NRL take ownership of the Newcastle Knights

[Anonymous person]

NRL take ownership control of Knights - Knights

"The NRL today took ownership control of the Newcastle Knights football club.CEO Dave Smith said the move would deliver the security and certainty that the Knights players, staff, sponsors, fans and members were seeking.
The Knights will continue to play out of Newcastle with their traditional jersey and logo.
“The Knights will continue to be Newcastle through and through,” Mr Smith said.
“The team will look the same, they will continue to be based in Newcastle and they will represent this region proudly like they have for the last 26 years.
“The difference is that, financially, they will be one of the top tier clubs in the competition.”"

Am I the only one who thinks this is an absolutely unbelievable thing to do?

The Knights have been in financial strife for years, get bought by Tinkler who then goes and leaves a few years later and supposedly leaves them still $6m+ in debt, and instead of letting them take responsibility for themselves and either find a new owner or go bust, the NRL comes in and buys them and gives them basically a free pass financially from here on out? They go from one of the poorest clubs in the competition to likely now the richest as they have the full backing of the NRLs bank account. The NRL will also no doubt now bankroll Bennetts million dollar a year contract for the rest of his term.

It's an absolute farce if you ask me. What about all the other clubs who are struggling, can they now just go bust and have the NRL step in and bankroll them to make them one of the richest clubs in the league? What about the clubs like the Broncos who do well financially, why don't they get some extra money from the NRL since Newcastle is now getting a blank cheque?

What about the tiny thing called a conflict of interest?! A club is now owned by the NRL, playing in the NRL. How are we supposed to believe they won't get treated differently, especially with things like the judiciary already being highly questionable in their actions towards certain clubs?

Clubs should be left to thrive or fail on their own accord. If they can't run a business then they shouldn't be in the business.

 

[Bucking Beads]

The NRL can't afford to let the Knights fold. A team in Newcastle is good for the game.

 

[Anonymous person]

The NRL can't afford to let the Knights fold. A team in Newcastle is good for the game.

Why? The city obviously doesn't support the team well enough if they're hugely in debt. Why don't they sell out the stadium every week?

The whole "the NRL needs a team in xxx for the good of the game" theory is ridiculous. What it needs are teams that can stand on their own 2 feet.

 

[Porthoz]

Still, I have to agree with AP 100% (for the first time ever). This is a fucking joke!

 

[Bucking Beads]

Why? The city obviously doesn't support the team well enough if they're hugely in debt. Why don't they sell out the stadium every week?

The whole "the NRL needs a team in xxx for the good of the game" theory is ridiculous. What it needs are teams that can stand on their own 2 feet.

We'd have a 4 team competition if you were running the NRL.

 

[Porthoz]

If the standard NRL grant isn't enough to support a one city club in a RL heartland area like Newcastle, something is definitely very wrong with the way it's being run.

Having the NRL owning one of the clubs that plays in its competition is nothing short of ridiculous and the conflicts of interest arising from that really make it a frigging joke...

 

[Anonymous person]

We'd have a 4 team competition if you were running the NRL.

The NRL only owns 1 team, the knights. So we'd have 15 teams. Handouts are different to buyouts. I don't like the handouts either, but they're nowhere near what has happened here.

This is a one team town in the supposed heartland of rugby league, a town that supposedly lives and breathes rugby league, yet their stadium is always half empty and they're in financial ruin. Again, why is it so important for the NRL to have a club there when its clear that the city doesn't particularly care. What makes Newcastle so special that they HAVE to have a team even if it's clearly not financially viable?

 

[Bucking Beads]

I doubt the NRL intend on owning the Knights long term. They just need to sort out the mess and find an owner.

 

[ningnangnong]

Average attendance in 2013 - 18,836
Average attendance in 2012 - 20,919
Average attendance in 2011 - 19,186

Crowd figure at their last home game, against the Tigers - 22,173

You're crazy if you think Newcastle doesn't deserve a rugby league team, plain and simple.

The reason they're in such a bad position is purely down to gross mismanagement - why should the supporters be penalised for that? Why should they lose the club they love because of a few idiots in the boardroom?

 

[ningnangnong]

The NRL only owns 1 team, the knights. So we'd have 15 teams. Handouts are different to buyouts. I don't like the handouts either, but they're nowhere near what has happened here.

This is a one team town in the supposed heartland of rugby league, a town that supposedly lives and breathes rugby league, yet their stadium is always half empty and they're in financial ruin. Again, why is it so important for the NRL to have a club there when its clear that the city doesn't particularly care. What makes Newcastle so special that they HAVE to have a team even if it's clearly not financially viable?

It is hilarious how fucking wrong you are.

[Insult Removed]

 

[Nashy]

Newcastle simply must have an NRL team. Anyone questioning that is crazy.

The problem at the Knights, like many other clubs, is they think ex football players make great admin staff. It simply doesn't work. An NRL footy club isn't the tin shed next to the pitch with a small bar in it where your mate Bazza is in charge of petty cash, and his wife washed the jerseys.

These are professional business', so the staff selected should be professional and qualified business people. Not your buddies who went to TAFE and got a Diploma of Business.

 

[Porthoz]

I doubt the NRL intend on owning the Knights long term. They just need to sort out the mess and find an owner.

Yeah, I also believe that may be the plan, but what if they don't find a suitable person/group to take over?

 

[Mr Fourex]

NTLE can't support it's only team. Should be merged as a new identity with the greater central coast region.....IMO

Kills two birds with one stone.

 

[Porthoz]

Newcastle simply must have an NRL team. Anyone questioning that is crazy.

The problem at the Knights, like many other clubs, is they think ex football players make great admin staff. It simple doesn't work. An NRL footy club isn't the tin shed next to the bitch with a small bar in it where your mate Bazza is in charge of petty cash, and his wife washed the jerseys.

These are professional business', so the staff selected should be professional and qualified business people. Not your buddies who went to TAFE and got a Diploma of Business.

I agree with all that, and unlike AP, I do think the people of the Hunter support the Knights pretty well, certainly better than a few other teams who shouldn't be in the comp.

However, you cannot have the governing body of a competition such as the NRL, owning one of the teams in the comp.
You cannot have the governing body's CEO come out and blatantly say how the Knights will now be one of, if not, the richest club in the competition.

I have no issues with the NRL keeping the team for now under curatelle, but with a definite deadline of finding someone capable of managing a NRL franchise in an area where it should be relatively easy to do so, due to the local support, nursery and resources.

 

[Ari Gold]

The reason they're in such a bad position is purely down to gross mismanagement

But they were in trouble before Tinkler took over too. Newcastle is a big rugby league heartland, but that doesn't mean they should get a team if it isn't financially viable, and based on past history you have to seriously question if it is.

It's also disturbing to hear Dave Smith boast about how they will financially now be a top tier team in the comp. They don't deserve that at all. If you need a bailout you should be the 16th best team financially and only given the funds to cover current obligations. The thought that the NRL might be willing to pay Bennett is insane given there would be cheaper coaches available.

I am 100% against this.

 

[Nashy]

But they were in trouble before Tinkler took over too. Newcastle is a big rugby league heartland, but that doesn't mean they should get a team if it isn't financially viable, and based on past history you have to seriously question if it is.

It's also disturbing to hear Dave Smith boast about how they will financially now be a top tier team in the comp. They don't deserve that at all. If you need a bailout you should be the 16th best team financially and only given the funds to cover current obligations. The thought that the NRL might be willing to pay Bennett is insane given there would be cheaper coaches available.

I am 100% against this.

The NRL being involved for me is just a massive conflict of interest. I can only assume that this would be a temporary thing until they find someone suitable to purchase the licence.

I have no problem with this other than the conflict of interest. The NRL needs to get good management in there. Sell it, and we all move on.

 

[Nashy]

Yeah, I also believe that may be the plan, but what if they don't find a suitable person/group to take over?

 

[Charmamba]

Survive on your own or go bust and hand the license to another team, it shouldn't matter where the team is situated as to what level of support they get from the NRL. it's a complete farce and I hope the next team to go broke is held up by the NRL as well now as the precedent has been set.

Having a team in your region is a privilege it's not a right, however supporters of teams like the Knights (and Rabbitohs) seem to think it's their right to have that team and the joke of a governing body (NSWRL/NRL) seem to think the same thing. **** em all, the Cowboys almost died in the arse a few years back and the people of North Queensland had to bind together to keep the team alive, luckily they did because the NRL was prepared to let them fold.