Titans v Broncos nearly shifted to... Sydney?!

[DIEHARD]

Titans v Broncos: Gold Coast were hours away from shifting Queensland derby clash to Sydney

THE Titans were hours away from shifting their Good Friday Queensland derby against the Broncos to Sydney.

The Gold Coast Bulletin can reveal preliminary plans had been made for the derby to be played at ANZ Stadium as negotiations between the Titans and Stadiums Queensland hit a stalemate on Tuesday.

If the Sydney move was to happen, the changes had to be actioned by Tuesday night.

The Titans reached a short-term agreement to play the match at Cbus Super Stadium hours before the deadline.

Before the club was placed into voluntary administration in February, it was paying up to $2 million a year to play 12 games at the Robina venue.

The contract was its second-largest cost behind player and employee salaries, and regarded as a huge reason for the club’s financial struggles.

Titans boss Graham Annesley and NRL head of club services Tony Crawford are expected to meet Stadiums Queensland and Government divisions this week to negotiate a new long-term agreement.

The Titans’ claim is simple — they want to pay less to play at the stadium.

The Government has been reluctant to come to the party, despite negotiations starting more than a month ago.

The Titans are the stadium’s only permanent tenant, but they also realise the club has few alternative venues to play home games on the Coast.

It is not only Stadiums Queensland the Titans and NRL have to negotiate with.

The transport department is involved because of public transport options along with police, given traffic management and security plans are implemented at games.

Access to the stadium has been a talking point and Annesley said that had to be considered in the negotiations.

“It’s well acknowledged, even by Stadiums Queensland, that there are transport and access issues associated with getting to and from Cbus Super Stadium,” he said.

“All we’re seeking is a sustainable financial model given the issues associated with the location of the stadium.”

A Stadiums Queensland spokesman said an option to reduce costs was to limit which seating areas were opened.

But Clive Palmer went down that route while he owned the now defunct A-League football outfit Gold Coast United and it was met with a supporter backlash.

“An individual hirer can specify to open a limited number of gates or stands to bring down costs and Stadiums Queensland is very happy to discuss options with hirers as it does with the Titans,” the spokesman said.

“We have always been willing to work with any interested party to ensure that both sides get a reasonable return from a hiring agreement.

“The arrangements for the Titans is consistent with the commercial model applied at other venues and within other codes.”

http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/...t+bulletin_rss

[DIEHARD]

Surely they were just trying to have some cards to play. The idea of such a move would be humiliated and ridiculous.

And we have friggin Stadiums QLD talking about shutting gates and stands....

[TitansFan92]

I say get into a deal with one of our feeder clubs in the Intrust Super Cup to play our games at there stadium for the rest of the year then see how fast Stadiums QLD want to do a deal then when the stadium is not being used.

[Toads]

Good in theory, but Robina would get mothballed like the Desalination Plant has. Simply because they don't give a **** either way. After all, we are talking about a Government here..

[Mr Stupid]

Any guesses on the crowd for the SE Queenland derby at ANZ with a day or two's notice. Any advance on 97 people?

[Titanic]

As has been mentioned before, gate takings don't factor into the current NRL financial model … the NRL grant covers all reasonable costs except where such grievous costs such as Stadiums Qld are concerned.