Tomorrow is the last day of the football year before the new one on 1 November and still all quiet.
Tomorrow is the last day of the football year before the new one on 1 November and still all quiet.
PUT EM TO THE SWORD! SHOW SOME STEEL!
Moejoe: "REMEMBER!!!! SLIP - SLOP - SLAP in the sun. Skin Cancer is a growing problem. It could happen to anyone!!"TITANS, DIEHARDS, WARRINGTON WOLVES, MAROONS, KANGAROOS, HONG KONG THUNDER
THE NRL will carry the Gold Coast Titans into a new financial year after failing to offload the club before its desired deadline.
The Titans were originally slated to be under a new ownership structure by Tuesday, the final day of the NRL’s financial year.
The NRL assumed ownership of the Titans in February 2015 in the midst of a drugs scandal as the club buckled under mounting debts.
With a new club funding agreement to begin on Wednesday, which will see club grants rise to $13 million a year, the NRL was hopeful of no longer having to prop up the Titans.
However, the exhaustive ownership change process has not been able to be completed before October 31 and will carry on, possibly for another few weeks.
The NRL met with prospective bidders a fortnight ago at a Gold Coast hotel to view their presentations.
A spokesman for the NRL said all consortia bidding for the Titans had been given until Tuesday to table their bids.
“We will then consider those bids before making a final decision on the ownership,” he said.
“Clearly, we will be looking at the financial aspects but we know that the relationship with the local community and providing stable owners is just as important.”
The spokesman said the NRL hoped to make a final determination in the coming weeks. Four consortia remain in contention for the club.
Former owner Darryl Kelly and ex-chair Rebecca Frizelle are believed to be the leading group.
Kelly rescued the Titans in 2013 when the club was on the brink of collapse, only to lose at least $5 million when the NRL assumed ownership.
It is expected Kelly and Frizelle will return to their positions on the club’s board if they are successful in assuming ownership of the club.
The Brisbane Bombers bid team met with the NRL during the presentation process along with the North Sydney Bears team.
There is another secret consortium, which is not presently aligned with the NRL that has also expressed interest in buying the club.
The Titans are still on the hunt for a major sponsor for 2018 following the departure of Aquis.
The club is hoping the appointment of new coach Garth Brennan and re-signing of emerging halfback Ashley Taylor will help prove there is stability at the franchise following a turbulent season.
Hmmm.. not a good scenario to be in. Wonder what the hold up could be?
The NRL have been aware that this situation has been looming for years and they still can't hit a simple deadline. Clowns.
Call me Mr Stupid but...
Fair point, ozy. I did read the article elsewhere, but I seemed to have missed the bit you quoted.
I will say though, their procedures (NRL) sure give the media plenty to feed off of constantly. Feels as if this ownership thing has been going on longer than what anyone would care to remember.
A bit concerning to not have a decision. May mean that they feel the bids aren't up to scratch or there is some competition.
Still I can be patient for a couple more weeks.
PUT EM TO THE SWORD! SHOW SOME STEEL!
Moejoe: "REMEMBER!!!! SLIP - SLOP - SLAP in the sun. Skin Cancer is a growing problem. It could happen to anyone!!"TITANS, DIEHARDS, WARRINGTON WOLVES, MAROONS, KANGAROOS, HONG KONG THUNDER
Deadline for Titans bids
http://www.titans.com.au
THE NRL is confident it will settle on new owners of the Gold Coast Titans within weeks after interested parties submit final bids today.
A key deadline in the process – the end of the NRL financial year – will come and go today with the governing body unable to draw a line under the sale of the Titans.
The NRL took over ownership of the club in early 2015 after it was placed in voluntary administration by directors.
But the league has long said it is not in the business of owning clubs and had vowed to have both the Titans and Newcastle Knights – which it took over in 2014 – off its books by the end of its financial year on October 31.
The Wests Group will officially assume outright ownership of the Knights tomorrow after entering into an interim partnership with the NRL in August. But the league will carry the Titans into the new financial year.
The formal sale process has been going for almost two months, with parties conducting due diligence on the business.
There are challenges, including the absence of a major sponsor after Aquis decided against taking up the option on their deal of more than $1 million a season.
But last week’s news that star half Ash Taylor had signed a three-year extension will be seen as a bonus by bidders. Four parties – the Darryl Kelly/Rebecca Frizelle group, North Sydney Bears, Brisbane Bombers and former Salford owner and British billionaire Marwan Koukash – remain in the running for the licence.
A spokesman for the NRL said all consortiums had been given until the end of today to table their bids.
“We will then consider those bids before making a final decision on the ownership,” the spokesman said.
“Clearly, we will be looking at the financial aspects but we know that the relationship with the local community and providing stable owners is just as important.”
But price will not be the only criteriums on which the bids are judged.
Objectives including the best outcome for the game, the Titans and the community will also be considered, although potential owners are in the dark about the weighting each of the criteria will be given.
Kelly said he had no reason to believe he was a favourite but believed he and Frizelle – who have stepped down from their positions on the Titans board during the bid process
— have made a compelling case for ownership.
“Our bid is based around the Titans remaining a Gold Coast-based side and being called the Gold Coast Titans moving forward,” Kelly said. “It’s for the community of the Gold Coast and the Tweed.”
PUT EM TO THE SWORD! SHOW SOME STEEL!
Moejoe: "REMEMBER!!!! SLIP - SLOP - SLAP in the sun. Skin Cancer is a growing problem. It could happen to anyone!!"TITANS, DIEHARDS, WARRINGTON WOLVES, MAROONS, KANGAROOS, HONG KONG THUNDER
IMO none of these come anywhere near close and are all ridiculous.
North Sydney Bears
Brisbane Bombers
Marwan Koukash
PUT EM TO THE SWORD! SHOW SOME STEEL!
Moejoe: "REMEMBER!!!! SLIP - SLOP - SLAP in the sun. Skin Cancer is a growing problem. It could happen to anyone!!"TITANS, DIEHARDS, WARRINGTON WOLVES, MAROONS, KANGAROOS, HONG KONG THUNDER
Maybe I am missing something, but isn't a deadline the closing date of something happening?
How can they say, "the deadline is today, so we've got a few weeks to make a decision"...???
I guess the same people who think 2 refs and a bunker makes the game flow better.
Previous Titans superstar reports that the NRL are being very difficult on the bids and one in particular that he has now withdrawn from.
Four reasons to escape to Queensland: Sun, Surf, Sand & the Titans.
I can't mention his name for very obvious reasons. He was visiting me in hospital and was very disillusioned about the whole process. He also commented that he felt the NRL was running on a clubland agenda.
Four reasons to escape to Queensland: Sun, Surf, Sand & the Titans.
Thanks for that mate. Hoping that the bid isn’t the one we all want up get up.