Masterton
Well-known member
Parramatta supporters group 1Eyed Eel is poised to make history after proposing to set up rugby league's first supporter-based third-party arrangement for one of the club's players.
The 1Eyed Eel forum, an online gathering place for supporters to discuss all things blue and gold, has such a following that, for much of its history, it has boasted greater traffic numbers than the official parraeels.com.au website.
The latest venture, called the 1Eyed Eel Coterie, will provide its members with a more direct means to contribute to the team if the NRL rubber-stamps the revolutionary concept.
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The idea is for a supporter-run company to be formed, with various levels of membership depending on the financial contributions made. 1Eyed Eel Coterie members would then choose a player to sponsor via a registered TPA, which would require the player to provide value back to the group via means such as promotional appearances or website blogs.
Within hours of the idea being floated, dozens of members had registered their interest, with combined pledges topping $10,000.
Parramatta are supporting the initiative and will provide regulatory advice to ensure compliance with the NRL, but will have no say on the player chosen or on the running of the group. It is understood former NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert, who has been engaged by the Eels to sort through a myriad of issues, is available to ensure compliance with the salary cap and head office directives.
Rather than topping up the salary of a superstar such as Manly recruit Kieran Foran, it's likely the first player sponsored will be a lower-profile fan favourite who would otherwise struggle to garner interest from corporate Australia. However, the concept is still in the embryonic stages and those details will be thrashed out as members begin signing up.
The 1Eyed Eel Coterie comes at an interesting time for the game. Former Melbourne chief executive Mark Evans has been engaged by the NRL on a consultancy basis and one of his jurisdictions is reviewing the controversial TPA system. The NRL is looking to make TPAs simpler - the fact there are currently five types of TPA only adds to the confusion.
It's argued the salary cap isn't a genuinely level playing field because some clubs are more capable of generating TPAs than others. We're hearing one option being considered is publishing the number and financial total of each club's TPAs so that the system is more transparent.
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Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/sin-bin/sin-bin-parramatta-eels-set-to-benefit-from-nrls-first-fanfunded-thirdparty-agreement-20150926-gjvhob.html#ixzz3n7FdFO54
Follow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook
The 1Eyed Eel forum, an online gathering place for supporters to discuss all things blue and gold, has such a following that, for much of its history, it has boasted greater traffic numbers than the official parraeels.com.au website.
The latest venture, called the 1Eyed Eel Coterie, will provide its members with a more direct means to contribute to the team if the NRL rubber-stamps the revolutionary concept.
Advertisement
The idea is for a supporter-run company to be formed, with various levels of membership depending on the financial contributions made. 1Eyed Eel Coterie members would then choose a player to sponsor via a registered TPA, which would require the player to provide value back to the group via means such as promotional appearances or website blogs.
Within hours of the idea being floated, dozens of members had registered their interest, with combined pledges topping $10,000.
Parramatta are supporting the initiative and will provide regulatory advice to ensure compliance with the NRL, but will have no say on the player chosen or on the running of the group. It is understood former NRL salary cap auditor Ian Schubert, who has been engaged by the Eels to sort through a myriad of issues, is available to ensure compliance with the salary cap and head office directives.
Rather than topping up the salary of a superstar such as Manly recruit Kieran Foran, it's likely the first player sponsored will be a lower-profile fan favourite who would otherwise struggle to garner interest from corporate Australia. However, the concept is still in the embryonic stages and those details will be thrashed out as members begin signing up.
The 1Eyed Eel Coterie comes at an interesting time for the game. Former Melbourne chief executive Mark Evans has been engaged by the NRL on a consultancy basis and one of his jurisdictions is reviewing the controversial TPA system. The NRL is looking to make TPAs simpler - the fact there are currently five types of TPA only adds to the confusion.
It's argued the salary cap isn't a genuinely level playing field because some clubs are more capable of generating TPAs than others. We're hearing one option being considered is publishing the number and financial total of each club's TPAs so that the system is more transparent.
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Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/sin-bin/sin-bin-parramatta-eels-set-to-benefit-from-nrls-first-fanfunded-thirdparty-agreement-20150926-gjvhob.html#ixzz3n7FdFO54
Follow us: @smh on Twitter | sydneymorningherald on Facebook
