If money is king, the gap between the rugby codes is greater than ever

“Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important,” wrote TS Eliot in his play The Cocktail Party, over 60 years ago.

There’s a lot of it going on in sport at present.

The implosion of rugby union is a prime example, with accusations of arrogance levelled against departed Rugby Australia chair Hamish McLennan, who predicted, somewhat self importantly, that even more harm would come the way of his sport with his “spearing”.

There’s no visible harm at the top of the NRL, given the rising TV ratings, crowd figures and anticipated profit. Indeed, Eliot, one of the 20th-century’s great literary figures, may have been wrong in relation to rugby league, given the anticipated good that which will flow from the rightful glory evident at the recent meeting of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys and US President Joe Biden.

Another meeting between an Australian PM and a US President saw Julia Gillard present Barack Obama with an Australian rules football in the Oval Office. But that was more about her code wanting to feel important than Gillard herself.

However, the rugby codes are more aligned with the policies of Ronald Reagan. Reagan is associated with “trickle down” economics, the belief that resourcing the top will stimulate growth at the bottom.

Rugby Australia have poached Roosters star Joseph Suaalii on a big-money deal.Credit: NRL Photos

The 17 NRL clubs have certainly benefited from big handouts from head office, with Rugby League Central funding player salaries and club administrations at record levels.

However, the NSWRL and QRL argue not enough trickles down to the grassroots, protesting they are underfunded, particularly at state cup level.

The CEOs of the NSWRL and QRL, David Trodden and Ben Ikin, respectively, made presentations to the national conference of Leagues Club Australia on the Gold Coast on November 11 and 12.

NSWRL CEO David Trodden, LCA chief Don Hammond and QRL CEO Ben Ikin.

LCA member clubs are the second-biggest funder of rugby league in Australia, behind NRL broadcasting dollars. Ninety-five per cent of the money they spend on rugby league goes to grassroots, with the Bulldogs and newcomers the Dolphins the only NRL clubs now heavily reliant on grants from their licensed clubs.
LCA agreed to increase their spending on rugby league to $60 million per year, up 50 per cent.

The NSWRL showed its appreciation two years ago by dedicating a licensed club round in its state cup competition and now the QRL will do the same. The round will be held on the same weekend in both states next year. Funding junior development in local communities is obviously more acceptable to the anti-poker machine lobby than topping up the salaries of elite NRL players. LCA chief executive Don Hammond argues that without this funding from their 130 clubs in NSW and Queensland and additional affiliate surf and bowls clubs, the green shoots of the code will die.

“Our main charter is for the sport at grassroots level to survive,” Hammond said. “If the money dries up for the grassroots, rugby league is in a lot of trouble. The top 17 NRL clubs will suffer at some stage if the development money from us, for whatever reason, disappears.”

The ARLC has allocated 13 per cent of projected distributable revenue to participation and pathways over the next five years, according to the NRL’s Participation and Pathway/RLPA Club Presentation document from September 2022. This figure was confirmed by the QRL’s Ikin. The AFL allocates 10 per cent, although the AFL has a bigger revenue pie.

The evidence of rugby union’s implosion is that trickle-down economics did not work. RA, by investing heavily in top players 25 years ago, allowed the grassroots to wither, resulting in a shrinking elite talent pool at a time the code has five Super Rugby franchises.

The NRL is scheduled to have an 18th team as early as 2026, with another two to follow. Yet the recent verbal volleys between the heads of the two codes have focussed on buying each other’s players to meet their expanding needs, rather than producing their own.

The rugby codes are, perhaps, now more apart than at any time in their 115 years of co-existence. It’s akin to the discord between the married couple in Eliot’s play where a cocktail party is held to keep up social appearances. The characters are “absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves”.

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