NRL turns attention to Titans' stadium deal

[DIEHARD]

NRL turns attention to Gold Coast Titans' stadium deal
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/



The NRL has been behind the wheel at the Gold Coast Titans for only a few days, but it has already started discussions centred around the club's future at CBUS Stadium.

After being declared insolvent and handing their licence back to the game's governing body, the arrangements at the Titans' home of Robina have come under the spotlight, with suggestions the club bleeds up to $300,000 per game.

There would appear to be little choice for the Titans, however, given the only other major stadium in the region – Suncorp Stadium – is also overseen by Stadiums Queensland, the government arm that runs most major sporting venues in the state.

A spokesman for Stadiums Queensland said the body had been in contact with the NRL regarding the current deal, which is up for discussion given the Titans have essentially dissolved as a club and been handed to new owners.

"There is an existing hiring agreement in place with the Gold Coast Titans for the use of the venue. SQ is speaking with the NRL regarding arrangements going forward," the spokesman said.

Each stadium deal is different, but the basic structure is modelled around a deal that sees clubs paying most of the costs for hosting events and then retaining the bulk of the match-day revenue.

That also includes the ability to leverage income from sponsorship and signage around the ground, on top of takings from the gate.

But an inherent risk comes into play when teams underperform or begin to struggle financially, in which case the stadium costs become a burden, instead of a source of revenue.

"Football clubs that play at the elite level within their respective codes are privately owned businesses that operate on a commercial basis within a competitive marketplace," the Stadiums Queensland spokesman said.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/rugb...25-13oup8.html

[Show and Go]

Surely we can get a good deal since we are the only club that uses the ground. It is unacceptable to be losing money at home games.

[DIEHARD]

I'm already pestering the Premier and Sports Minister on twitter.

[Mexican titan]

I'm already pestering the Premier and Sports Minister on twitter.

It's a shame that useless gang of 8 LNP members for the Gold Coast did nothing when they were in power. About hiring fees, parking and everything else to do with the place.

[karnage]

I'm already pestering the Premier and Sports Minister on twitter.

You need to get in touch with Ray Stevens who is the long term holder of the seat of Mermaid Beach - which the suburb Robina resides under in state politics. Ask him what he is doing to ensure the business stays in his region.

[Titanic]

We all need to get in touch with Ray Stevens who is the long term holder of the seat of Mermaid Beach - which the suburb Robina resides under in state politics. Ask him what he is doing to ensure the business stays in his region.

K, there was a grammatical error in your original post, I have taken the liberty to correct it, my apologies.

[karnage]

K, there was a grammatical error in your original post, I have taken the liberty to correct it, my apologies.

Haha!! Nice.

[DIEHARD]

Titans hoping NRL takeover could lead to better stadium deal than current $2M per year arrangement

THE Gold Coast Titans are hoping the NRL’s takeover will allow the club to renegotiate the stadium deal which is costing them $2 million a year.

The Titans board placed the club into voluntary administration on Tuesday, allowing the NRL to take control of the franchise.

The move has guaranteed the long-term future of the Titans on the Gold Coast but it is expected to be a complex, drawn-out process.

Among the many tasks administrators Robert Moodie and Greg Parker are facing is assessing the validity of current contracts and agreements.

The Titans are currently locked into a five-year contract with Stadiums Queensland to play 12 games a year at Cbus Super Stadium.

The deal is one of the most expensive in the competition and is believed to be one of the major financial burdens on the club.

NRL heavy hitters have been privately worried about the financial stress the agreement, which expires in 2017, is placing on the Titans.

But the latest developments could see the contract voided.

The administrators are currently assessing the club’s contracts and it is understood a decision on the stadium deal will be left to them.

Titans CEO Graham Annesley said he was yet to look at the arrangement.

“We’ve got to talk to the stadium,” he said. “Nothing has happened in that regard. It will happen in the next few days.

“Anyone that we have current arrangements with we have to talk to. We haven’t done that at this stage.

“The stadium is obviously one of our partners we need to talk to about what’s happened.”

Mr Moodie said all the company’s contracts would be reviewed and it was too early to decide what would happen to the stadium arrangement.

“As a point of law, we’ve got a period of time at the beginning of the administration to review all the contracts the company is bound by,” he said.

“We’re doing that. As far as that contract’s concerned, we’ve only been there for 24 hours and I don’t have a thought on it yet.”

A Stadiums Queensland spokesman said “clubs accept the risk to get the reward” when they entered hiring agreements.

“There is an existing hiring agreement in place with the Gold Coast Titans for the use of the venue. SQ is speaking with the NRL regarding arrangements going forward,” he said.

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/sport/nrl/

[K2G]

Special report: Tension rising between Titans and government in stadium stalemate
TRAVIS MEYN GOLD COAST BULLETIN APRIL 01, 2015 12:00AM



TENSIONS between the Gold Coast Titans and government are rising with the parties locked in bitter negotiations over the cost of hiring the club’s home ground.

The Titans last night reached a short-term agreement which guarantees Good Friday’s blockbuster clash against the Brisbane Broncos will be played at Cbus Super Stadium.

But a long-term arrangement to hire the stadium has still not been reached despite negotiations stretching for more than a month.

Titans and NRL powerbrokers were last night locked in a tense standoff with Stadiums Queensland over the cost of hiring the Robina venue.

The Titans had been paying about $200,000-a-game to hire the 27,400-seat stadium before the previous contract was ruled void in February when the club was placed into voluntary administration.

A two-game agreement was reached for the club’s first two home matches of the season and a long-term arrangement was being sought.

The situation hit a critical point yesterday but a long-term agreement could not be reached. The parties agreed to extend the short-term contract for a further game.

The Titans had a contingency plan in place to move the game to an alternate venue if an agreement couldn’t be reached.

The club has been through a torrid time recently and further alienating its supporter base would not help but they are also adamant they will not enter into an agreement as expensive as the previous one.

It was one of the most expensive stadium-hiring arrangements in the NRL and regarded as a major reason for the club’s financial struggles.

With the NRL owning the Titans, the goal is to create a financially sustainable club and allowing another exorbitant stadium contract to be signed would be the wrong move.

Titans CEO Graham Annesley said he was “comfortable” with the short-term plan and a more permanent agreement wasn’t far off.

“We’ll be having further discussions with the Government next week about the remaining games this year,” he said.

“We appreciate they’ve been cooperative over the last few days in getting us to this point. I’m confident we’ll get a solution before our next home game.”

Stadiums Queensland has been playing hardball, given there is no other professional venue on the Gold Coast for the Titans to access.

Cbus Super Stadium was built for the Titans but also became the home ground of the now defunct A-League outfit Gold Coast United.

The Australian Rugby Union has also dumped the Gold Coast as a host of the Rugby Sevens World Series.

[shamus]

Think how Cbus feels. All that money for naming rights and no one to use the stadium.

They would wanna sort it out, coz I ain't going to Suncorp for home games period!

[DIEHARD]

It's very depressing when our own government is screwing over sports and moreover the fans.

What are the options to move a game? Brisbane?

[Toads]

For mine.. We don't need a extravagant grounds to play our home games at. Yes, it's nice 'n it helps with all the modern facilities that a establishment like Robina brings. But it's no point being tied into a contract that would probably bring on our demise eventually.

I made mention of it before, and it may not a completely sound one. But I've thrown up the idea of trying to strike a deal with the Southport Tigers and council to utilise something around the old showgrounds on Queen Street. The added bonus is it's close to the CBD where punters (in walking distance) can go out after a game to the Restaurants, Pubs, Clubs 'n so forth. And for those that want to head home straight after a they game can escape the area by using the Tram, Bus/Shuttle Bus Services, or whatever.

To me, it makes perfect sense to playing games as close as possible to a CBD, mainly because it broadens the punters choices pre or post game. It has the potential for local businesses to be profitable 'n so on. The current deal where there's nothing before or after the game 'n we get shuffled around like cattle just to get in 'n out of the area doesn't bring much joy (especially after a loss), or make much sense.

As I said, my idea may not be perfect one. But I tend to think it offers more positives for the community than the current arrangements.

[shamus]

Carrara, suck it up and do a deal with the AFL, GCCC and whoever else owns Metricom. (It was Federal and Qld Gov't so not sure if it has been handed over) Only needs to be a 1 or 2 year deal before the Qld Gov't realise the White Elephant they have does actually need to be utilised.

[Titanic]

The fringe fans of visiting clubs won't trek out to CBus because it's all just too hard … we only get the diehard (sorry mate) foreign supporters and that probably costs us a 1,000 or so every game.

[Toads]

That'd work, shamus. But unfortunately (IIRC) Stadiums Queensland partially own Metricon Stadium (Carrara) still. So if we're gunna walk away altogether, here's a list of Stadiums we'd have to pass on, if we're trying to screw them on their own ****ty deal.

It still gets me to this day to why Bligh's Government settled on Robina for the location of the Stadium in the first place. Especially considering she's a old Coast girl herself.