PNG money could be better spent: Davison - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

PNG money could be better spent: Davison

David Beniuk 09/02/2011 08:41:26 PM Comments (0)

The consortium for a second NRL side in Brisbane believes there is enough "heartache" in Papua New Guinea without money being spent on sponsoring the Broncos.

The PNG NRL Bid, which is aiming for admission to the NRL in 2015, will reportedly spend $250,000 on promoting itself by becoming the shorts sponsor of the Brisbane Broncos.

The move could be expected to raise tensions between the rivals in the Queensland capital.

Head of the second Brisbane team bid Craig Davison, who is aiming for admission in 2013, refused to fire back at the Broncos on Wednesday, saying he would have made the same commercial decision.

But he did question how appropriate the expenditure was.

"From a commercial decision perspective they've simply been offered a quarter of a million dollars cash to do something," he told AAP.

"You'd have to say yes, go for it as a commercial decision from the Broncos.

"If you ask me from an NRL bid perspective, I would have thought money in New Guinea is very light on, there's probably other priorities that I would spend it on but I think the Broncos have done the right thing.

"Hopefully they can highlight some of the good things that are done up in PNG.

"It's a wonderful place, PNG, but there's a lot of heartache up there with the population and what's going on."

Both Brisbane entities have downplayed the significance of the sponsorship deal, saying it has been in the pipeline for nine months.

And Davison is adamant his "Battle for Brisbane" - the consortium's slogan - won't descend into bitterness because the Broncos should have nothing to fear from a cross-town rival.

"They will hang on to what they've got, they won't lose anything at all," he said.

"We've got to come up to their level.

"They can't lose fans they haven't got already."

Davison believes the example of the South Queensland Crushers, who were cut after the Super League war, stands his bid in good stead.

He says the ill-fated ARL-aligned club averaged crowds of 21,000 and attracted $13 million in sponsorship in their first year.

Previously associated with the group of businessmen known as the Thoroughbreds, who support the Broncos, Davison says there is nothing personal in his proposal.

"My love of the Broncos is still there at the moment and they'll be the No.2 team for me," he said.

"My underlying love of rugby league is what's pushing me here and also the understanding that I've got a good business model, I can make this work."

The consortium met with NRL boss David Gallop this week and promised to reveal more details of their bid at a launch on February 21.

A website is scheduled to be up and running by then and a competition to name the side will be held.

"When (the NRL) come and say tenders are being taken for two teams, we'll turn the switch on and we'll be going full-on," Davison said.

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