NRL Council leads push for increased funding to clubs

THE powerful lobby group representing NRL clubs is demanding a $6.6 million payday from rugby league's new broadcast deal bounty.

David Trodden

THE powerful lobby group representing NRL clubs is demanding a $6.6 million payday from rugby league's new broadcast deal bounty - nearly twice the current $3.8 million hand-out.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the NRL Council - formed in July to promote the interests of all 16 clubs - is adamant about receiving a grant that covers the entire cost of player wages across the three grades.

Based on 2013 salary caps of $5 million (NRL), $500,000 (NSW Cup) and $250,000 (Toyota Cup), the grand sum amounts to $6.6 million including pay-roll tax and relocation allowances.

Should the ALRC agree, the total club grants would equal $105.6 million - more than half the game's annual revenue from the new TV deal.

The council's sub-committee - Tigers chairman David Trodden, Roosters chairman Nick Politis, Bulldogs CEO Todd Greenberg and Dragons CEO Peter Doust - first raised the figure at a meeting with interim ALRC boss Shane Mattiske last week.

They plan to report back to other club representatives today, before returning to League Central in the next week to finalise negotiations. Mattiske last confirmed he was trying to meet with the clubs on a weekly basis to establish the funding model as quickly as possible.

He also confirmed last month's revelation in The Daily Telegraph of a war chest of discretionary funds to pump money into areas needing further support - over and above the club grant.

"We met the club sub-committee last week and discussed the principles they wanted for a new funding model," Mattiske said. "Essentially, they want total player payments funded across all three salary caps.

"It was a very positive discussion about the principles, but there's still some way to go and we're trying to meet on a weekly basis. There's also been talk about discretionary fund for areas that need support from time-to-time."

The war chest would be kick-started with a $40 million investment from the first tranche of the $1.025 billion broadcast deal. It would allow the NRL to build a financial foundation rather than simply pumping up players' pay packets.

But clubs want the discretionary war chest to be postponed so their full salary cap commitments can be covered as soon as possible. They also want the model enshrined by the end of this month, with 2013 budgets all but finalised.

Toyota Cup games are still assured to be played as NRL curtain-raisers next year, but a review could see NSW Cup reinstated as the premier feeder competition from 2014 onwards.