Qld isn't a quick financial fix: Broncos - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Qld isn't a quick financial fix: Broncos

By Todd Balym 18/06/2008 06:31:30 PM Comments (0)

Brisbane chief executive Bruno Cullen says struggling Sydney clubs should not look to Queensland for a quick fix to their financial woes.

Cullen's warning comes after Manly chief executive Grant Mayer revealed a proposal to play an entire round of NRL matches at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium next year with the profits divided among all 16 clubs.

The concept will be discussed at next week's CEOs conference in Sydney and while the Broncos boss supports the idea, he warns Brisbane is not the league cash-haven some clubs might envisage.

While the Broncos are considered among the richest in the NRL, he says they have their own financial concerns and will use the meeting to complain about the NRL's scheduling which is dictated by television networks.

League remains the only football code in Australia which does not produced a fixed schedule prior to each season and Cullen insists it is hurting Brisbane's season ticket sales, their main source of income.

"I say this with all due respect to everybody else but I don't think we can just all of a sudden say `oh we're in trouble let's go to Queensland'. That doesn't work," Cullen told AAP.

"I do feel for Sydney clubs but sometimes I wonder about how everyone gets up in arms and wants to march on parliament and everything when a major income stream like (poker machines) is threatened ... but equally to us and probably even more so we are put at risk through things like scheduling and no one gives a shit.

"It's not seen as important, but it's extremely important to us as it's our only source of income and it is severely threatened.

"We're the only football code that can't put out a season draw and no one seems to have a problem with that."

Cullen's complaints however are unlikely to gather much support in Sydney where NRL crowds tend to be walk-up spectators unlike the pre-booked tickets sold in Queensland.

But the Brisbane boss says he will support Mayer's proposal for an English Super League style mega-weekend, even if he has reservations about Suncorp Stadium's ability to host eight NRL games in four days.

Torrential rain or drought could ruin the stadium surface for months, according to Cullen, and he suggests splitting games with the Gold Coast's Skilled Stadium to also increase profits and fan base.

"You could probably split the venues and that would make it even more financially viable," he said.

"They get a bit excited down there about filling the stadium. You do that for Origin, but you're not going to do that for eight NRL games."

Mayer's proposal may not come to fruition but it has certainly sparked interest among NRL clubs, with many supporting further debate on the idea.

NRL boss David Gallop warned the league had to focus on consolidating the strategic moves already in place before turning its attention to new schemes.

Roosters chief executive Brian Canavan said the possibility of a return to an old strategy of double-headers was also being canvassed among Sydney clubs.

"There is great interest in such a concept," said Canavan.

Wests Tigers chief executive Steve Noyce welcomed the discussion about changes to the game to help generate further income, adding the NRL needed an open approach to all ideas without the burden of existing contractual obligations.

"The question is how do we grow revenue and I think we should almost start with a blank sheet of paper," he said.

"It's restricting to say we cannot do this for this reason or cannot do it for this reason. We have to be open-minded."

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