A secret NRL State of the Game document has revealed the extraordinary monopoly the Broncos hold over their premiership rivals that will escalate demands for a second Brisbane team.
The report exposes the Broncos’ overwhelming dominance in sponsorship earnings, corporate support, game day revenue, membership income, merchandise sales and staffing numbers that obliterate their rivals.
The confidential document on the 2017 season reveals the Broncos are the only club in the NRL to be making a profit and that only a second Brisbane team will level the playing field and ensure the future fairness and integrity of the competition.
The reports shows:
- The Broncos have 81 full time football club staff compared to rival teams that operate on shoestring budgets with less than 30 employees.
- They also have the highest commercial revenue of $32.9 million, three times more than struggling Sydney based clubs the Manly Sea Eagles, the Wests Tigers and the Parramatta Eels.
- The Broncos also make $7.3 million in game day revenue over the season, more than double their nearest rivals the Penrith Panthers, who make $3 million. The Warriors, Sharks and Eels ($1.1 million) and the Bulldogs ($1 million) were hopelessly out of the Broncos’ range.
- Brisbane have 36,298 members spending an average of $186, compared to the Bulldogs whose 18,000 members spend an average of only $58.50.
Interestingly Melbourne Storm members spend the most in the competition, an average of $262.
The report shows clubs across the games have focused on the acquisition of members above profitability.
Memberships grew eight per cent but membership revenue increased by only two per cent. The Panthers average only $70 per member because they give away so many freebies.
Also members use only 50 per cent of their ticket entitlements which leaves thousands of empty seats at ‘sold-out’ games.
The NRL ranked the 16 clubs on a viability scorecard taking into account ticket sales, sponsorship, corporate hospitality, memberships, merchandise sales and game day revenue.
The Broncos blew their rivals away in every category.
In sponsorship the Parramatta Eels, the Canberra Raiders, the Sea Eagles and the Wests Tigers were the worst performing clubs. The Gold Coast Titans were by far the worst in merchandise sales.
The report will increase calls for expansion and a second team in Brisbane.
For too long the Broncos have had a city (2.4 million population) to themselves while nine Sydney clubs are competing against in other in the one market.
It is astounding they have not won a premiership since 2006 considering their financial superiority,
At least the NRL is soon to implement a cap on coaching staff spending to stop the Broncos and the wealthier clubs from getting too far ahead of their rivals.
The document reveals great detail the costs of running an NRL club in the modern era.
- The average wage of an NRL head coach is $611,000. Five coaches were on more than $750,000 a season. Twelve coaches have free cars. Some coaches are on as little as $350,000 while the likes of Craig Bellamy and Wayne Bennett are on over $1 million.
- The average salary for a chief executive was $411,000.