateaued and in some cases are declining.
Late last year, Greenberg told the NSWRL and CRL that if they did not unite under one umbrella — with one board, one strategy and a vision to grow the game — he would give most of the NRL’s $9 million funding to Queensland.
However, it appears NSW is about to score a huge win over Queensland before a ball has been kicked tomorrow night.
“Wednesday promises to be a landmark day in the history of the NSWRL with a meeting to discuss the governance structure at 3pm in the afternoon, followed by the deciding State of Origin game that evening,’’ NSWRL CEO David Trodden said.
“We’ve got a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring rugby league in this state under one banner and a one-governance structure and regional NSW will be massive winners out of that.
“Apart from anything else, it will release a whole lot of additional resources into the game. It will be released because of administrative duplications that will be eradicated under a single structure.
“Even without spending a single cent in development, resourcing for regional NSW will be a lot greater than it has been.
“What will also happen with a merged entity is access to funding from the NRL’s grassroots fund will be released.
“As I said, it’s a once-in-a-generational opportunity to mould the future of rugby league in NSW and to make sure that football in regional NSW is better resourced than it has been in recent history.’’
Former NRL chief operating officer Jim Doyle was responsible for leading the historic NSWRL-CRL merger.
Its significance can’t be understated given the NSWRL was responsible for starting rugby league in this state 111 years ago.
Before handing the assignment to Doyle, Greenberg told the NSWRL and CRL they needed to follow the Queensland Rugby League strategy in which the entire state was governed and financed by one board.
Trodden said the model made sense for NSW.
“I think it’s the first step in the solution (to save bush footy),’’ he said. “Until we get our house in order administratively, we can’t hope to deliver optimum solutions.”
Trodden also indicated that a key outcome of the merger would be the return of annual City-Country Origin matches for under 16s, under 18s and also for women.
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