Video bunker up for review in NRL’s quest to cut costs

Rugby league’s multimillion-dollar investment in the video bunker could be one of the casualties of the coronavirus.

The NRL referees bunker could be in the spotlight as head office looks to cut costs. Picture: NRL Photos

Rugby league’s multi-million-dollar investment in the video bunker could be one of the casualties of the coronavirus as the NRL looks to mitigate some of the fin­ancial damage caused by the outbreak of COVID-19.

The Australian understands the contracts with both NEP — creator of what the company claims is the most advanced video referral technology in Australian sport — and Hawkeye are due to expire at the end of the season.

The NRL has a decision to make. The bunker is believed to cost the game upwards of $2m a year, although some of that money is offset by sponsorship.

It may be that the bunker survives for that very reason.

Yet The Australian understands nothing is set in stone as the game looks to evaluate its cost base in the wake of the corona­virus pandemic.

Should the bunker be pulled apart, officials could revert to using video technology at the grounds, as they did before the ­investment in the bunker technology.

That would come at a reduced cost, although there would be a potential loss of efficiency and ­accuracy. That said, the bunker hasn’t been without its critics since its inception five years ago, the fault laying largely at the feet of human error rather than any technological inadequacies.

Doubts over the future of the bunker come hot on the heels of revelations that the game could look at dumping the two-referee system in favour of having one ­official control the games.

That would save the NRL a hefty sum, given it would mean it would need less full-time officials. Likewise, ending the bunker would reduce pressure on head office’s bottom line amid reports it cost $3.2m to set up and several million dollars to run each year.

The NRL has come under increasing pressure over the past week to reduce its costs after revelations that head office spends upwards of $180m each year running the game.

More than $25m of that was spent on football, although that figure was inflated because of legal costs the game incurred defending player claims against the NRL.

The NRL also increased its investment in player welfare, injury surveillance and refereeing. ­

Regardless, every department is under pressure as the NRL prepares to savage costs at head ­office.

Chief executive Todd Greenberg was one of the driving forces behind the bunker coming to ­fruition in his previous guise as the game’s head of football and would no doubt be reluctant to see its ­demise.

He may have no choice should the ARL Commission demand spending be streamlined at Rugby League Central.