Warriors, Dragons hit out at ‘unsustainable’ costs NRLW

The future of the NRLW grows more uncertain by the day as the Warriors and Dragons join the Rabbitohs in claiming the competition is an unsustainable financial drain on their clubs.

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The NRL is at risk of losing the New Zealand Warriors from next year’s women’s competition after the club backed calls that it was a financial drain.

The Warriors have become the first team to publicly declare that their NRLW future is uncertain, and comes as St George Illawarra argue the current model was a “burden” on clubs.

The Warriors will review their participation in the four-team, four-week competition after this season.

“As it sits, it’s untenable for us,” Warriors CEO Cameron George said. “Things would have to change drastically for us to be there again going forward. That’s the reality of the financials around the competition.

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“In its current format, we are certainly challenged by the costs.”

The Dragons and Warriors agreed expanding the competition to six or eight teams for next season would only inflate costs.

The Sydney Roosters, Brisbane, St George Illawarra and New Zealand women’s teams operate without a grant from the NRL, which also denied a request to scrap the $50,000 entry fee.

That $200,000, the NRL says, goes towards marketing, administration, accommodation and travel costs.

“I’m not going to say we can’t afford it going forward because we might secure terrific sponsorship but, at our current levels of revenue, and if costs increase, it’s going to be a real burden for our organisation,” Dragons chief executive Brian Johnston said.

“It is putting undue pressure on organisations and we run pretty lean and mean at the moment.”

The Dragons and Warriors have admitted their NRLW future is uncertain. AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts.

Clubs are reluctant to withdraw support for the women’s game, which Johnston described as “a real growth area in sport”.

“I think the synergy it has with the men’s game — especially in the country areas — is invaluable,”

“However most of the clubs in the NRL are break-even clubs. So when we have additional costs it presents real challenges for our organisation to be able to cost it to the level that is required to promote the game the way it deserves to be promoted.

“In the short-term we just have to cut costs, manage our expenses and do the very best we can with what we have. And to do that, we are relying on the good will of everybody to get the team on the field including players, training staff, everybody.

“We are placing extra burden on our organisations, which is not sustainable.

“Anything the NRL could do for us would be much appreciated.”

While Panthers group CEO Brian Fletcher said “I looked at the financials last year and recommended to the board we don’t put a team in. It would have torn up $250,000.”

Warriors boss George was blunt in his assessment.

“If you need $200,000 for this competition to survive then we’re all in trouble,” said George.

George said his club could not continue in the women’s competition unless the financial model altered immediately and dramatically.

Could the future of the NRLW be in doubt? .Picture by NRLPhotos/Gregg Porteous.

“We are in it to support the game but it’s not sustainable in its current funding model. We will be reviewing it (their inclusion) at the end of the year purely based on financials,” he said.

“We were aware of the costs but those costs grow year on year through an association of trying to get better. You want to get an extra physio, you want to keep up with the competition, grow it and be the winner.

“That adds costs to your bottom line and there’s no assistance whatsoever from anyone else outside the club. We are really challenged by that going forward.

“We love the game and want to see it grow but I echo concerns from other clubs around the costs. We would really be wanting some contribution from the governing body or others to help us out.”

New Zealand players often require two to three days off work through travel to Australia for games because the Warriors don’t have a home game during the rounds. The NRL also claim clubs were aware of the costs when requesting inclusion in the competition.