John Fahey pleads with clubs to defer demands for extra $34m
FORMER NSW premier John Fahey has called on NRL clubs to delay their demand for more money until the new TV deal is finalised, warning the game will wither if cash is taken away from grassroots development.
Cash-strapped NRL clubs want an extra $34 million next season, although they have given no indication as to where that money should come from.
However, it has been suggested money could be redirected from other areas in the game. One of those potential areas is the game's grass roots.
World Anti-Doping Agency president Fahey, a former league player and current board member of Australia Rugby League Development, said a short-term grab for cash had the potential to damage the game at the lower levels. "We have a budget of $10m," Fahey said. "If they think there is room to take some money off the development at grassroots level, it would be a short-term fix that would guarantee the game would wither.
"There will be money in the game when the television contract is ultimately resolved. That won't happen until the (independent) commission is in place."
The commission is expected to take over running of the game on November 1, although the latest dramas between the clubs and the NRL have raised doubts over the deadline date being met.
The commissioners-elect will hold their next meeting on Tuesday and by then it is hoped
the latest impasse will be some way towards being resolved.
"It's nice to look after the 500 best players in the game but what about the other 150,000 that ultimately contribute to those 500 players being the elite," Fahey said. "It's a bit of the chicken and egg. We need the elite level to encourage young players to take up the sport. At the same time, let's not forget the junior development and grass roots of the game."
Meanwhile, salary cap auditor Ian Schubert will decide the fate of Wests Tigers utility Tim Moltzen after his contractual dispute was passed on to the NRL by St George Illawarra.
The frustrated Dragons thought they had Moltzen for the next three season but were forced to call in the game's governing body when the Tigers insisted he was staying with them.
Dragons chief executive Peter Doust detailed the talks involving Moltzen in a statement on the club's website.
Tigers chief executive Steve Humphreys responded yesterday. "The St George-Illawarra club has expressed their views on inter-club protocols and specific events in relation to Tim Moltzen," he said.
"Wests Tigers retain a very different view of both items. We will continue to work with both parties to resolve this matter as expediently as possible."
Doust accused the Tigers of not acting in good faith: "Our suspicions were raised earlier last week when (Moltzen's manager) Martin Tauber and Tim Moltzen did not return phone calls to Dragons staff and Tim failed to front for a pre-arranged meeting prior to his departure for an end-of-season overseas trip with other Wests Tigers players."
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