Rex link said:
[quote author=missing_something link=topic=179833.msg215359#msg215359 date=1237950377]
Maybe if news stopped sucking money out and injectected more into all the clubs - and pissed of melbourne who run at a massive lose the game would be stronger...
Bullseye.
This is simple cause and effect. Â The representatives of the clubs who dominate the media now (the Super League clubs) including Rothfield's Sharks sold out the game to News Ltd during its hostile takeover. Â Don't expect the Laurie Daleys of this world to bring light to this cause.
At a time when the sport should have been at its wealthiest due to the introduction of Pay TV, this sellout to News Ltd effectively bankrupted the sport. Â To add salt to the wound, News Ltd keeps the game bankrupted by sucking millions of dollars out every year (much of which is used to prop up the outstandingly unprofitable Storm). The sport gets nothing in return for this priviliege of giving millions of dollars to News Ltd. Â There are no reserves. Â AND what should be a cash bonanza - the sale of TV rights - is not at arms length with News Ltd controlling both the seller and buyer. Â Guess who gets screwed then?
Changes in legislation - pokie machines/taxes - have been the straw that has broken this camel's back.
It would be ironic to see the Phil Rothfield's Sharks, who were a core source of this mess became a victim of their own greed. Â My bet however is that News Ltd will find some way to bail them out.
[/quote]
Spot on
If News LTD got their grubby little paws out of the lolly jar and money was invested back into the clubs majority of the issue's faced by current clubs wouldn't be as bad. This is not to say long term future is safe but would help to delay any difficulty and allow some financial restructuring for survival.
I’m not to certain if total privatisation is the way to go, and you don’t have to go to far to look at recent failures such as the Sydney Kings or Brisbane Bullets, additionally our population doesn’t support full privatisation. Unfortunately we don’t have to many oil rich Sheik’s in Australia that would be interested in buying a team or two. Maybe Gallop and Murdoch should both be taking a trip to downtown Kabul or Baghdad and start promoting the game.
Personally I think current media hype about player discipline off the field is playing into Murdoch’s and News Limited hands (Sorry Sarah don’t know how you married into that family). Obviously News LTD want to pay a lot less for media rights to the game and what a way to go about it. We could only wish the pair would take a trip and never return lost to the game for good.
Thought the whole idea of Super League was so that the clubs get a bigger piece of the pie, so why hasn’t it been so???
Murdoch/Gallop – “Please Explainâ€Â