DIEHARD
25-03-15, 12:00 PM
NRL boss Dave Smith has toured potential new home for Gold Coast Titans at Parkwood
NRL boss Dave Smith has toured Parkwood International as the Gold Coast Titans edge closer to securing their long-term residence.
Titans CEO Graham Annesley and director Darryl Kelly met Parkwood managing director Luke Altschwager yesterday with the trio working overtime to reach an agreement that would see the Titans shift their headquarters to the central golf course as part of a $100 million redevelopment.
The Titans’ administration and football departments are now split between the Gold Coast City Council’s chambers at Bundall and Pizzey Park ground at Miami.
Altschwager is confident the Titans will call Parkwood home from November and was buoyed after Smith recently visited the precinct.
The NRL took over the club late last month.
Any deal would have to be ratified by the NRL CEO and Altschwager said he was confident of reaching an agreement within the next two weeks.
“I met with Dave around the time the NRL took over,” Altschwager said.
“That conversation gave me some confidence in the level of commitment from the NRL. We spoke for 20 minutes about … why they’re committed to the Gold Coast.
“It was very much around Graham wanting to make sure the NRL was on the same page.
“They (NRL) made a decision they would have to take the club over. We sat down and went through what’s going on and what my vision was for a venue for the Titans.
“Hopefully we can get around the commercial side of things. It’s around terms of rent, IP (intellectual property) agreements and those scenarios. I’m very confident we’ll have an agreement in the next couple of weeks.”
Altschwager yesterday presented his plans for the Titans to an Institute of Business Leaders breakfast, but was adamant a deal had not been struck.
Cocaine charges against five current Titans players and the NRL takeover put contract negotiations with Parkwood on hold for a month.
But Annesley has ramped up discussions and, with the Titans hoping to move into the facility before the start of the 2016 pre-*season, time is running short.
The Parkwood development is expected to take six months to construct and Annesley said while the NRL was supportive, that didn’t guarantee it would materialise.
“It’s complex, that’s why it’s taken so long. There was no resolution (yesterday),” he said.
“It’s not that we’re in dispute. It’s just that there’s many facets to the whole deal.
“Working through those, particularly when lawyers are involved, and with the NRL involved as well, takes time.
“… as in all of these things, the devil is in the detail. The NRL owns the IP – the Titans brand and logo.
“It’s not even close to being done but that could change in the next couple of weeks.”
Smith was unavailable for comment yesterday.
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/nrl/
NRL boss Dave Smith has toured Parkwood International as the Gold Coast Titans edge closer to securing their long-term residence.
Titans CEO Graham Annesley and director Darryl Kelly met Parkwood managing director Luke Altschwager yesterday with the trio working overtime to reach an agreement that would see the Titans shift their headquarters to the central golf course as part of a $100 million redevelopment.
The Titans’ administration and football departments are now split between the Gold Coast City Council’s chambers at Bundall and Pizzey Park ground at Miami.
Altschwager is confident the Titans will call Parkwood home from November and was buoyed after Smith recently visited the precinct.
The NRL took over the club late last month.
Any deal would have to be ratified by the NRL CEO and Altschwager said he was confident of reaching an agreement within the next two weeks.
“I met with Dave around the time the NRL took over,” Altschwager said.
“That conversation gave me some confidence in the level of commitment from the NRL. We spoke for 20 minutes about … why they’re committed to the Gold Coast.
“It was very much around Graham wanting to make sure the NRL was on the same page.
“They (NRL) made a decision they would have to take the club over. We sat down and went through what’s going on and what my vision was for a venue for the Titans.
“Hopefully we can get around the commercial side of things. It’s around terms of rent, IP (intellectual property) agreements and those scenarios. I’m very confident we’ll have an agreement in the next couple of weeks.”
Altschwager yesterday presented his plans for the Titans to an Institute of Business Leaders breakfast, but was adamant a deal had not been struck.
Cocaine charges against five current Titans players and the NRL takeover put contract negotiations with Parkwood on hold for a month.
But Annesley has ramped up discussions and, with the Titans hoping to move into the facility before the start of the 2016 pre-*season, time is running short.
The Parkwood development is expected to take six months to construct and Annesley said while the NRL was supportive, that didn’t guarantee it would materialise.
“It’s complex, that’s why it’s taken so long. There was no resolution (yesterday),” he said.
“It’s not that we’re in dispute. It’s just that there’s many facets to the whole deal.
“Working through those, particularly when lawyers are involved, and with the NRL involved as well, takes time.
“… as in all of these things, the devil is in the detail. The NRL owns the IP – the Titans brand and logo.
“It’s not even close to being done but that could change in the next couple of weeks.”
Smith was unavailable for comment yesterday.
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/nrl/